cratylus

Cratylusby PlatoTranslated by Benjamin JowettINTRODUCTION.The Cratylus has always been a source of perplexity to the student ofPlato. While in fancy and humour, and perfection of style and metaphysicaloriginality, this dialogue may be ranked with the best of the Platonicwritings, there has been an uncertainty about the motive of the piece,which interpreters have hitherto not succeeded in dispelling. We need notsuppose that Plato used words in order to conceal his thoughts, or that hewould have been unintelligible to an educated contemporary. In thePhaedrus and Euthydemus we also find a difficulty in determining theprecise aim of the author. Plato wrote satires in the form of dialogues,.