Is this a good first book of Plato to read?

Yes, for most curious readers. The trial-and-death sequence is among the most accessible and moving material Plato wrote, and the introduction gives helpful context. Read slowly and don't expect every dialogue to reach a firm conclusion. Many are deliberately left open so readers keep thinking.

Should I read this or the complete works of Plato?

Start here if you are new to Plato. A complete edition, such as the large Hackett volume, runs well over a thousand pages and includes minor and disputed works. This selection gives you the core story of Socrates and a taste of the major themes. You can then decide whether you want everything.

Do I need a background in philosophy to follow it?

No. Plato wrote for educated general readers, and the conversational format explains ideas as it goes. Some patience helps, especially with longer stretches of back-and-forth reasoning. Keeping track of what each character is trying to define makes the arguments much easier to follow.

Reader-supported: when you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Learn more

Buy on Amazon Listen on Audible

We earn a commission if you buy through these links. Learn more

The Dialogues of Plato

Name: The Dialogues of Plato
Author: Plato
ISBN: 9780553213713

by Plato

History

A single-volume path into Plato that starts with the trial and death of Socrates, then opens onto the arguments about virtue, love, and knowledge that shaped Western philosophy.

What It's About

This is a curated selection of Plato's dialogues in modern translations, introduced by the classicist Erich Segal. It is not the complete works. It is built as a reader's entry point. The opening group follows Socrates from the charge of impiety through his courtroom defense, his refusal to escape from prison, and his last conversation before execution. That sequence is usually read as Euthyphro, Apology, Crito, and Phaedo. Together they work almost like a short tragedy, and they give the later, more abstract dialogues real human stakes.

The remaining dialogues move into the larger questions Plato is known for. Can virtue be taught? What is love actually after? How does real knowledge differ from opinion? What does a person owe the city? Socrates usually drives the conversation by questioning confident people until their definitions fall apart. The results can be funny, irritating, and illuminating, sometimes all on the same page.

Reading it feels less like studying a textbook and more like overhearing sharp, occasionally combative conversations among Athenians. Segal's introduction supplies context on Plato's life and the issues in each dialogue, which helps first-timers find their footing. Expect to reread passages. The arguments reward slow attention, and many dialogues end without a neat answer by design.

Read this if you…

want a manageable starting point for Plato without buying the complete works
are curious about Socrates as a person and why his trial still matters
enjoy ideas presented through argument, character, and debate

Skip it if you…

want a straightforward history of ancient Athens rather than philosophical dialogue
need the complete dialogues or a scholarly edition with extensive notes for advanced study

Key Ideas

1
The examined life as a moral duty
Through Socrates' defense and death, Plato presents philosophy as a way of living rather than an academic subject. Questioning your own beliefs and those of others is shown as worth dying for. Socrates prefers to accept execution than to stop asking uncomfortable questions or abandon the principles he has argued for.
2
Admitting ignorance is where wisdom begins
Socrates repeatedly shows that people who claim expertise, from priests to politicians, cannot define the very things they claim to know. His method of patient questioning exposes contradictions. Recognizing that you don't actually know something is presented as the necessary first step toward understanding it properly.
3
Justice and the individual versus the state
Several dialogues ask what a citizen owes the laws, even unjust verdicts, and whether doing wrong is worse than suffering it. These arguments raise questions about obedience, conscience, and civic duty. Political thinkers have been debating them ever since, which makes the texts surprisingly relevant to modern arguments about authority.
4
Love, beauty, and the pull toward truth
In the dialogues on love, desire is treated as more than physical attraction. It becomes a ladder that can lead from admiring one person toward loving beauty and wisdom themselves. The setting is often a lively social gathering, so big ideas arrive alongside wit, rivalry, and drinking.
5
Philosophy written as drama
Plato wrote conversations rather than treatises, with distinct characters, settings, and tensions. Ideas are tested in argument instead of simply stated. This makes the works more readable than most ancient philosophy. It also means readers must work out where Plato himself stands, since many debates end unresolved.

Limitations

As a selection, this edition leaves out important dialogues and, depending on the printing, may include only parts of longer works. Serious students will eventually need the full texts. Some arguments feel slippery or one-sided to modern readers, because Socrates' partners often concede points too easily. Plato's views on women, slavery, and democracy can jar. The listing as History is a little misleading: the book is mainly philosophy, and the historical context comes mostly from the introduction. The translations aim for clarity, but different translators across one volume can make the tone uneven.

Questions Readers Ask

Is this a good first book of Plato to read?: Yes, for most curious readers. The trial-and-death sequence is among the most accessible and moving material Plato wrote, and the introduction gives helpful context. Read slowly and don't expect every dialogue to reach a firm conclusion. Many are deliberately left open so readers keep thinking.
Should I read this or the complete works of Plato?: Start here if you are new to Plato. A complete edition, such as the large Hackett volume, runs well over a thousand pages and includes minor and disputed works. This selection gives you the core story of Socrates and a taste of the major themes. You can then decide whether you want everything.
Do I need a background in philosophy to follow it?: No. Plato wrote for educated general readers, and the conversational format explains ideas as it goes. Some patience helps, especially with longer stretches of back-and-forth reasoning. Keeping track of what each character is trying to define makes the arguments much easier to follow.

Published: 1986
ISBN: 9780553213713
Difficulty: intermediate
Category: History

Book details and cover from Google Books.

Ready to read The Dialogues of Plato?

Get your copy on Amazon, or listen to it on Audible. We earn a commission if you buy through these links.

Buy on Amazon Listen on Audible