Plato and the Other Companions of Sokrates, 3rd ed. Volume 2 by George Grote

(5 User reviews)   469
By Ashley Johnson Posted on Jan 12, 2026
In Category - Gardening
Grote, George, 1794-1871 Grote, George, 1794-1871
English
Hey, so you know how we think of Plato as this pure philosopher writing in his ivory tower? This book completely shatters that image. Grote takes us backstage, showing us Plato as just one voice in a wild, argumentative crowd of Socrates's followers. The real mystery here isn't in Plato's famous dialogues, but in the messy, brilliant, and often forgotten debates that shaped them. It's like finding out your favorite band had a bunch of other songwriters arguing in the studio. This volume digs into the 'Other Companions'—thinkers like Aristippus and Antisthenes—who took Socrates's ideas and ran in totally different directions. If you've ever wondered what got lost when history crowned Plato the winner, this is your backstage pass.
Share

Read "Plato and the Other Companions of Sokrates, 3rd ed. Volume 2 by George Grote" Online

This book is available in the public domain. Start reading the digital edition below.

START READING FULL BOOK
Instant Access    Mobile Friendly

Book Preview

A short preview of the book’s content is shown below to give you an idea of its style and themes.

Memorabilia, especially the conversation of Sokrates with Euthydemus. Sokrates not always consistent with himself 29 Remarkable doctrine of Alkibiadês II.--that knowledge is not always Good. The knowledge of Good itself is indispensable: without that, the knowledge of other things is more hurtful than beneficial _ib._ Knowledge of Good--appears postulated and divined, in many of the Platonic dialogues, under different titles 31 The Good--the Profitable--what is it?--How are we to know it? Plato leaves this undetermined _ib._ CHAPTER XIII. HIPPIAS MAJOR--HIPPIAS MINOR. Hippias Major--situation supposed--character of the dialogue. Sarcasm and mockery against Hippias 33 Real debate between the historical Sokrates and Hippias in the Xenophontic Memorabilia--subject of that debate 34 Opening of the Hippias Major**--Hippias describes the successful circuit which he had made through Greece, and the renown as well as the gain acquired by his lectures 35 Hippias had met with no success at Sparta. Why the Spartans did not admit his instructions--their law forbids _ib._ Question, What is law? The law-makers always aim at the Profitable, but sometimes fail to attain it. When they fail, they fail to attain law. The lawful is the Profitable: the Unprofitable is also unlawful 36 Comparison of the argument of the Platonic Sokrates with that of the Xenophontic Sokrates 37 The Just or Good is the beneficial or profitable. This is the only explanation which Plato ever gives and to this he does not always adhere 38 Lectures of Hippias at Sparta not upon geometry, or astronomy, &c., but upon the question--What pursuits are beautiful, fine, and honourable for youth? 39 Question put by Sokrates, in the name of a friend in the background, who has just been puzzling him with it--What is the Beautiful? _ib._ Hippias thinks the question easy to answer 40 Justice, Wisdom, Beauty must each be something. What is Beauty, or the Beautiful? _ib._ Hippias does not understand the question. He answers by indicating one particularly beautiful object _ib._ Cross-questioning by Sokrates--Other things also are beautiful; but each thing is beautiful only by comparison, or under some particular circumstances--it is sometimes beautiful, sometimes not beautiful 41 Second answer of Hippias--_ Gold_, is that by the presence of which all things become beautiful--scrutiny applied to the answer. Complaint by Hippias about vulgar analogies _ib._ Third answer of Hippias--questions upon it--proof given that it fails of universal application 42 Farther answers, suggested by Sokrates himself--1. The Suitable or Becoming--objections thereunto--it is rejected 43 2. The useful or profitable--objections--it will not hold 44 3. The Beautiful is a variety of the Pleasurable--that which is received through the eye and the ear 45 Objections to this last--What property is there common to both sight and hearing, which confers upon the pleasures of these two senses the exclusive privilege of being beautiful? _ib._ Answer--There is, belonging to each and to both in common, the property of being innocuous and profitable pleasures--upon this ground they are called beautiful 46 This will not hold--the Profitable is the cause of Good, and is therefore different from Good--to say that the beautiful is the Profitable, is to say that it is different from Good but this has been already declared inadmissible _ib._ Remarks upon the Dialogue--the explanations ascribed to Hippias are special conspicuous examples: those ascribed to Sokrates are attempts to assign some general concept 47 Analogy between the explanations here ascribed to Sokrates, and those given by the Xenophontic Sokrates in the Memorabilia 49 Concluding thrust exchanged between Hippias and Sokrates 51 Rhetoric against Dialectic 52 Men who dealt with real life, contrasted with the speculative and analytical philosophers _ib._ Concrete Aggregates--abstract or logical Aggregates. Distinct aptitudes...

This is a limited preview. Download the book to read the full content.

The Story

This isn't a story with a plot in the usual sense. Think of it more as an intellectual reconstruction. George Grote, a 19th-century historian, acts as our guide through the chaotic aftermath of Socrates's death. His goal is to recover the voices of the philosophers who learned from Socrates but didn't leave us neat, polished dialogues like Plato did. The 'story' follows these figures—the Cynics, the Cyrenaics, and others—as they interpret, argue over, and sometimes radically twist their teacher's legacy. It's the story of a philosophical explosion, not a single, tidy line of thought.

Why You Should Read It

This book changes how you see ancient philosophy. It makes the whole period feel alive, contentious, and human. You stop seeing Plato's ideas as inevitable and start seeing them as one option among many in a fierce debate. Grote has a real talent for making these ancient arguments feel urgent. Reading about Aristippus's focus on personal pleasure or Antisthenes's radical asceticism isn't just academic; it shows how one man's teaching could inspire completely opposite ways of living. It adds incredible depth and color to the world that produced the ideas we still wrestle with today.

Final Verdict

Perfect for anyone who loves philosophy but is tired of the standard, polished narratives. It's especially great if you've read some Plato or Socrates and want to understand the bigger, messier conversation they were a part of. Be warned, it's a serious, detailed historical work, not a light introduction. But if you're willing to put in the time, it rewards you with a richer, more complete, and frankly, more exciting picture of where our philosophical traditions really came from.



🟢 Open Access

This work has been identified as being free of known copyright restrictions. Thank you for supporting open literature.

Melissa Nguyen
1 month ago

Reading this felt refreshing because the interplay between the protagonists drives the story forward beautifully. I'm sending the link to all my friends.

Kimberly Ramirez
1 week ago

Once I began reading, the author demonstrates strong mastery of the topic. I’ll be referencing this again soon.

Charles Wilson
4 months ago

After looking for this everywhere, the attention to historical detail adds a layer of realism that is rare. One of the best books I've read this year.

Emily Hill
4 months ago

After spending time with this material, the style is confident yet approachable. I learned so much from this.

Sarah Nguyen
5 days ago

For a digital edition, the explanations are structured in a clear and logical manner. An excellent read overall.

4.5
4.5 out of 5 (5 User reviews )

Add a Review

Your Rating *
There are no comments for this eBook.
You must log in to post a comment.
Log in

Related eBooks