Plato's Use of Direct Quotes Help Prove His Theories

In Plato’s Ion, Socrates questions Ion’s knowledge of Homer. Socrates analyzes Homer’s text along with Ion’s statement that he is the most knowledgeable when it comes to the work of Homer. What Socrates is trying to prove is that if you can announce who is a good speaker, you should be able to announce who is a bad speaker, and therefore you should be knowledgeable about both bad and good speakers. Where Ion only knows of Homer and nothing else, Socrates uses analysis and theories to prove his points. With every theory and point that Socrates makes, he backs it up with direct quotes, making Ion a very philosophical piece.

"And you’re right too, Ion. So come now and do as I did for you when I picked out from the odyssey and the Iliad the sorts of things that concern the seer and the doctor and the fisherman;you now pick out for me, since you are much more knowledgeable about the works of Homer than I am, the sorts of things that concern the rhapsode’s skills, Ion- things which it’s appropriate for the rhapsode to consider and judge better than other people" (Murray 11).

After Socrates had proved his point that other skilled people could interpret and understand Homer’s text better than Ion, he allows Ion to debate back and give his own examples from Homer’s text to prove that he is the most knowledgeable. Ion returns by stating that he is better at everything. Ion does not give proof or examples, he is unclear and vague making his argument less affective and believable than Socrates.

I really liked Ion and the Republics 2,3, and 10, because Plato’s philosophy and structure of his writing is so clear and organized with examples from the text backing up every idea that he has. In Republic 2, the argument is that...

"a child cannot distinguish between what is allegorical and what is not, and opinions formed at the age tend to become permanent and indelible. For these reasons everything must be done to ensure that the first stories they hear are as suitable as possible for the encouragement of virtue" (Murray 17).

He argues that stories about the Gods, including myths, are unsuitable for children and only give them wrong ideas because they are too young to interpret the underlying message.




Murray, Penelope. Classical Literary Criticism. Penguin Books: New York, 2004.