Protagoras

In this lively dialogue, Plato stages a meeting between Socrates and the famous sophist Protagoras at the house of a wealthy Athenian. A young man named Hippocrates is eager to become Protagoras's student, and Socrates goes with him to see what such a teacher actually offers. What follows is a wide-ranging conversation about whether virtue can be taught, what virtue is, and how one should live. Along the way, Protagoras tells a myth about Prometheus, Socrates interprets a poem by Simonides, and the two debate whether anyone willingly does wrong. The discussion is full of character, wit, and unexpected turns.

Readers who enjoy philosophical conversations, ancient Greek culture, or the roots of Western ethics will find much to think about. The dialogue is also a vivid portrait of Athens at a time when traveling teachers called sophists were both admired and suspected. Socrates' method of short questions and answers stands in sharp contrast to the long speeches of the professionals, and the clash of styles is part of the drama.

This edition contains the complete text of Plato's Protagoras in Benjamin Jowett's translation, preceded by Jowett's introduction, along with a new introduction, a guide to key ideas, a summary of the argument, a list of themes, a glossary of names and terms, and questions for discussion. It is designed for general readers, students, and book clubs approaching the dialogue for the first time.