Plato's "Euthydemus"

In Plato's Euthydemus, Socrates faces off against two slick sophists—Euthydemus and his brother Dionysodorus—who treat argument like a contact sport. Their 'eristic' technique uses verbal tricks and ambiguity to win at all costs, deliberately disconnecting language from any stable truth or reality. Socrates contrasts this combative style with his own dialectic, which seeks genuine understanding.
The dialogue hilariously (and devastatingly) shows how the sophists' approach doesn't just confuse everyone else—it collapses under its own weight, creating intellectual and moral chaos. Socrates tries to redirect them toward real logic and a higher kind of knowledge (the 'royal art' that leads to true virtue and the good).

Join us as we explore: What makes an argument productive versus merely winning? When does our language detach from reality? And why does Plato think this matters so much for philosophy and education?

Join us in this most playful of Plato's dialogues. Please read in advance:
Text: https://onlinebooks.library.upenn.edu/webbin/gutbook/lookup?num=1598
audiobook:
https://youtu.be/AdE7dssQGEg?si=1pnbnOuvgzXeyvdW (6:53:00)
https://librivox.org/euthydemus-by-plato/

Optional:
https://archive.org/details/platosuseoffalla00spra/page/8/mode/1up

Leo Strauss Lecture series: https://leostrausscenter.uchicago.edu/plato-euthydemus-claremont-mens-college-summer-1968/?et_fb=1&PageSpeed=off