Socrates and the Immoralists

Socrates' life, as revealed in Plato's dialogues, is defined by a twofold ambition. On one hand, he scrutinizes people's beliefs, including his own, with the aim of exposing inconsistencies and learning about the human excellences. On the other hand, Socrates attempts to persuade particular individuals that the life of virtue and justice is far superior to the life of injustice. Curtis A. Johnson, by focusing specifically on the dialogues with the "immoralists" Polus, Callicles, and Thrasymachus, illuminates the complexities of Socrates' thought, showing the complicated interplay of the seemingly contradictory parts of Socrates' ambition, ultimately vindicating the overall coherence of the views. Socrates and the Immoralists assembles an in-depth exploration of Socrates' argument for the just life, important for scholars of Socrates, Plato, and Greek philosophy in general.