Cratylus

Do names belong to things by nature, or only by convention? In this dialogue by Plato, Hermogenes argues for convention, Cratylus for a natural correctness of names, and Socrates is drawn in to judge between them. Much of the conversation consists of Socrates' extended, often playful etymologies of Greek words, including the names of gods and heroes. It closes by asking whether knowledge of things can come from their names at all.

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Steve Jobs: “I started to listen to music a whole lot, and I started to read more outside of just science and technology — Shakespeare, Plato. I loved King Lear.”