Cratylus


Read by Geoffrey Edwards

(4.7 stars; 31 reviews)

Cratylus is a philosophical dialogue by Plato that delves into the nature of language and its relationship to reality. Through a conversation between Socrates and his companions, the text explores whether names are merely conventional or if they possess an intrinsic connection to the objects they signify.

Set in ancient Athens, the dialogue presents a rich examination of linguistic theory, questioning the essence of meaning and the role of language in human understanding. As the characters debate the origins and correctness of names, they grapple with profound implications for knowledge, truth, and the divine.

With its intricate arguments and thought-provoking inquiries, Cratylus invites listeners to reflect on the power of words and the complexities of communication, making it a distinctive work in the realm of classical philosophy.

Chapters

Select a chapter to play

01 - Cratylus (Text 323) 38:06 Read by Geoffrey Edwards
02 - Cratylus (Text 339) 34:39 Read by Geoffrey Edwards
03 - Cratylus (Text 352) 35:20 Read by Geoffrey Edwards
04 - Cratylus (Text 364) 27:23 Read by Geoffrey Edwards
05 - Cratylus (Text 374) 34:45 Read by Geoffrey Edwards

Reviews

Great reading, but someone needs his adnoids removed...


(5 stars)

Love this guy's obvious enthusiasm and passion for such beautiful content, but his nasally intense reading is difficult to overlook... I'll continue pushing through though as a sign of respect for his hard work in recording this.

The meaning of names


(4 stars)

Cratylus' discussion on the nature of names is very interesting, even if debunked by modern linguistics. The dialogue is very helpful for us to understand many of the gods' folk etymologies that are present in other corpora (such as the Orphic Hymns). The reader does a fine job, but his robotic and nasal voice can be a bit off puting at the beginning.

great history


(5 stars)

I read a lot of law and the definitions and etymology in this text really helps further my research, the root meaning of languages applies to even things as "recent" as the magna carta

good recording


(5 stars)

honestly boring dialogue but good recording