THE EXPRESSION OF PLATO’S PHILOSOPHICAL POSITION THROUGH THE DIALOGUE FORM: CHANCE OR NECESSITY?

The importance of the dialogue form for understanding Plato’s philosophy was not recognized by researchers for a long time. The situation, however, has changed drastically in our time. In Plato’s studies, a group of researchers has emerged who build their argumentation on the basis of the dialogue form itself. According to this position, Plato’s philosophy cannot be found in his dialogues because of the “opacity” of the dialogue form. The situation can change only when we get a “document” where Plato speaks directly about which character expresses his own views. The author of the article offers to consider some arguments against this position: 1) Aristotle refers to some dialogues as the source of Plato’s philosophy; 2) the dialogues constantly repeat consideration of the same topics; 3) Plato’s direct voice is in his Letters.The dialogues are our only and primary source of Plato’s philosophy. On this basis, the author defends the thesis that Plato’s use of the dialogue form was not an accident, but an internal necessity. This was based on Plato’s own cognitive situation and some pedagogical reflections. He transferred the relation “truth-Plato” to the level “Plato-reader”. This relationship implies the impossibility of full knowledge of the truth and the limitation of its expression as long as one stays in the mortal modus of existence, with the need for constant inquiry. The dialogue form, enhanced by anonymity, irony and other artistic techniques, makes it possible to realize this relationship at the level of “Plato-reader”. Plato is present in the dialogues, but is completely elusive.