Excerpt from Schleiermacher's Introductions to the Dialogues of Plato

It would certainly be more to the'purpose, provided it were possible within the prescribed limits, to adduce something relative to the scientific condition Of the hel lenes at the time when Plato entered upon his'jcareer, to'theadvances of language in reference to the expression of philosophical thoughts, to the works of this class at that time 'in existence, and the probable extent of their circulation. For upon these points there is 'not onlymuch to explain more accurately than has been hitherto done, and some quite new matter to investigate, but there may perhaps still be questions to throw out, which, though to the professor in these subjects they must be anything but indifferent, have, however, up to the present time, been as good as not thought of at all. But to pursue in connexion what is new and ambiguous in such investi-s gations, would not be adapted to this place; and some particulars even in this province, whether in the way Of illustration, or Of suspicion tending to confute what has been hitherto assumed, are better by all means to remain reserved for the particular places to which they refer. And what is common and well known is, moreover, pertinently set forth in the works of German writers illustrative Of the history of that period Of philosophy, as far as is absolutely necessary to prepare the way for the reading of the Platonic writings, so as not to grope about in the dark, and thus completely to miss, from first to last, the right point Of View for the understanding and estimation Of them. For these writings are through out full Of clear and covert references to almost every thing, both earlier and cotemporary. And in like mana ner, also, whoever does not possess a competent know ledge of the deficient state of the language for philo sophical purposes, to feel where and how Plato is cramped by it, and where he himself laboriouslv extends its grasp, . Must necessarily misunderstand his author, and that, for the most part, in the most remarkable passages.

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