Portrait of a Philosopher: Defining Philosophy and Philosophers in the Theaetetus

Socrates, as understood through his student Plato's writings, has long served as a model for all Western philosophers. Despite this common characterization, it is not clear that Socrates can be considered a philosopher by Plato's own definition. In the Theaetetus there is a clear tension between how Socrates presents himself and how Plato describes the capabilities and characteristics of philosophers. In this paper, I examine both Socrates and the Philosopher, as described in the Theaetetus, and show that no individual, including Socrates, as he is presented in the dialogue, can be considered a Philosopher. I then argue that Socrates is instead representative of one specific faculty of a philosopher, and that with the right interlocutor the act of Socratic dialogue itself is the best - or perhaps only - true way to perform Platonic Philosophy.