Lesser Hippias

To say Socrates was an influence on Plato would be a vast understatement; historians today still struggle to distinguish Socrates’ philosophical beliefs from Plato’s, because much of Plato’s writings consisted of “Socratic dialogues,” in which the main character, Socrates, discusses the topic of the writing with his followers. Yet for all of the influence of Socrates’ life on Plato, it was Socrates’ death around 399 B.C. that truly shaped him. Plato was so embittered by Socrates’ trial in Athens that he completely soured on Athenian democracy, and he began to travel around the Mediterranean, studying topics like mathematics, honing his approach to philosophical thinking, and continuing to refine his philosophical beliefs. About a decade later, Plato returned to Athens and founded his famous Platonic Academy around 387 B.C., which he oversaw for 40 years until his death. One of Plato’s philosophical beliefs was that writing down teachings was less valuable than passing them down orally, and several of Plato’s writings are responses to previous writings of his, so Plato’s personally held beliefs are hard to discern. However, Plato educated several subsequent philosophers, chief among them Aristotle, and his writings eventually formed the backbone of Western philosophy.
There is some controvery among classical scholars as to whether or not the Lesser Hippias is a genuine work of Plato. There are good arguments for either position, based on style and substance. Regardless, in this dialogue, Socrates engages in a spirited discussion of whether it is better to do wrong intentionally or unintentionally, using examples from Homer. His foil, Hippias, is vain and boastful. He thinks he knows everything and can do everything. But, as in most of the dialogues, the superior dialectics of Socrates wins out.