Dialektik in Platons 'Philebos'

This interpretation of the Philebus illustrates the conceptual framework which defined Plato's understanding of dialectic. The discussions in the Philebus which are of a general nature show that Plato was concerned with the idea that the structure of thinking could hardly be conceived of as a way to obtain true knowledge of all things, which is a requirement of philosophy. Nevertheless, Plato believed in philosophy in the sense that in his view philosophy was able to produce a real dialectical representation of everything. He argues that within this representation there is a kind of reason which unifies our knowledge and which can also unite the entire universe as well as our reasoning and actions. However since Plato assumes a reason which he sees as a cause and a teleological determination at the same time, it is clear that his conception has become the victim of difficulties that dialectic is actually supposed to resolve.