Cratylus

In this spirited conversation, Socrates gathers with Hermogenes and the outspoken Cratylus to tackle a timeless puzzle: are the names we use rooted in nature itself, or are they merely the result of human agreement? The dialogue opens with Hermogenes challenging Socrates to explain Cratylus’s claim that every word carries an inherent truth, a “correctness” that transcends cultural boundaries. As the three friends debate, they weave everyday examples—renaming slaves, calling a man a horse—to illustrate how language shapes, and perhaps reflects, reality.

Socrates leads the inquiry with his characteristic questions, probing the relationship between true and false statements and the words that express them. He guides the participants to consider whether a name is just a convenient label or a deeper link to the essence of the thing named. Listeners will be drawn into the subtle logic and playful irony that reveal how even the simplest utterance can carry profound philosophical weight.