Hippias Minor

About “Hippias Minor”

Hippias Minor, or On Lying, is attributed to Plato's early works. It features a dialogue between Socrates and Hippias, a self-assured polymath and literary critic. Hippias argues that Homer's characters should be taken literally, believing Achilles genuinely hates liars and that Odysseus' cleverness comes from his skill in lying. Socrates counters that Achilles is a deceptive liar who misleads others, and that the most skilled liars are those who can hide their own lies. He suggests that Odysseus and Achilles were both truthful and deceptive. Socrates also presents the idea that it is better to act evil intentionally rather than by accident, using athletic skills as an example. He claims that a deliberate cheat in sports is superior to one who lacks ability. (Summary adapted from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.)