* Plato’s authorship not authenticated
** Plato’s authorship not generally accepted
Author Biographies
Hoshang J. Khambatta was born in Bombay (Mumbai), India, and grew up in Karachi, Pakistan, where he obtained his medical degree. After post-graduate studies in Great Britain, he came to the United States of America and joined the College of Physicians and Surgeons at New York City’s Columbia University and Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center. Spending the next 33 years there before retiring. Has published multiple contributions to the medical literature. During his retirement, he has participated in medical missions in Central America, India, and China. Upon totally giving up the practice of medicine, he rejoined Columbia University to read Philosophy.
Alvin Wald has been a longtime, collaborator, colleague and friend of Hoshang J. Khambatta. He is a product of New York City schools and studied in the city from grammar school through the time he received his doctorate. A long time editor of technical publications, he has recently collaborated to produce a philosophical treatise on Plato. Retired now from Columbia University, he spends many hours reading and editing scholarly works.
Dedication
I dedicate this book to my teacher, Professor Wolfgang Mann at Columbia University, for the enthusiasm for philosophy that he generated in me and to my four grandchildren, Fritz, Aliya, Emerson and Zachary.
Hoshang J. Khambatta
A teacher … can never tell where his influence stops.
Henry B. Adams, 1907
The Education of Henry Adams
To Mary Jack, my wife of untallied years. For all her never wavering love and support.
Alvin Wald
Socrates tells Ion (in the dialogue titled Ion) that his prowess in interpreting Homer’s poetry is not because of his mastery of the subject, but because of divine inspiration from Homer’s Muse. Likewise, our interpretation of Plato’s Dialogues are also not because of our mastery of the subject, but because of divine inspiration from Plato’s Muse. Lo and behold, after 2500 years, the Muse is still active.
Hoshang J. Khambatta
“I continue to learn many things as I grow old”
Solon, 630 – 560 B.C.E.
One of the seven sages of Ancient Greece
Acknowledgements
First of all, I (HJK) thank Professor Wolfgang Mann, my teacher at Columbia University in New York City. Professor Mann ignited my enthusiasm for Plato. It was after studying under Professor Mann that I thought about writing a précised edition for young and not-so-young budding philosophers.