Theaetetus

“Come on, be generous and tell me: what do you think knowledge is?” 

Socrates has been introduced to Theaetetus by Theodorus. Now Socrates asks the essential question that will define the rest of the dialogue. This is after Theodorus insists that Socrates must direct his questions to Theaetetus and not himself, since Theaetetus is a young man.

“Yes, you’re suffering the pains of labour, Theaetetus.” 

Socrates says this after Theaetetus’s first attempt to define knowledge, in terms of types of knowledge, fails. Socrates now wishes to prevent him from becoming despondent over this and suggests Theaetetus still has productive ideas in him. Socrates alludes here to his role as an intellectual midwife, drawing an analogy between the pains of labor during birth and those involved in creating a new idea.

“There have been many people before now who have been so disposed towards me as to be literally ready to bite me, when I was taking some piece of silliness away from them.” 

Socrates refers to the hostility some people bare against him. This is because he uses reason to dispel false and ill-conceived opinions and beliefs, which often coincides with challenging the status quo and the Athenian elites. It is this hostility that ultimately gets Socrates killed, as the jurors in his trial find him guilty and order his execution.