© Petrushevski Iliya
Plato’s letters, I Historically viewed Plato’s letters weren’t considered and treated in some great extend by the
philosophers. But nevertheless, these are of outstanding significance, because in spite of being personal writings the same contain some deepened philosophical aspects. The letters which are 13 in number are varied by the length and content, intentions, details in explanations and of approach; many of them are just smaller friendly letters, intended to explain and to deliver a message on some state matter. At least three of them have disputed authenticity as forge (the first, the fifth and the ninth). But two of them are of greater philosophical importance: the second and the
seventh letter. There, the confessional tone present in other letters reaches highest points which is by itself a little unusual for a letter that we expect to be of a formal nature; in this two letters among writings about many personal things and state matters we find some explanations about
philosophy that are not just simple repetition or summary on his teaching but an extra attitudes, that can’t be found in his other books (writings). From historical point of view, especially regarding preservation of
manuscripts it is quite unusual that so many of the letters survived, but still some sustainable suspicions remain about authenticity. Manuscripts from previous philosophers are rare to be fund at all and if some of them are preserved that is only in
fragments; even whole teachings and writings of previous philosophers are simply vanished and have to be reconstructed either by the fragments or by the writings of the opponents. How Plato’s letters succeeded to remain in that number is partly explainable just due to a favorable and happy circumstances, but other side of this case which is more rational and easily understandable is that his letters were send to courts, and there were supposed to stay in highly safe and preserved conditions or just the letters were carried out as a personal inheriting together with his academy (in case if there were copies of them).
More summaries about the Plato’s letters,I