Alcibiades II
As Alcibiades approaches prayer, Socrates asks whether people know what they should request from the gods. Examples of disastrous wishes expose the gap between acquiring a desired outcome and understanding whether it would actually benefit its recipient.
Understanding the text
Usually regarded as a work of the later Socratic or Academic tradition, the dialogue survives under Plato’s name and must be distinguished from Alcibiades I.
Key points
- 01
Dangerous wishes
Political power, family success and victory can harm their recipients when circumstances or uses turn out differently from expectations.
- 02
Useful ignorance
Not knowing how to perform a harmful act can protect someone; knowledge is beneficial only when directed by understanding of the good.
- 03
Delayed prayer
Caution about petitions changes piety from confidently demanding outcomes into acknowledging the limits of one’s judgment and seeking instruction.
How to read it
Identify the precise knowledge missing in each example. The argument questions indiscriminate confidence in requests, rather than simply recommending passivity or abandoning religious practice.
Editions & sources
Summaries and key points are original editorial interpretations. They accompany reading the work and do not replace an edition of the text. Editorial method ↗