KNOW THYSELFLaughter is quite prevalent in the Euthydemus; Socrates notes the
laughter of the speakers and the surrounding crowd in the Lyceum on
four occasions (273d, 276d, 298e, 303b). His narrative links laughter
with aporia. For example: “Then indeed the two men’s admirers laughed
loud and long, applauding their wisdom, but all the rest of us were
dumb-struck and had nothing to say. Euthydemus noticed our aporia
and wanted us to admire him more; so he would not let the boy alone,
but went on asking, and doubling and twisting around the same ques-
tion like a clever dancer” (276d). Similarly, Socrates’ remarks to Crito at
303b underscore this relationship between laughter, aporia, and the au-
dience’s response: “Whereupon, my dear Crito, there was no one there
who did not praise to the skies the argument and the two men, laughing
and applauding and exulting until they were nearly exhausted.” Here
Socrates mentions the interlocutors’ laughter to call attention to this
deeply aporetic moment. In this dialogue, however, the admission of
aporia occurs with such frequency that it seems to be the real point of
their conversation. These abundant references to laughter suggest the
futility Socrates feels when conversing with these sophists. Any encoun-
ter with them ends in aporia or an untenable contradiction of thought.
Unlike Socratic philosophical conversation, it offers no “reorientating
insight that shows a path through the aporia.”^45 Indeed, Socrates de-
scribes the effect of their rhetoric as enchanting captivation: “But now
it almost seemed as if the pillars of the Lyceum applauded the pair and
took pleasure in their success. Even I myself was so affected by it as to
declare that I had never in my life seen such wise men; and I was so
absolutely captivated by their wisdom that I began to praise and extol
them” (303c). Socrates’ ironic remarks to Crito make clear that he does
not believe genuine philosophical pedagogy occurred. These instances
occur in enacted dialogues as well. For example, Euthyphro’s admission
of aporia is clear from both his words and his deeds (Euthyphro 11b – e).
However, because this dialogue is enacted, the audience does not hear
Socrates’ own refl ections on the process of elenchus. Without this nar-
rative observation, the focus of Socrates’ and Euthyphro’s exchange re-
mains on the process of elenchus itself rather than on its effect.
In contrast, these narrated dialogues offer insight into why Socrates
the character acts as he does. These insights into Socrates’ motivation for
action reveal how he uses his emotional acuity to guide the philosophi-
cal conversation. To explain further, as a character within the narrative,
Socrates adeptly recognizes the emotional responses that people have
toward him. He recognizes that Cephalus greets him warmly (Republic
328b) and that Charmides seems reticent with him (Charmides 159b).
Socrates’ motivation for philosophical conversation arises from his at-
tunement with the emotions and motivations of his interlocutors and