Turning to Plato (427–347), we turn away from largely fragmentary and sparse testimonial evidence to substantial primary textual evidence and to such evidence as bears directly on the question “What is pleasure?” We have more from Plato on pleasure and specifically on the identity question than from any other ancient author. Because of this, I have divided the discussion of Plato’s treatment of pleasure into two chapters. The emphasis of the present chapter is on what Plato takes pleasure to be. The emphasis of Chapter 5 is on a distinction central to Plato’s thinking about pleasure, namely, between true and untrue or true and false pleasures. As we will see, the two topics overlap to a considerable extent.

Plato discusses pleasure in many of his dialogues. His most important discussions occur in three: Republic (specifically, Book 9), Timaeus, and Philebus. Our discussion will focus on Plato’s treatments of pleasure in these texts. I will also have some things to say about Plato’s treatment of pleasure in two other dialogues, Gorgias and Hippias Major.