Socratic Studies is the companion volume to Gregory Vlastos' Socrates: Ironist and Moral Philosopher (1991). It contains, as promised in the Introduction (pp. 18–19) to that work, revised versions of three previously published essays on Socrates plus some new material. Sadly, not as much new material as he had planned to write.

Chapter 1 derives from “The Socratic Elenchus,” Oxford Studies in Ancient Philosophy 1 (1983), 27–58. It is the most extensively revised, with some substantial changes and numerous smaller ones. The changes are GV's response to comments and criticisms made in the lively discussion that followed the original publication. The 1983 volume of Oxford Studies already contained (at pp. 71–4) GV's “Afterthoughts on the Socratic elenchus,” which are here revised, expanded and made consistent with Chapter 1 under the heading “Postscript to ‘The Socratic elenchus.’”

In the course of entering corrections and improvements from various dates (the last being 30 January 1991) I have occasionally had to make a decision on whether an omission or change was deliberate or simply a slip in the typing up; I am confident that no point of substance is affected. In the Appendix to Chapter 1 GV started to expand his account of the Euthydemus, but only two inconclusive paragraphs were written; these have been omitted. Throughout the book I have checked references and corrected mistakes of citation.

Chapter 2 derives from “Socrates' Disavowal of Knowledge,” Philosophical Quarterly 35 (1985), 1–31. The major change is the removal of pp. 23–6 on the “Socratic Fallacy,” which was superseded by the material that appears here as Chapter 3.