Hidden threads. Plato’s Theaetetus in Carneades’ thought

This paper examines the influence of Plato’s Theaetetus on Carneades, challenging the prevailing view that he was merely a dialectical opponent of the Stoics rather than an independent interpreter of Plato’s philosophy. By uncovering previously overlooked connections between the Theaetetus and Carneades’ epistemology, it argues that his concept of πιθανότης (“persuasiveness”) constitutes a constructive response to Platonic notions of knowledge – particularly the third definition of ἐπιστήμη as ἀληθὴς δόξα μετὰ λόγου (Theaet., 201c8-d1) and, more broadly, the idea of ἐπιστήμη as λόγον διδόναι. The analysis shows that while Carneades’ theory of persuasive impressions emerged in dialogue with Stoic epistemology, its conceptual framework remained deeply rooted in Plato’s thought.