Clitophon

The Clitophon (also transliterated as Cleitophon) is the shortest of the dialogues, and is significant for focusing on Socrates' role as an exhorter of other people to engage in philosophic inquiry. The dialogue features two participants, Clitophon and Socrates, and the central feature of the discussion is Clitophon's lengthy complaint about Socrates. The crux of this complaint is that, while no one excels Socrates in protreptic or exhortation to the virtues and the life of philosophy, no one is more useless to one already persuaded of their importance. Socrates does not respond, or the dialogue does not contain his response.