[tmsh]

He does say Plato's Socratic dialogues. The Republic, which he has problems with (e.g., http://www.capitalismmagazine.com/culture/philosophy/5393-Je... -- thanks for mentioning that correspondence -- had no idea, quite fascinating) we of course associate with the beginning of the end of Plato's Socratic dialogues -- even if he uses Socrates as a mouthpiece there and later. It's curious that Jefferson might've already understood those differences (he's also right about, e.g., 'Cicero's philosophies' as opposed to the guy's five billion other letters, speeches, commentaries, etc.). But then again Jefferson was sort of a baller (walk around and shoot things for exercise? I'm not a huge fan of guns or, frankly, Jefferson -- on account of his 400 slaves, etc. -- but if there was a baller in that century, it was probably him).