The historical significance of Cratylus lies in the fact that within its pages is embedded the first philosophical attempt in the history of Western thought to philosophically address the problem of language, and specifically to include in a work the relevant approach of Plato and the pre-existing teachings of the Sophists.

In this dialogue, there is nothing that is unambiguous and - precisely for this reason - contradictory. However, from the lines of this highly lively and remarkably dense and tightly woven dialogue, we find that the questions remain posed and open.

Is it a "serious" work, or does the Socratic irony, which reaches and surpasses the limits of the acceptable here, lift the otherwise inherent seriousness of the Platonic dialogues, transforming the philosophical dialogue into comedy? Does Plato intend for Cratylus to be as "anti-metaphysical" as, for example, Phaedrus in its second part? And is language indeed the tool with which man learns by himself?

Do the names precede the essence of the thing or not? Does Plato defend the ideas or does he attack them? In Cratylus, the correctness of names is examined, the constantly changing language is investigated, and the relationship between language and true knowledge of things is shown.