The Complete Works of the Divine Plato

LIFE.

...the combative mode original: "μάχιμον τόπον" (machimon topon), which he employed not for the sake of establishing dogmas, but for the sake of refutation. Of this, the demonstration is twofold: one proves the specific point under inquiry through another specific point; the other proves a universal principle through specific parts. The former is the method of the rhetoricians, while the second belongs to the dialecticians. For example, in the former, it is asked whether "this man" committed a murder; the proof is that he was found covered in blood at that specific time. This is the rhetorical style of induction original: "ἐπαγωγή" (epagoge); reasoning from specific instances to a general rule., since rhetoric is concerned with specific or universal matters of practice. It does not seek the nature of Justice itself, but rather specific instances of just acts. The other method is dialectical, where the universal is proven through the particular. For instance, it is asked whether the soul is immortal, and whether the living come from the dead; this is demonstrated in the book On the Soul Plato's Phaedo. through a universal principle: that opposites are generated from opposites. This universal principle itself is built up from certain particulars, such as sleep coming from wakefulness and vice versa, or the greater coming from the smaller and vice versa. He used this style to establish his own views. For just as in ancient times the chorus alone performed the tragedy, and later Thespis invented a single actor so that the chorus might rest, and Aeschylus added a second, and Sophocles a third to complete the tragedy—so too was the discourse of philosophy. Formerly, it was of a single type, such as physics The study of nature and the physical world by the Pre-Socratics.. Secondly, Socrates added ethics. Thirdly, Plato added dialectic and brought philosophy to its completion. Thrasyllus says that Plato also published his dialogues in the form of tragic tetralogies Groups of four plays.. Just as the poets competed with four plays at the festivals of Dionysia, Lenaia, Panathenaia, and Chytroi—the fourth of which was a Satyr play—and the four plays together were called a Tetralogy. There are, therefore, he says, fifty-six genuine dialogues in total. The Republic is divided into ten books (which Favorinus says in the second book of his Miscellaneous History can be found almost entirely in the Contradictions of Protagoras) and the Laws into twelve. There are nine tetralogies, with the Republic and the Laws each occupying the space of a single book in the set. He places the first tetralogy as having a common theme, for he wishes to show what kind of life the philosopher’s should be. He uses two titles for each book: one from the name of a character, the other from the subject matter. Of this first tetralogy, the first is Euthyphro, or On Holiness, which is a probing original: "πειραστικός" (peirastikos); a dialogue meant to test an opponent's knowledge. dialogue. The second is the Apology of Socrates, which is ethical. The third is Crito, or On What is to be Done, also ethical. The fourth is Phaedo, or On the Soul, ethical. The second tetralogy begins with Cratylus, or On the Correctness of Names, which is logical; then Theaetetus, or On Knowledge, which is probing; Sophist, or On Being, logical; and Statesman, or On Kingship, logical. The third tetralogy begins with Parmenides, or On Ideas, logical; Philebus, or On Pleasure, ethical; Symposium, or On the Good, ethical; and Phaedrus, or On Love, ethical. The fourth tetralogy begins with Alcibiades [I], or On the Nature of Man, which is maieutic The "midwifery" method of bringing out ideas.; Alcibiades II, or On Prayer, maieutic; Hipparchus, or The Lover of Gain, ethical; and the Lovers, or On Philosophy, ethical. The fifth tetralogy begins with Theages, or...

...is an animal, and both a dog and an ox are animals, then man will be both a dog and an ox This Latin passage starts mid-syllogism, likely demonstrating a fallacy in induction mentioned on the previous page.. In this species of induction, which proceeds by opposites and where there is room for dispute, Plato uses it not to assert a dogma, but to refute a false objection. There is another species of his which proceeds by consequence: and that is twofold. One demonstrates the specific thing sought through another specific thing; the other proves the universal through the particular. The first belongs to orators, the second to dialecticians. In the first, it is asked whether "this man" killed. The argument is that he was found at that time stained with blood. This is, as we said, the orators' species of induction. Indeed, the power and duty of rhetoric is to deal with particulars, not universals. It does not inquire about Right itself, but about particular just things. The other is the dialecticians' method, where the universal is proved through the parts. Just as it is asked whether the soul is immortal, and whether the living come from the dead, which is proved in the book On the Soul through a certain universal: that opposites are made from opposites. And that universal is itself composed of certain particulars, such as sleep from wakefulness and vice versa, and likewise the greater from the smaller and vice versa. He used this species to assert the things he had perceived. For as of old, the chorus alone acted the tragedy, but later Thespis found one actor so that the chorus might sometimes rest; Aeschylus added a second, and Sophocles a third, and in this manner tragedy was completed. So too the system of philosophy was recently turned toward only one species, Physics. Socrates arrived and added Ethics. Plato added a third, Dialectic, and placed the final hand upon the completed work of philosophy. Thrasyllus asserts that he published his dialogues according to the tragic quadriloquy original: "quadriloquium"; the Latin term for a tetralogy or group of four.. For they competed with four poems in the tragedies at the festivals of Dionysia, Lenaia, Panathenaia, and Chytroi. The fourth poem was a Satyr play. Furthermore, four poems are called quadriloquies. Therefore, all his dialogues about which there is no doubt are fifty-six. The Republic is divided into ten books (which Favorinus, in the second book of his All-Sided History, records is found almost entirely in the Contradictions of Protagoras). The Laws are divided into twelve. There are nine such quadriloquies, with the Laws and the Republic each included as a single volume. He first sets down the quadriloquy that seems to have a common hypothesis, wishing to show what sort of life a philosopher's ought to be, and he uses a double title for each book: one from the name, the other imposed from the subject. At the head of this quadriloquy, which is the first, is placed Euthyphro, or On Holiness. The dialogue itself is tentative original: "tentativus"; equivalent to the Greek "peirastic.". This is followed by the Defense of Socrates, which is moral. In the third place is Crito, or On That Which Is to Be Done, moral. Fourth is Phaedo, or On the Soul, moral. In the second quadriloquy, Cratylus, or On the Correctness of Names is placed first. Playing the parts of Logic are Theaetetus, or On Learning, tentative; Sophist, or On That Which Is, logical; and Statesman, or On Kingship, logical. In the third distribution, Parmenides, or On Ideas, logical, is placed first. Second is Philebus, or On Pleasure, moral. Then Symposium, or On Love, moral. Finally, Phaedrus, or On the Good, moral. In the fourth, Alcibiades the Elder, or On the Nature of Man, is placed first: maieutic original: "μαιευτικός" (maieutikos); the art of spiritual midwifery.. Alcibiades the Younger, or On Prayer, obstetric The translator uses "obstetric" as a Latin synonym for the Greek "maieutic.". Hipparchus, or On the Pursuit of Profit, moral. The Lovers, or Philosophy, moral. At the head of the fifth is Theages, or...