Definition in Greek Philosophy
Language: English
Pages: 568
ISBN: 0198704550
Format: PDF / Kindle (mobi) / ePub
Socrates' greatest philosophical contribution was to have initiated the search for definitions. In Definition in Greek Philosophy his views on definition are examined, together with those of his successors, including Plato, Aristotle, the Stoics, Galen, the Sceptics and Plotinus. Although definition was a major pre-occupation for many Greek philosophers, it has rarely been treated as a separate topic in its own right in recent years. This volume, which contains fourteen new essays by leading scholars, aims to reawaken interest in a number of central and relatively unexplored issues concerning definition. These issues are briefly set out in the Introduction, which also seeks to point out scholarly and philosophical questions which merit further study.
e.g. Phaedo 97b3–5) the thing, or some quality of it, is as it is’ (for this being the PLATO ON DEFINITION 79 relevant meaning, see section 4). For it seems plausible to think that there being something which is that because of which a thing, or some quality of it, is as it is, and the thing’s, or some quality of it, being intelligible, are, precisely, one and the same thing. Third, we must suppose that the relation between a thing’s being subject to explanation and the thing’s being
96a8–9, 97b4–5, c7. 23 See e.g. 100b5–7: [ôe ŒÆºüí, IªÆŁüí, ìݪÆí, etc.] ÆPôe ŒÆŁ’ Æôü. Earlier in the dialogue simply f itself (ÆPôü). 24 See section 3 for why it is plausible to think that ïPóßÆ here means ‘essence’, and for why, at any rate, the term ïPóßÆ as used here refers not only to forms, but likewise to essences. 82 VASILIS POLITIS ŒÆd ìÝªÆ ií âïfiþÅò ‹ôØ ïPŒ ïr óÿÆ ¼ººøò ðøò ŒÆóôïí ªØªíüìåíïí j ìåôÆóåeí ôBò NäßÆò ïPóßÆò ŒÜóôïı ïy ií ìåôÜóåÅ fi , ŒÆd Kí ôïýôïØò ïPŒ ååØò ¼ººÅí ôØía
cause explains the occurrence of a given type of noise in the clouds (or deprivation of light: 93a30–b10). Further, in both cases, the type of noise (or light deprivation) in question is made the type it is by being caused in this way. In the case of thunder, its distinctive causal ancestry determines the specific type of noise that occurs and marks it off from other types of noise (see, for example, 94a5). In both, efficient causal ancestry makes what happens the type of thing it is: it fixes its
28 The ES gains Theaetetus’ agreement that sophistry is a techne in a particularly weak exchange. Asked whether the sophist is an idioˆtes (amateur) or a technites (craftsman), Theaetetus replies that, with the name sophist, he could hardly be an amateur; the reply plays on the -istes ending of the word. Contrast 268b10. 29 Irwin (1977), p. 71 and p. 288, n. 19 with references; Sedley (2003), p. 43 among many treatments. PLATO ON DEFINITION 165 failure, and as such must be able to teach the
use for use wild tame Angling Def. 3 / \ of body of soul / \ by force by persuasion for display for learning / \ in public in private (= oratory) / \ / \ expertise learning with gifts with wages selling about virtue / \ (= Sophistry) with flattery claims for the Def. 2 sake of virtue (= Sophistry) Def. 1 Art or Expertise (techne) (Division 5) / \ productive acquisitive (poietike) (ktetike) / \ by exchange by subduing / \ * by combat by hunting / \ by competition by fighting / \ by violence by