The Riddle of the Early Academy

109 Pages·1962·1.84 MB·English

by  Harold Cherniss

TheR iddolfte h Eea ryAl cadeym
THE RIDDLE
OF THE
EARLY ACADEMY
HAROLD CHERNISS
:N£w
rork
RUSSELL & RUSSELL
1962
COPYRIG1H9T4,5 B,Y
THER EGETNSO FT HEU NIVERSOIFTC YA LIFORNIA
JtEISSt'ED,1 962B,Y Rt.SSEJ L &l( L'SSELL, JSC.
BY AKRANCE\tENT WITHT HE UNIVERSITY 01C ALJlo'ORNIAP RF.SS
1•• C . CATALOG CARD NO 62-13832
PklNTIBNDTH I UNITESTDA TUO PA MElllCA
PrefatNoortye
THEL ECTURESc ontaiinnte hdiv so luwmeer dee livered
atB erkeilneA yp ri1l9,4 2T.h eiaru thoPrr,o fessor
Cherneinstse,r eUdn itthSeetd a tAersm y aav so lun­
teesro oanft erwaarnddi, sa t p resiennt th mei litsaerryv ice
abroaCdo.n sequehneht alshy a dn oo pportudnuirtiyn,g
thper ocoefsp su blicattomi aoknea, n yr evisoirao lnt era­
tioinnt htee xatn,dt hlee ctuarrpeers i ntheedrw ei,t hhi s
permisisnit ohnfoe,r mi nw hicthh ewye rhee arbdyt he
Berkealuedyi ence.
Novemb1e9r4,4
Contents
LECTURE PAGE
I.P latLoe'cst urAe Hsy:p othefsoairns E nigma.. 1
11S.pe usipXpeuns,o craatnedts h,Pe o lemical
MethoodfA risto. tl.e . . . . 31.
IlTlh.e A cademOyr:t hodoHxeyr,e soyrP, h ilosophi-
caIlnt erpret?a• t•i on • • • • 6o
Note.s .. . . . . . . . . . . •8 7
LECTURE I
Pltao'Lse ctreus: HAy pothesis
fora nE nigma
sToXENtuhsep,u piolfA ristobtelgeit,nh ses e cobnodo k
ofh iHsa rmoniwcist ah p refatoourtyl ionfte h seu bject
mattteorb e t reaatneddt hmee thowdh ichhe i ntentdo s
emploayn;dt hipsr ocedhuerj eu stibfiyte esl lais ntgo wrhyi ch,
hes ayAsr,i stuosteltdeor ecoufnottrh sea mpeu rpoAscec.o'r d­
ingt ot hisst ormyo,s otf t hea udiewnhciec aht tenPdleadt o's
lectounrt eh eGo odh adc omew itthh eex pectaotfhi eoanr ing
abousto moen eo ft hree cognhiuzmeadgn o odssu,c ahsw ealth,
healstthr,e nogrts ho,mm ea rvelhoaupsp inaensdws h;e nP lato's
remartkusr noeudtt o b ec oncerwnietdmh a thema,tn iucmsbers,
geometarsyt,r onoamnydfi, n altlhyeu nitoyfg oodnessosm,e"
treattheaedff aiwri tdhi sparagaenmdeo ntth ewrist che nsure.
ToA ristotle, aapstp oAa rriesnttolxyte,hn eru esa,s foontr h is
deedpi sappoinwtamset nhtat th ea udience, abtytt hrea cted
mere word "dgiodno odtk, n"o ww hatl abye foirtea, n dt he
fauwlats P latboe'csa uhsefe a ilteogd i vaeg eneroault liante
thbee ginnsoi tnhga t tohnolswyeo ulrde mawinh o wetrruel y
interested.
Is hanloltt a kteh tei mteop rofibtyt hmeo rawlh icAhr istotle
drewf romP latuon'hsa popmyi ssiIoa ns.s umteh atth icso m­
munitlya'rseg xep erioefnp cueb lliecc tusrueffisc teosg uaridt
agaisnusctdh i sappoinatstm heAent th enisaunffse raendd;i, n
additiIto rnu,ts hta tth et italnen ouncfeodrt hesleec tuorfe s
1F onro tteosL ectIus reepe a g8e7s-9 2.
(IJ
2 RIDDLEO F THE EARLY ACADEMY
minew ilhla vbee erne cogniazsae wda rnirnagt htehra ann
enticemAetna tn.y rIa rtee,c atlhli s sattto hreby e ginning
nota sa r hetordiecvaialcn edn ota sa ni ndicaotfit ohPne e ri­
pateitnitce riensp te dagogmiectahlo bdu,t b ecauistie s t he
earlieevsitd ewnech ea vfeo trh ilse ctoufrP el atwoh'isc hha s
comet op laayd ecisriovlieen m osotf t hmeo derenx positions
ofP latpoh'isl osophy.
SincPel atioss upposteohd a vtea ugihntt heA cademfyo r
somfeo ryteya rists, e emsst rantgheat th oen llye ctoufrh eit so
whicwhe h avaen yd irercetf ereantac leil st hilse ctounrt eh e
Good. Starsai nstg heee videnwchea,tm odern scholars have
madeo fi ti ss transgteirl l.t oSb oesm uer,e , simopvleytr h pea ss
lectiunrs ei leonrch,ea vimnagd ea p erfuncrteofreyr etnoic te
int heoiurt lionfPe lsa tloi'fspe r,o ceteord e sumaen da nalyze
the dialogOuneese .v epnr oteosptesn tlhya tth ea gePdl ato's
singlleec tounrt eh Geo odi su niqauned t hantog eneralizations
mayb ed rawfnr omi tY.e"t i nm osotf t hea uthorittraetaitv­e
mentosfP la,ta oftaes rc holraerfleyr etnotc heil se ctounrt eh e
Goo,dt hsei ngubleacro maensu nexplapilnuerwdai lt htihne par­
agrapht,h el ectau rweh olsee rioefls e ctuarnedsb ,e fotrhee
secthiaobsne efinn ishweeda rbee intgo ltdh at Pla"troe gg­ave
ulalre ctures," "asnydcs otnetmianteuixocpu oss iitnilo encst ure
foromn s omoef t hmeo sitm portpaonitni tnhs i dso ctriTnhei.s" '
"expansoifto hnee"v idencIem -aiyuf s teh tee rm-hbaesee nm ­
bellibsyht ehdde i ffereexnpto siwtiotdrhis ff erdeentta aic losm,­
parisoofwn h icwho uladff oradc ertcayinni acmaul semetnot
theh istoorfic arni tsicchaoll arSsohf,io eprx. a mpBluer,n aentd
Taylkonro wt haPtl atloe ctuwrietdh omuatn uscroirnp ott es;"
Fieltde lulsts h aitnt hSee venPtlha toEnpiics wtelhe a ves pae ci­
meno fP latloe'c;st uwrheisch he h imserlefp rodufrcoemdh is
ownl ecture annodHt uebse;rh"ta st hien formathtaitPo lna to,
whenh el ectuhraendd,e hdi ss tudean stysl lawbhuisc thh ey
copieodu tI.ti� sf ruitalnedus nsb ecomhionwge,v teori ,n dulge
in thee assyp oorftp layionffsg u cfha ncaigeasi onnseta nother,
'
PLATO s LECTURES 3
nori si tw ortwhh ilteop rotteosost e rioaugsaliytn hsneta tural
tendeonfce yn thustioao suttsrt uhnee v ideinnct eh ediers itroe
reconstthrleui cfaten da ctivoifta iw ersi twehro sweo rdhsa ve
fascintahtWeee ds tewronr lodfa ratn dt hougfhotmr o rteh an
twom illenWnhiaati. s i mportiasnn ottt heh armletshso,u gh
unverifipaibclteou,frP el agtiov irnegg ullaerc tutroce lsa sosfe s
studewnhtoss sec urrysitnygl ussoeusgt hotk eeapb reoafsh ti s
anacolustehnitce ncesw-hwaipttr ho barbelseuf lothr i mse an­
ing amnoyd ertne acihsec ro mpetteocn otn jecMtauyrw ee.n ot
fanctyh astu cshc enaesst hilsib ee hitnhde w ordwsh ichhe
maketsh ek inogf E gypatd dretsots h em ythiicnavle ntor of
writ?i-n"gYohua vfeo unadc harnmo tf orre memberbiuntg
forre mindainngdy, o ua rper ovidyionugr pupitlhsse e wmi­th
blanocfwe i sdonmo,t rtehael Fiotryy o.uw ilfiln dt hat they have
heard mwuicthh ohuatv ibnege tna ugahnty thainndgt hatth ey
wilsle emme no fm anyj dugmenttsh,o ugfho rt hem ospta rt
beinwgi thojudutg menatn dh artdo l ivwei tihn ttoh bea rgain
sintchee hya vbee comceo nceiitnesdt eoafwd i seP.r"o"b ably
evermyo dertne achwehror eadtsh ewsoer dsse eisnt hemt he
accureaxtper esosfit ohned esperawthiiocnhh e h ass oo ften
felatsh es urvetyhededi storotfhi ioosnw nt hougwhrtosu ght
byt hpea ssatgher ouhgihss t udennottse'b oIotik sds i.ffi cuflotr
himt,h enno,t t oc oncludes itnhPcaleta ,t woo'rsd fist t hiesx ­
periePnlcaeti,on w rititnhge mm ust havem obteievnab tye d
thes ameex perieSntcrei.ct thliiyssa " nons equittuhrek, i"n d
ofu nconsciaonuaslloygt ihcianlk wihnigc ihsc haracteorfi stic
som uchh istorrieccaoln sttiroaunnc dt hde angoefrw hicfho r
thhei stolriienason ti nt hfea ctth aitti sa nalogbiuctia nlh ,i s
unawareonfei stbsse insgoI .ft hree adoeftr h pea ssawghei ch
Ih avjesu tq uotuendd erstwahnyd sht eh inokfst hwer itaesr
ad isillulseicotnuweridet arhg ift mfoorrd aenxtp resistii so n,
noti mportianin tts elkfn otwfo o cre rtaeivne,in f t hawte re
possiwbhleet,hP elra rteoa lwlayst hinkoifnn go tebooortk esx t­
books, sinhcese a ywishse a qtu altlryu eb ootfSh o.a, s r egards
4 RIDDLEO FT HEE ARLYA CADEMY
thlea rgqeure stwihoanit,si mportiastn htme o tifvoetr h "eex ­
pansioofno "u re videcnocnec ernPilnagtl oe'cst utrhere,e ason
whyt heisnet erprseetetekore sn lartgheee x teanntds trethses
importaonfhc ieos r atle aching.
Sof aars P latpoh'isl osopdhoicctarlai nndets h eoraireceso n­
cerned, theartfie r sswtio guahlptdp etaorb et hlee srse asfoonr
curioasbiotuyt the ofcto hnitse inontrs atlr uscitniwcoeenh ave
theu nusugaolo df ortutnope o sseisntsa ct evetrhyahtteh ing
wrotfeo rp ublicaAttia onnyr. a tteh,e riesn oi ndicatthiaotn
anyoniena ntiqukinteywo fa nyw orko fh iwsh icihsn otn ow
extanMto.r8e ovwehri,lw ee d on otk noww hicohfh is writings
wasc omposfierdso tr e xactly hwebh eegna tno w ritwee,d o
knowt hatth Laew s wast hlea osfta lhli wso rkasn dt hahtew as
probasbtlioylc lc upwiietdih tw henh ed iedI.na10 d dittihoenr,e
isn ow,g eneraaglr eemoennt th ere latcihvreo nolooftg hyr ee
largger ouipnst woh icahl tlh ed ialogcuaenbs e d istributed.n
Withofuatl liinntgto h eea seyr roofrm istakgiennge raaglr ee­
mentf odre monstrawteim oaynf ,e erle asonsaubrlteyh atth e
PhileabnudsT imaeaurset hel asotfP latwoo'rsk bse fotrhee
Laws,a ndt hatth eS ohpisatn dP olitibceulso inngt hes ame
chronologgriocuawpli tthh emT.h is-and esopuercc iearl­ly
tainitnry e gatrodt heLaw s-woulsde etmo i nsuursea gainst
thpeo ssibtihlatitht weyr ittweonr kmsi ghatf taelrgl i vuesn o
informaotnit ohnne a tuorfeP lattoh'osu gihnht i lsa tyeera rs.
Froma montgh eea rloifet shdtei alogounte hsr outghhle a st­
andt himse antsh,e tno,t hvee reyn do fP latloi'fse -the doctrine
ofi deiasst hceo rnersotfho intseh ougIhtit .sn otd iscusaste d
lengtmha ni;yni ns omieti sn oetv emne ntioonpeedn ;lb yuit t
ist,ou se ftehlei ccihtaoruasc teroifPz raotfieosFnsr oire dlander,
thcee ntoefgr r aviotfay l tlh Pel atownriict inIgtis sp. o"s sible
thaat feowft heea rldiieaslto gaunetse dtahtbeei rotfht hdeo c­
triinneP latmoi'ns;d b utt haitsn eitdheemro nstrnaobrel vee n
likelfyo,ra ,l thoumgahn yh avter iendoo, n eh ass ucceeidne d
pointtiona gd ialoagnudse a yicnogn vinc:iH negrlieys i tfisr st