Seite - 481 - in The Complete Plato
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also avoid the monstrous absurdity of supposing that the greater man is
greater by reason of the head, which is small. You would be afraid to draw
such an inference, would you not?
Indeed, I should, said Cebes, laughing.
In like manner you would be afraid to say that ten exceeded eight by, and
by reason of, two; but would say by, and by reason of, number; or you would
say that two cubits exceed one cubit not by a half, but by magnitude?-for
there is the same liability to error in all these cases.
Very true, he said.
Again, would you not be cautious of affirming that the addition of one to
one, or the division of one, is the cause of two? And you would loudly
asseverate that you know of no way in which anything comes into existence
except by participation in its own proper essence, and consequently, as far as
you know, the only cause of two is the participation in duality—this is the
way to make two, and the participation in one is the way to make one. You
would say: I will let alone puzzles of division and addition—wiser heads than
mine may answer them; inexperienced as I am, and ready to start, as the
proverb says, at my own shadow, I cannot afford to give up the sure ground of
a principle. And if any one assails you there, you would not mind him, or
answer him, until you had seen whether the consequences which follow agree
with one another or not, and when you are further required to give an
explanation of this principle, you would go on to assume a higher principle,
and a higher, until you found a resting-place in the best of the higher; but you
would not confuse the principle and the consequences in your reasoning, like
the Eristics—at least if you wanted to discover real existence. Not that this
confusion signifies to them, who never care or think about the matter at all,
for they have the wit to be well pleased with themselves however great may
be the turmoil of their ideas. But you, if you are a philosopher, will certainly
do as I say.
What you say is most true, said Simmias and Cebes, both speaking at once.
ECHECRATES: Yes, Phaedo; and I do not wonder at their assenting. Any
one who has the least sense will acknowledge the wonderful clearness of
Socrates’ reasoning.
PHAEDO: Certainly, Echecrates; and such was the feeling of the whole
company at the time.
ECHECRATES: Yes, and equally of ourselves, who were not of the
company, and are now listening to your recital. But what followed?
PHAEDO: After all this had been admitted, and they had that ideas exist,
481
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Buch The Complete Plato"
The Complete Plato
- Titel
- The Complete Plato
- Autor
- Plato
- Datum
- ~347 B.C.
- Sprache
- englisch
- Lizenz
- PD
- Abmessungen
- 21.0 x 29.7 cm
- Seiten
- 1612
- Schlagwörter
- Philosophy, Antique, Philosophie, Antike, Dialogues, Metaphysik, Metaphysics, Ideologie, Ideology, Englisch
- Kategorien
- Geisteswissenschaften
- International