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Protagor by Plato.Pdf Plato’s “Protagoras,”translated by Benjamin Jowett is a publication of the Pennsylvania State University. This Portable Document File is furnished free and without any charge of any kind. Any person using this document file, for any purpose, and in any way does so at his or her own risk. Neither the Pennsylvania State University nor Jim Manis, Faculty Editor, nor anyone associated with the Pennsylvania State University assumes any responsibility for the material contained within the document or for the file as an electronic transmission, in any way. Plato’s “Protagoras,”translated by Benjamin Jowett, the Pennsylvania State University, Electronic Classics Series, Jim Manis, Faculty Editor, Hazleton, PA 18201-1291 is a Portable Document File produced as part of an ongoing student publication project to bring classical works of literature, in English, to free and easy access of those wishing to make use of them. Cover design: Jim Manis Copyright © 1999 The Pennsylvania State University The Pennsylvania State University is an equal opportunity university. “Protagoras” — Plato ciples of Protagoras and of leading Athenians be- PROTAGORAS longing to the Socratic circle. The dialogue com- mences with a request on the part of Hippocrates by that Socrates would introduce him to the celebrated teacher. He has come before the dawn had risen— Plato so fervid is his zeal. Socrates moderates his excite- ment and advises him to find out ‘what Protagoras will make of him,’ before he becomes his pupil. Translated by Benjamin Jowett They go together to the house of Callias; and Socrates, after explaining the purpose of their visit INTRODUCTION to Protagoras, asks the question, ‘What he will make of Hippocrates.’ Protagoras answers, ‘That he will THE PROTAGORAS, like several of the Dialogues of make him a better and a wiser man.’ ‘But in what Plato, is put into the mouth of Socrates, who de- will he be better?’—Socrates desires to have a more scribes a conversation which had taken place be- precise answer. Protagoras replies, ‘That he will teach tween himself and the great Sophist at the house of him prudence in affairs private and public; in short, Callias— ‘the man who had spent more upon the the science or knowledge of human life.’ Sophists than all the rest of the world’—and in This, as Socrates admits, is a noble profession; which the learned Hippias and the grammarian but he is or rather would have been doubtful, Prodicus had also shared, as well as Alcibiades and whether such knowledge can be taught, if Protagoras Critias, both of whom said a few words—in the pres- had not assured him of the fact, for two reasons: ence of a distinguished company consisting of dis- 3 “Protagoras” — Plato (1) Because the Athenian people, who recognize in madman if he did not profess a virtue which he had their assemblies the distinction between the skilled not. (2) And that the political virtues can be taught and the unskilled in the arts, do not distinguish and acquired, in the opinion of the Athenians, is between the trained politician and the untrained; proved by the fact that they punish evil-doers, with (2) Because the wisest and best Athenian citizens a view to prevention, of course —mere retribution do not teach their sons political virtue. Will is for beasts, and not for men. (3) Again, would Protagoras answer these objections? parents who teach her sons lesser matters leave them Protagoras explains his views in the form of an ignorant of the common duty of citizens? To the apologue, in which, after Prometheus had given men doubt of Socrates the best answer is the fact, that the arts, Zeus is represented as sending Hermes to the education of youth in virtue begins almost as them, bearing with him Justice and Reverence. These soon as they can speak, and is continued by the are not, like the arts, to be imparted to a few only, state when they pass out of the parental control. but all men are to be partakers of them. Therefore (4) Nor need we wonder that wise and good fathers the Athenian people are right in distinguishing be- sometimes have foolish and worthless sons. Virtue, tween the skilled and unskilled in the arts, and not as we were saying, is not the private possession of between skilled and unskilled politicians. (1) For any man, but is shared by all, only however to the all men have the political virtues to a certain de- extent of which each individual is by nature capable. gree, and are obliged to say that they have them, And, as a matter of fact, even the worst of civilized whether they have them or not. A man would be mankind will appear virtuous and just, if we com- thought a madman who professed an art which he pare them with savages. (5) The error of Socrates did not know; but he would be equally thought a lies in supposing that there are no teachers of vir- 4 “Protagoras” — Plato tue, whereas all men are teachers in a degree. Some, is opposed to wisdom; and folly is also opposed to like Protagoras, are better than others, and with this temperance; and therefore temperance and wisdom result we ought to be satisfied. are the same. And holiness has been already admit- Socrates is highly delighted with the explanation ted to be early the same as justice. Temperance, of Protagoras. But he has still a doubt lingering in therefore, has now to be compared with justice. his mind. Protagoras has spoken of the virtues: are Protagoras, whose temper begins to get a little they many, or one? are they parts of a whole, or ruffled at the process to which he has been sub- different names of the same thing? Protagoras re- jected, is aware that he will soon be compelled by plies that they are parts, like the parts of a face, the dialectics of Socrates to admit that the temper- which have their several functions, and no one part ate is the just. He therefore defends himself with is like any other part. This admission, which has his favourite weapon; that is to say, he makes a long been somewhat hastily made, is now taken up and speech not much to the point, which elicits the cross-examined by Socrates:— applause of the audience. ‘Is justice just, and is holiness holy? And are jus- Here occurs a sort of interlude, which commences tice and holiness opposed to one another?’—’Then with a declaration on the part of Socrates that he justice is unholy.’ Protagoras would rather say that cannot follow a long speech, and therefore he must justice is different from holiness, and yet in a cer- beg Protagoras to speak shorter. As Protagoras de- tain point of view nearly the same. He does not, clines to accommodate him, he rises to depart, but however, escape in this way from the cunning of is detained by Callias, who thinks him unreason- Socrates, who inveigles him into an admission that able in not allowing Protagoras the liberty which everything has but one opposite. Folly, for example, he takes himself of speaking as he likes. But 5 “Protagoras” — Plato Alcibiades answers that the two cases are not paral- Socrates, who is familiar with the poem, is embar- lel. For Socrates admits his inability to speak long; rassed at first, and invokes the aid of Prodicus, the will Protagoras in like manner acknowledge his in- countryman of Simonides, but apparently only with ability to speak short? the intention of flattering him nto absurdities. First Counsels of moderation are urged first in a few a distinction is drawn between to be, and to be- words by Critias, and then by Prodicus in balanced come: to become good is difficult; to be good is and sententious language: and Hippias proposes an easy. Then the word difficult or hard is explained to umpire. But who is to be the umpire? rejoins mean ‘evil’ in the Cean dialect. To all this Prodicus Socrates; he would rather suggest as a compromise assents; but when Protagoras reclaims, Socrates slily that Protagoras shall ask and he will answer, and withdraws Prodicus from the fray, under the pre- that when Protagoras is tired of asking he himself tence that his assent was only intended to test the will ask and Protagoras shall answer. To this the wits of his adversary. He then proceeds to give an- latter yields a reluctant assent. other and more elaborate explanation of the whole Protagoras selects as his thesis a poem of passage. The explanation is as follows:— Simonides of Ceos, in which he professes to find a The Lacedaemonians are great philosophers (al- contradiction. First the poet says, though this is a fact which is not generally known); and the soul of their philosophy is brevity, which ‘Hard is it to become good,’ was also the style of primitive antiquity and of the seven sages. Now Pittacus had a saying, ‘Hard is it and then reproaches Pittacus for having said, ‘Hard to be good:’ and Simonides, who was jealous of the is it to be good.’ How is this to be reconciled? fame of this saying, wrote a poem which was de- 6 “Protagoras” — Plato signed to controvert it. No, says he, Pittacus; not rest. Socrates proceeds to undermine the last strong- ‘hard to be good,’ but ‘hard to become good.’ hold of the adversary, first obtaining from him the Socrates proceeds to argue in a highly impressive admission that all virtue is in the highest degree manner that the whole composition is intended as good:— an attack upon Pittacus.
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