Revista Archai E-ISSN: 1984-249X [email protected] Universidade de Brasília Brasil Hülsz Piccone, Enrique HERACLITUS, PLATO, AND THE PHILOSOPHIC DOGS (A NOTE ON REPUBLIC II, 375E-376C) Revista Archai, vol. 15, núm. 15, julio-diciembre, 2015, pp. 105-115 Universidade de Brasília Available in: http://www.redalyc.org/articulo.oa?id=586161413012 How to cite Complete issue Scientific Information System More information about this article Network of Scientific Journals from Latin America, the Caribbean, Spain and Portugal Journal's homepage in redalyc.org Non-profit academic project, developed under the open access initiative desígnio 15 jul/dez 2015 HERACLITUS, PLATO, AND THE PHILOSOPHIC DOGS (A NOTE ON REPUBLIC II, 375E-376C) * Enrique Hülsz Piccone PICCONE, E. H. (2015). Heraclitus, Plato, and the philosophic dogs (a note on Republic II, 375e-376c). Archai, n. 15, jul. – dez., p. 105-115 DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.14195/1984-249X_15_10 * Universidad Nacional RESUMO: Este artigo focaliza uma instância negligen- Autônoma de México - Although the influence of Heraclitus on the [email protected] ciada da recepção platônica de Heráclito na República (II, ancient philosophical tradition can be taken for 375e-376c), e tenta mostrar que é provável que a passagem granted as a matter of fact, it’s often hard to pin it de Platão seja uma alusão a B 97 de Heráclito («Os cães down with enough precision in every instance. Pos- ladram para quem eles não conhecem») e B 85 («É difícil sibly one of the most revealing test cases is Plato, lutar contra o thymos, pois o que se almeja com isso se in whose written works there is a deeply-embedded, paga com ψυχή). A principal reivindicação é que com o opaque image of Heraclitus, widely acknowledged uso que faz da imagem de cães, Platão volta os seus olhos in the Cratylus and the Theaetetus (which contain para Heráclito, e convida a explorar de a possibilidade que seven of the nine explicit mentions by name in pelo menos alguns elementos da Kallipolis de Platão possam the dialogues and attribute him certain famous 1 derivar de Heráclito - especialmente alguns fragmentos éti- doctrines ). Actually, the presence of Heraclitus in cos e políticos. Uma breve pesquisa acerca desses elementos Plato goes far beyond these two dialogues, and can sugere haver uma profunda afinidade filosófica entre os dois be detected in a considerable number of the writings 2 autores em diversas áreas importantes (como a chamada in the Corpus Platonicum . As a rule, Plato doesn’t «psicologia moral» e o «intelectualismo ético»), e questiona quote Heraclitus much and when he does, he doesn’t o lugar comum da interpretação tradicional de Heráclito give his words exactly and fully, but adapts them como um defensor da moral aristocrática. to his own context, substantially transforming the PALAVRAS­‑CHAVE: Platão, Heráclito, cães, thymos, originals. Scholarship has not been particularly keen phylakes, demos, polloi, aristoi. on detecting the relevance of Heraclitus’ art and thought in the Republic, although it might turn out ABSTRACT: The paper focuses on a neglected instance to be important for a right understanding of Plato’s of the Platonic reception of Heraclitus in the Republic (II, own philosophical message at several crucial points 375e-376c), trying to show that it’s likely that Plato’s of the argument (particularly books V-VII). In what passage makes an allusion to Heraclitus’ B97 (“Dogs bark follows, I will not even attempt a rough general at whom they don’t know”) and B85 (“It’s difficult to fight sketch of the latter aspect, but will deal instead θυμός, for what it longs for it pays with ψυχή”). The main with just one instance of the reception of Heraclitus in book II (375e-376c). This note sets out to show 105 3 claim is that Plato’s use of the image of dogs looks back to of the gods in their mythological tales . Pre-Socratic 4 Heraclitus, which invites an exploration of the possibility influences here should include Xenophanes in that at least some elements of Plato’s kallipolis might the first place, but a harsh attitude towards the derive from Heraclitus – particularly from some ethical and founding fathers of Greek παιδεία — extended to political fragments. A brief survey of these suggests a deep Xenophanes himself — is also very conspicuous in 5 philosophical affinity among the two authors in several some Heraclitean fragments . Plato’s own criticism important areas (as the so-called ‘moral psychology’ and of traditional poetry comes up as part of the initial ‘ethical intellectualism’), and questions the commonplace development of the appropriate παιδεία for the traditional interpretation of Heraclitus as a defender of young Guardians (φύλακες, introduced at 374d). aristocratic morality. At this early stage of the long narrative argument KEYWORDS: Plato, Heraclitus, dogs, thymos, phylakes, these “Guardians” refer to the emerging class of demos, polloi, aristoi. professional soldiers in the “luxurious” or “swollen” 6 city , resulting from the fast-growing needs of the that it’s likely that Plato’s passage on the philo- imagined community of citizens and a combination sophic dogs makes an allusion to Heraclitus (DK22 of factors such as overpopulation, the consequent B97: “Dogs bark at whom they don’t recognize”). need to make war, and the principle of division of In what concerns the interpretation of Heraclitus work according to each one’s natural abilities. Later enigmatic dictum, Plato seems to give a different on, an élite of philosopher-kings will gradually de- side of the philosophy of the Ephesian, suggesting velop out of these primitive Guardians (who will be an anthropological (ethical and political) context of then distinguished from the shepherds, and referred 7 application. I’ll argue that Plato’s use of the image to as “helpers” ), and eventually become the ruling of dogs looks back to and sheds light on Heraclitus’ class, coming into full view in book V. For the time thought, and explore the possibility that some being, besides the producers and craftsmen, there elements of Plato’s kallipolis might be connected is only this class in charge of warfare (offensive and to ideas in Heraclitus. Inter-textual analysis calls defensive), which will be expected to enforce law for a fair assessment of the relevant texts of both and order within the state, and to act always with authors, which is not an easy task, each one of them the interest of the whole city in mind. being difficult to interpret in their own right. The Before getting to the question of the rear- influence of Heraclitus on Plato and the Platonic ing, training and right education of the Guardians, reception of Heraclitus constitute a territory not the interlocutors face the preliminary problem of often visited by interpreters and commentators, the mere possibility of breeding good watch-dogs sometimes slippery and always full of hermeneutical for the city, fierce and ‘high-spirited’. At 374a-b, challenges. So: Cave canes! Socrates insists that in every case, whether horse, The project of designing in thought an ideal dog or any other animal, there’s no courageousness polis is conceived precisely in book II of Plato’s without a high-spirited nature; for, he tells the Republic (369c ff.), as the course that the search impetuous Glaucon: for the nature of justice must follow, yielding as a general answer (in book IV, 443c-d) the inner Don’t you know spirit (θυμός) is an invincible thing ἁρμονία both of the soul and the city. A quick look that no one wants to fight with, and that its presence at book II as a whole shows an obvious surfacing makes every soul (ψυχή) fearless and unconquerable 8 of a well-known (though not unique) Heraclitean in the face of every danger? theme, in the specific criticism of Homer and Hesiod, leading to censorship and eventual banishment of Socrates’ revealing connection of θυμός and politically incorrect poetry from the καλλίπολις ψυχή anticipates the moral psychology of book IV, — as it is later called (V, 527c2) —, because of the where ψυχή is the broader concept and θυμός is 9 harmful effects of the immoral and false depiction one of its constituent parts . Perhaps significantly, 106 desígnio 15 jul/dez 2015 Socrates may be evoking a famous saying of Heracli- our Guardian still needs this: to become in his nature tus (B85): “It’s hard to fight passion θυμός( ), for a lover of wisdom (φιλόσοφος τὴν φύσιν), besides what it longs for, it pays with soul (ψυχή)”. That being high-spirited (τῷ θυμοειδεῖ)? Heraclitus’ saying is in Plato’s mind here is sug- [376a] [Gl.] What? I don’t understand. gested by the close lexical parallelism among Plato’s [soc.] This, precisely, you can see in dogs, and it’s ἄμαχόν τε καὶ ἀνίκητον θυμός and Heraclitus’ something worthy of admiration in a beast. θυμῷ μάχεσθαι χαλεπόν, and reinforced by [Gl.] What do you mean? the idea of ψυχή as the epistemic subject and the [soc.] That when a dog sees a stranger, he gets moral agent, so prominently held by Plato’s Socrates. angry (ὃν μὲν ἂν ἴδῃ ἀγνῶτα, χαλεπαίνει), even if The starting-point of our passage is the as- he hasn’t received any harm from him. But when it’s similation of the natures of the Guardians-to-be someone known, he greets him (ὃν δ' ἂν γνώριμον, and dogs of a good breed (375a). Guardians should ἀσπάζεται), even if he never benefitted from him. possess the same qualities as good dogs — gentle- Or have you never wondered about this? ness towards the οἰκείοι and not only fierceness [Gl.] I had not until now turned my attention to towards strangers.