Cambridge University Press 0521838010 - Plato’s Introduction of Forms R. M. Dancy Frontmatter More information PLATO’S INTRODUCTION OF FORMS Scholars of Plato are divided between those who emphasize the liter- ature of the dialogues and those who emphasize the argument of the dialogues, and between those who see a development in the thought of the dialogues and those who do not. In this important book, Russell Dancy focuses on the arguments and defends a developmental pic- ture. He explains the Theory of Forms of the Phaedo and Symposium as an outgrowth of the quest for definitions canvased in the Socratic dialogues, by constructing a Theory of Definition for the Socratic dialogues based on the refutations of definitions in those dialogues, and showing how that theory is mirrored in the Theory of Forms. His discussion, notable for both its clarity and its meticulous schol- arship, ranges in detail over a number of Plato’s early and middle dialogues, and will be of interest to readers in Plato studies and in ancient philosophy more generally. r. m. dancy is Professor of Philosophy at Florida State University. He is the author of Sense and Contradiction: A Study in Aristotle (1975) and Two Studies in the Early Academy (1991), and editor of Kant and Critique (1993). © Cambridge University Press www.cambridge.org Cambridge University Press 0521838010 - Plato’s Introduction of Forms R. M. Dancy Frontmatter More information PLATO’S INTRODUCTION OF FORMS R. M. DANCY Florida State University, Tallahassee © Cambridge University Press www.cambridge.org Cambridge University Press 0521838010 - Plato’s Introduction of Forms R. M. 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Dancy Frontmatter More information Contents Preface page xi Note on the text xii Abbreviations xii 1 Introduction 1 1.1 The dialogues 4 1.2 The genesis of the Theory of Forms: Aristotle’s account 11 1.2.1 Forms and definitions: the Argument from Flux 14 1.2.2 The Argument from Relativity: a forward glance at the dialogues 18 part i a socratic theory of definition 2 Socrates’ demand for definitions 23 2.1 Preliminary: on the vocabulary for “defining” 23 2.2 Defining and living right 26 2.2.1 Laches 26 2.2.2 Protagoras 28 2.2.3 Gorgias 29 2.2.4 Charmides 30 2.2.5 Euthyphro 31 2.2.6 Hippias Major 31 2.2.7 Lysis 34 2.2.8 Republic I 34 2.2.9 The importance of definition 35 2.3 The Intellectualist Assumption 35 2.3.1 Euthyphro 42 2.3.2 Hippias Major 47 2.3.3 Republic I 49 2.3.4 Laches 52 2.3.5 Protagoras 56 2.3.6 Charmides 57 vii © Cambridge University Press www.cambridge.org Cambridge University Press 0521838010 - Plato’s Introduction of Forms R. M. Dancy Frontmatter More information viii Contents 2.3.7 Lysis 61 2.3.8 The alleged ambiguity of “know” 64 3 Fixing the topic 65 3.1 Existence, unity, causality, and Platonism 65 3.2 Existence claims in the Socratic dialogues 68 3.2.1 Protagoras 68 3.2.2 Charmides 75 3.2.3 Hippias Major 76 4 Socrates’ requirements: substitutivity 80 4.1 A Socratic theory of definition: preliminary 80 4.2 The Substitutivity Requirement 81 4.3 Necessary and sufficient conditions 82 4.3.1 Laches 82 4.3.2 Charmides 92 4.3.3 Lysis 104 4.3.4 Euthyphro 5c–6e 105 4.4 Leibniz’s Law 107 4.4.1 Charmides 169e–175b 107 4.4.2 Charmides 165c–e 108 4.4.3 Charmides 160d–161b 109 5 Socrates’ requirements: paradigms 115 5.1 Parade©gmata: some examples 116 5.2 Self-Predication 117 5.3 Generically abstract noun phrases 120 5.4 Euthyphro 6e 123 5.5 Euthyphro 6e–8a 124 6 Socrates’ requirements: explanations 134 6.1 Explaining content 134 6.2 Euthyphro 6de 137 6.3 Euthyphro 9d–11b 137 7 Socrates’ requirements: explaining by paradigms 148 7.1 Protagoras 330–331, 332–333 150 7.2 Charmides 160d–161b 151 7.3 Charmides 164c–166b 151 7.4 Hippias Major 156 7.4.1 Hippias Major 286c–287e 156 7.4.2 Hippias Major 287e–289d 158 7.4.3 Hippias Major 289d–291c 166 7.4.4 Hippias Major 291d–293c 167 7.4.5 Hippias Major 293c–294e 170 © Cambridge University Press www.cambridge.org Cambridge University Press 0521838010 - Plato’s Introduction of Forms R. M. Dancy Frontmatter More information Contents ix 7.4.6 Hippias Major 295b–296d 174 7.4.7 Hippias Major 296d–297d 177 8 Explaining: presence, participation; the Lysis 186 8.1 Participation and partaking 187 8.2 Presence 188 8.2.1 Charmides 189 8.2.2 Gorgias 191 8.2.3 Euthydemus 300e–301a 192 8.2.4 Lysis 216c–221d 193 part ii between definitions and forms 9 The Meno 209 9.1 The Intellectualist Assumption and the Socratic paradoxes 210 9.270a–80d: a Socratic mini-dialogue 210 9.2.171e–73c: the excellences 211 9.2.273c–74b: the ability to rule 215 9.2.377b–79e: desire and power 216 9.2.479e–80d: perplexity 217 9.380de: Meno’s Paradox, I 218 9.481a–86c: the Doctrine of Recollection 221 9.4.1 Recollection 222 9.4.2 Meno’s Paradox, II 225 9.4.381e–86c: Recollection illustrated 226 9.586c–100c: the Method of Hypothesis and the teachability of excellence 236 9.5.186c–e: the Intellectualist Assumption 236 9.5.286e–87b: the Method of Hypothesis 237 9.5.387b–89c: application of the method; excellence is teachable 238 9.6 The metaphysics of the Meno 240 part iii platonic forms 10 Phaedo 64–66: enter the Forms 245 10.164c: an existential admission 245 10.265a–66a: the Forms and the senses 245 10.3 Simmias’ agreement 248 10.4 The ease of forgetting the distinction 251 11 Phaedo 72–78: the Forms and Recollection 253 11.172–73: Recollection again 253 11.2 Being reminded of something 255 © Cambridge University Press www.cambridge.org Cambridge University Press 0521838010 - Plato’s Introduction of Forms R. M. Dancy Frontmatter More information x Contents 11.2.1 The Prior Knowledge Requirement 255 11.2.2 A sufficient condition for Recollection 256 11.374a: the Ancillary Argument, I 264 11.474a–d: the completion of the Core Argument, I 265 11.4.174a–c: ideal and mundane objects 266 11.574c–75a: the Ancillary Argument, II 273 11.675a–76d: the completion of the Core Argument, II 276 11.6.175cd: the scope of the argument 278 11.6.275d–76d: forgetting and being reminded 279 11.776d–77a: the upshot of the argument 281 12 The Beautiful in the Symposium 284 12.1 Diotima’s immortality 284 12.2 Climbing to the higher mysteries 285 12.2.1 Fromone body to all bodies 285 12.2.2 The beauty of the soul 286 12.2.3 The beauty of knowledge 286 12.2.4 The beauty of it all 287 13 Phaedo 95a–107b: Forms and causes 291 13.197b–99d: Anaxagoras, teleology, and mechanism 292 13.299d–103c: Forms as Causes – The Safe Theory 294 13.2.1 Socrates’ previous failure (99d–100a) 295 13.2.2 The method (100a, 101d–102a) 296 13.2.3 The reintroduction of the Forms (100a–c) 299 13.2.4 The application to causes (100c–101d) 301 13.2.5 Socratic assumptions 304 13.2.6 The semantics of the theory (102a–d) 306 13.2.7 The exclusion principle (102d–103c) 308 13.3 Intermediates as causes: the Learned Safe Theory (103c–105c) 310 13.4 105c–107b: immortality and the Forms 312 14 Conclusion 314 References 316 Index of passages cited 336 General index 344 © Cambridge University Press www.cambridge.org Cambridge University Press 0521838010 - Plato’s Introduction of Forms R. M. Dancy Frontmatter More information Preface In the spring of 1966, Gregory Vlastos invited me (among others) to submit a paper for consideration for an issue of the Monist he was editing. I did.