The Distinction between Philosophers and Sight-Lovers: Socrates’ First Line of Argument in <i>Rep</i>. V 476a1

The Distinction between Philosophers and Sight-Lovers: Socrates’ First Line of Argument in Rep. V 476a1–d6.

Published:2024-07-31 Issue:1 Volume:45 Page:55-75
ISSN:0392-7342
Container-title:Elenchos
language:en
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Author:

Gkatzaras Thanassis¹

Affiliation:

1. Research Centre for Greek Philosophy , Academy of Athens , Athens , Greece

Abstract

Abstract In this paper I examine Socrates’ argument that presupposes an audience familiar with Forms and explains why the sight-lovers are not philosophers. It is divided into three parts: the first part (476a1–6) shows why each Form is one in number; the second part (476a6–9) distinguishes Forms from their sensible appearances; and the third part (476a10–d6) draws an analogy between philosophers – people being awake and sight-lovers – people being asleep. Remarkably, the argument works only for opposites, which are mistakenly identified by the sight-lovers with sensible things. Also in this paper I suggest an alternative interpretation of the so-called ‘Two Worlds Theory’ which is based on the distinction between the objects of knowledge and opinion.

Publisher

Walter de Gruyter GmbH

Link

https://www.degruyter.com/document/doi/10.1515/elen-2024-0004/pdf

Reference34 articles.

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4. Baltzly, D. 1997. “Knowledge and Belief in Republic V.” Archiv für Geschichte der Philosophie 79: 239–72. https://doi.org/10.1515/agph.1997.79.3.239.

5. Brentlinger, J. A. 1972. “Particular’s in Plato’s Middle Dialogues.” Archiv für Geschichte der Philosophie 54: 116–52. https://doi.org/10.1515/agph-1972-0202.