PLATO, AND THE OTHER COMPANIONS OF SOKRATES.
PLATO,
AND THE
OTHER COMPANIONS OF SOKRATES.
BY
GEORGE GROTE
AUTHOR OF THE 'HISTORY OF GREECE'.
_A NEW EDITION._
IN FOUR VOLUMES.
VOL. III.
LONDON:
JOHN MURRAY, ALBEMARLE STREET.
1888.
_The right of Translation is reserved._
CONTENTS.
CHAPTER XXVI.
PHÆDRUS--SYMPOSION.
These two are the two erotic dialogues of Plato. Phædrus is the
originator of both 1
Eros as conceived by Plato. Different sentiment prevalent in
Hellenic antiquity and in modern times. Position of women in
Greece _ib._
Eros, considered as the great stimulus to improving philosophical
communion. Personal Beauty, the great point of approximation
between the world of sense and the world of Ideas. Gradual
generalisation of the sentiment 4
All men love Good, as the means of Happiness, but they pursue it
by various means. The name _Eros_ is confined to one special case
of this large variety 5
Desire of mental copulation and procreation, as the only
attainable likeness of immortality, requires the sight of personal
beauty as an originating stimulus 6
Highest exaltation of the erotic impulse in a few privileged
minds, when it ascends gradually to the love of Beauty in general.
This is the most absorbing sentiment of all 7
Purpose of the Symposion, to contrast this Platonic view of Eros
with several different views of it previously enunciated by the
other speakers; closing with a panegyric on Sokrates, by the
drunken Alkibiades 8
Views of Eros presented by Phædrus, Pausanias, Eryximachus,
Aristophanes, Agathon 9
Discourse of Sokrates from revelation of Diotima. He describes
Eros as not a God, but an intermediate Dæmon between Gods and men,
constantly aspiring to divinity, but not attaining it 9
Analogy of the erotic aspiration with that of the philosopher, who
knows his own ignorance and thirsts for knowledge 10
Eros as presented in the Phædrus--Discourse of Lysias, and
counter-discourse of Sokrates, adverse to Eros--Sokrates is seized
with remorse, and recants in a high-flown panegyric on Eros 11
Panegyric--Sokrates admits that the influence of Eros is a variety
of madness, but distinguishes good and bad varieties of madness,
both coming from the Gods. Good madness is far better than
sobriety _ib._
Poetical mythe delivered by Sokrates, describing the immortality
and pre-existence of the soul, and its pre-natal condition of
partial companionship with
Gods and eternal Ideas 12
Operation of such pre-natal experience upon the Intellectual
faculties of man--Comparison and combination of particular
sensations indispensable--Reminiscence 13
Reminiscence is kindled up in the soul of the philosopher by the
aspect of visible Beauty, which is the great link between the
world of sense and the world of Ideas 14
Elevating influence ascribed, both in Phædrus and Symposion, to
Eros Philosophus. Mixture in the mind of Plato, of poetical fancy
and religious mysticism, with dialectic theory 15
Differences between Symposion and Phædrus. In-dwelling conceptions
assumed by the former, pre-natal experiences by the latter 17
Nothing but metaphorical immortality recognised in Symposion _ib._
Form or Idea of Beauty presented singly and exclusively in
Symposion 18
Eros recognised, both in Phædrus and Symposion, as affording the
initiatory stimulus to philosophy--Not so recognised in Phædon,
Theætêtus, and elsewhere _ib._
Concluding scene and speech of Alkibiades in the
Symposion--Behaviour of Sokrates to Alkibiades and other handsome
youths 19
Perfect self-command of Sokrates--proof against every sort of
trial 20
Drunkenness of others at the close of the Symposion--Sokrates is
not affected by it, but continues his dialectic process 21
Symposion and Phædon--each is the antithesis and complement of the
other 22
Symposion of Plato compared with that of Xenophon _ib._
Small proportion of the serious, in the Xenophontic Symposion 24
Platonic Symposion more ideal and transcendental than the
Xenophontic 25
Second half of the Phædrus--passes into a debate on Rhetoric. Eros
is considered as a subject for rhetorical exercise 26
Lysias is called a logographer by active politicians. Contempt
conveyed by the word. Sokrates declares that the only question is,
Whether a man writes well or ill 27
Question about teaching the art of writing well or speaking well.
Can it be taught upon system or principle? Or does the successful
Rhetor succeed only by unsystematic knack? 28
Theory of Sokrates--that all art of persuasion must be founded
upon a knowledge of the truth, and of gradations of resemblance to
the truth _ib._
Comparison made by Sokrates between the discourse of Lysias and
his own. Eros is differently understood: Sokrates defined what he
meant by it: Lysias did not define 29
Logical processes--Definition and Division--both of them
exemplified in the two discourses of Sokrates _ib._
View of Sokrates--that there is no real Art of Rhetoric, except
what is already comprised in Dialectic--The rhetorical teaching is
empty and useless 30
What the Art of Rhetoric ought to be--Analogy of Hippokrates and
the medical Art 31
Art of Rhetoric ought to include a systematic classification of
minds with all their varieties, and of discourses with all their
varieties. The Rhetor must know how to apply the one to the other,
suitably to each particular case 32
The Rhetorical Artist must farther become possessed of real truth,
as well as that which his auditors believe to be truth. He is not
sufficiently rewarded for this labour 33
Question about Writing--As an Art, for the purpose of instruction,
it can do little--Reasons why. Writing may remind the reader of
what he already knows _ib._
Neither written words, nor continuous speech, will produce any
serious effect in teaching. Dialectic and cross-examination are
necessary 34
The Dialectician and Cross-Examiner is the only man who can really
teach. If the writer can do this, he is more than a writer 37
Lysias is only a logographer: Isokrates promises to become a
philosopher 38
Date of the Phædrus--not an early dialogue _ib._
Criticism given by Plato on the three discourses--His theory of
Rhetoric is more Platonic than Sokratic _ib._
His theory postulates, in the Rhetor, knowledge already assured--it
assumes that all the doubts have been already removed 39
The Expositor, with knowledge and logical process, teaches minds
unoccupied and willing to learn _ib._
The Rhetor does not teach, but persuades persons with minds
pre-occupied--guiding them methodically from error to truth 40
He must then classify the minds to be persuaded, and the means of
persuasion or varieties of discourse. He must know how to fit on
the one to the other in each particular case 41
Plato's _Idéal_ of the Rhetorical Art--involves in part
incompatible conditions--the Wise man or philosopher will never be
listened to by the public _ib._
The other part of the Platonic _Idéal_ is grand but
unattainable--breadth of psychological data and classified
modes of discourse 42
Plato's ideal grandeur compared with the rhetorical
teachers--Usefulness of these teachers for the wants of an
accomplished man 44
The Rhetorical teachers conceived the Art too narrowly: Plato
conceived it too widely. The principles of an Art are not required
to be explained to all learners 45
Plato includes in his conception of Art, the application thereof
to new particular cases. This can never be taught by rule 46
Plato's charge against the Rhetorical teachers is not made out
47
Plato has not treated Lysias fairly, in neglecting his greater
works, and selecting for criticism an erotic exercise for a
private circle 47
No fair comparison can be taken between this exercise of Lysias
and the discourses delivered by Sokrates in the Phædrus 48
Continuous discourse, either written or spoken, inefficacious as a
means of instruction to the ignorant 49
Written matter is useful as a memorandum for persons who know--or
as an elegant pastime 50
Plato's didactic theories are pitched too high to be realised 51
No one has ever been found competent to solve the difficulties
raised by Sokrates, Arkesilaus, Karneades, and the negative vein
of philosophy _ib._
Plato's _idéal_ philosopher can only be realised under the
hypothesis of a pre-existent and omniscient soul, stimulated into
full reminiscence here 52
Different proceeding of Plato in the Timæus 53
Opposite tendencies co-existent in Plato's mind--Extreme of the
Transcendental or Absolute--Extreme of specialising adaptation to
individuals and occasions 54