Philebus Outline

7/28/2019 Philebus Outline

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NewSummaryofPhilebusNEWLY-REVISED

1. Note:ProtarchusisasonofCallias.

2. (11)Twoarguments(logoi):Philebusmaintainsthatrejoicing(tochairein),

pleasure(hedon),enjoyment(terpsis),andtheirkind,arethebestthings

forallanimals,whileSocratesmaintainsthat,forthoseabletopartakeofthem,beingwise(tophronein),thinking(tonoein),remembering(to

memnsthai),andtheirkin,rightopinion(doxaorth)andtruereasonings

(altheislogismoi),arethebest.Eachsidemustagreethatthetruthabout

theseargumentsmustbeattainedbyanypossiblemeans,andthatitisa

conditionanddispositionofsoulthatproduceshappiness.Stipulation:if

someotherlifesuperiortobothisfound,thenthathypotheticalbestlifewill

bethevictor,andbetweentheothertwothevictorwillbethelifethatis

closertothebest.(Themostfrequentlyusedsinglenamesforthetwo

competinglivesarerespectivelytophronein,orphronesis;andhedon.(?))

(PhilebusthinksthegoddessAphrodite=thegoddessHedon.)

a. (12c)Problem:pleasureandlikewiseknowledgearebothlikeandunlikethemselves,becausetheyeachhavevariousaspectsand

shapes.Arepleasures,asyoucontend,allgood,becauseofsome

likeness,or,asIcontend,somegoodandsomebadbecauseofsome

unlikeness?

b. (14c)Wemustinvestigatethisquestionwiththeaidoftheprinciple

thattheoneismanyandthemanyareone.Thisisobviousand

commonpropertywhenappliedtothingsthatcometobeandperish,

butwhenappliedtothingslikeman,ox,beauty,andgood,thereare

perplexities.

i. (15b)Theperplexities(therearetextualdifXicultiesherethat

makeitdifXiculttodisentanglethequestions):1. Dosuchunitiesexist?

2. Howdothey,whileremainingthemselves,enterthe

domainofbecoming?

3. Howaretheybothoneandmany?

ii.(15d)TheidentiXicationoftheonewiththemanyarises

everywherefromthenatureofdiscourseitselfthis

identiXicationentrancestheyoung.

iii. WeneedtoXindabetterroadthanattacktoresolve

thisdifference.

iv. (16c)Agiftofthegods,ofwhichIamalwaysalover,

althoughithasoftendesertedme:allthingsaresprungfromoneandmanyandcontainlimitandtheunlimited.Sincethis

ishowthingsarearranged,wemustalwayspositasingleidea

ineachcase,foritisalwaystheretobefound,andthenmust

notpassfromtheonetotheinXinitetooquicklyorslowly,but

insteadnotealltheintermediatenumbers,untilweseenot

onlythateachthingisoneandmanyandinXinite,butalso

howmanyitis.Onlythencanwearguedialecticallyrather


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thaneristically.(Fromtheexamplestofollowitisevidentthat

heistalkingaboutwhatwewouldcallclassiXication.)

1. (17b)Examples

a. Lettersandthediscretespokensoundsthey

represent

b. Musicalintervalsc. Rhythms(elementsofdance?)

2. StoryofThoth,inventoroftheletters:understanding

eachisequivalenttounderstandingthewholethey

comprise.Thisiswhymany=oneandwhatbindsthem

alltogether.Hecalledthemthegrammaticalart.

3. (18a)InitialinvestigationusingthismethodPhilebusandProtarchusare

incapableofapplyingtheindicatedmethodtopleasureandtowisdom.

(ThisistheXirstinvocationinthedialogueoftheDelphicproverbKnow

thyself.)

4. (20b)AnotherwaySocratescanarguehispoint(perhapswecanavoidthe

necessityofdividingpleasureandknowledgebyshowinginsomeotherwaythatthereisathirdlifesuperiortoboth):

a. ThegoodisperfectandsufXicient.

b. Everythingthatrecognizesithunts(threuei)itandaimsat(ephietai)

itwishingtocatch(helein)andpossess(ktsasthai)it.Noonehasany

interestinwhatdoesnotleadtoit.(Acommonthemewiththe

Symposiumktsthaiand boulesthaiktsthaiareusedinDiotimas

speechinSymposiumwheresheistalkingaboutdesiring

(epithumein)whatonealreadypossesses(kektmenos,aformof

ktsthai).)

i. ThisseemstobeanargumentthatthegoodissufXicient.

c. PleasurewithoutknowledgeisnotsufXicient.d. (Onahumanlevel,asopposedtodivine)knowledgewithout

pleasureisnotsufXicient.

e. Everyonewouldpreferalifecombinedofbothofthesetoeitherof

them.

f. Therefore,neitherofthesepurelivesisthebest(unlessthemindwe

arediscussingisthedivinemind).

5. (23c)Nowwemusttakethethirdpathoutlinedatthebeginning:wemust

determinewhetherknowledgeorpleasureisclosertothegoodinthemixed

life.Doesknowledgeorpleasurecausethegoodinthatlife?Iwouldargue

thatitisknowledgethatdoes.Abattleforsecondplace.

a. Socrates:IneedanewcontrivancetoXightmindsbattleadivisionofallbeingsintotwoclasses,theunlimitedandthelimit,andalsoa

thirdclass,themixtureoflimitandtheunlimited.Alsoafourthclass,

thecause.LetuscollectanddivideanddeterminehowtheXirst,

second,andthirdclassesareoneandmany.

b. (24a)TheinXiniteiswhatadmitsofdegree,(25a)limitisXixed

quantity.

c. (25e)Themixedclass,theoffspringofthelimit,isthatproperratio


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thatrepresentsthebalanceandharmonyofthingshealth,music,

goodweather,theseasons.

i. PhilebussaysMusikedidharm;Isayshebroughtsalvation.

ii.ThethirdclassconsistsofeveryoffspringoftheXirsttwo.

d. Thefourthclass.Sincethethirdclassiswhatcomestobe,andthatis

whatismade,thecausemustbeamaker.i. Thecreatoralwaysleads,andwhatiscreatedfollows.(Ithink

thismeansthatthecreatorpre-existsthecreatedintime.)

ii.Thecauseandthethingsthatservethecauseingeneration

arenotthesame(thismustrefertotheotherthreeclasses,

includingthelimit).

e. (27d)Whichoftheseclassesdothelivesofpleasure,mind,andthe

mixedlifebelong?

i. Themixedlifetothemixedclass

ii.PleasuretotheinXinite

1. Adigression:Philebussaysthatpleasuremustbe

inXinite,forotherwiseitwouldnotbetheabsolutegoodSocratesretortsthatunderthatconditionpainalso

wouldnotbetheabsoluteevilthereforeitisnot

inXinitythatmakesthegood.

iii. Mind

1. Forallphilosophers,mindiskingofheavenandearth

butletusinvestigateitsgenus(tribe)atgreater

length

2. Istheuniverseplannedandordered,orchaotic?

Plannedtheassertionthatmindordersallisworthy

ofthespectacleofthekosmos,thesun,moon,andstars,

andtherevolving[sky](perhapsthisisareferencetotherecentlydiscovered[fortheGreeks]regularitiesof

themovementsoftheheavensthiscertainlyseemsto

beaformoftheso-calledargumentfromdesign)

3. Anargumentthatcomestous:

a. Theelementsinus(earth,air,Xire,water)exist

alsointheuniverse.

b. Theelementsintheuniversearesuperiorto

andruletheelementsinus.

c. Ourbodyhasasoul.Whatisitscause?

d. Probably,theuniversealsohasasoul,anda

superiorone,andthesamecorrespondenceholdsbetweentheuniverseanduswithrespect

tosoulasholdswithrespecttobody.

e. (Theargumentin30bandcseemsobscure.)

f. (Soulseemstobeclassedherewiththemixed.)

g. Cause,whichgivesmeasuretoallthings,also

givesourbodiessouls.

h. Sointheuniversealsotherearethesefour


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classes,includingcause.

i. Sinceitordersandarrangesyearsandseasons

andmonths,itmayjustlybecalledwisdom

(sophia)andmind(nous).

j. Nowisdomormindwithoutsoul.

k. ThusinthenatureofZeusakinglysoulandmindwereimplantedthroughthepowerof

cause,andinthenaturesoftheothergods

accordingtotheirepithets.

4. Somindbelongstothefourthclass,thecause.

f. (31b)Inwhatandbymeansofwhataffection(pathos)dopleasure

andthoughtcometobewhenevertheycometobe?

i. Pleasure(andpain)Xirst

1. Painandpleasureoriginateinthecombinedclass

a. Painisthebreakingupofharmonyandnature

inlivingbeings,painitsrestoration

i. Examples1. Thirst

2. Hunger

3. Cold

4. Heat

b. Thereisinthesoultheanticipationofthese

thingsthesearepurepleasuresandpains

(unmixedwiththeiropposites)

g. (32c)Itiswithreferencetothesepurepleasuresandpainsthatwe

shalldiscoverwhetherpleasureinitselfisgoodorwhethersome

pleasuresaregoodandsomebad.CLEAR

i. Argument1CLEAR1. Isntthereanintermediatestatebetweenconstruction

andrestoration,anddevoidofpleasureandpain?Yes.

2. Couldntsomeonelivealifeofwisdominthis

intermediatestate?

3. Thisistheunmixedstateofwisdomthatwediscussed

atXirst.

4. Themostdivineoflives,ifthegodsfeelneither

pleasurenorpaindeferthatissuetoanothertime.

5. ButthiswillbeapointinmindsfavorforXirstor

secondplaceintheXinalreckoning.

ii.Argument2BECOMESUNCLEARFRONHEREON1. (33c)Thepleasureofthesouloriginatesentirelyin

memory.[Theargumentdoesnotseemquitetoprove

this.]

a. Perception,memoryandrecollection

i. Someaffectionsofthebodyare

extinguishedbeforereachingthesoul,

whileotherscausevibrationsinboth


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bodyandsoul,bothindividuallyand

together.

ii.Thesoulforgetsbodilyaffectionsifand

onlyiftheydonotaffectit.

iii. Weshouldsayinsteadthatithas

wantofperceptionofthem.iv. Perceptionisacombinedmotion

ofbodyandsoul.

v.Memoryispreservationofperception.

vi. Whenthesoultakesupagain,by

itself,somethingthatithasexperienced

withthebody,wesayitrecollects.

vii. Also,whenthesoultakesupagain,

byitself,aperceptionorcomingtobe

acquaintedofwhichithaslostthe

memory,thisisrecollection.

viii. Thesepointswillenableustotakeupthepleasureanddesire(epithumia)of

thesoul,apartfromthebody.

b. Thenatureandoriginofdesire

i. Wehavesaidthathunger,thirst,etc.,are

desires.

ii.Whatdotheyhaveincommon?

iii. AdesireisadesireofbeingXilled

withthatofwhichitisthedesire.

iv. Onewhoisemptydesiresthe

oppositeofwhathefeels,namelybeing

Xilled.v.Butsincethebodyisempty,onesonly

meansoftouching(ephaptesthai)fullness

isviathesoulviamemory.

1. Herethereisthepuzzling

argumentabouttheonewhois

thirstyfortheXirsttime.Sincehe

isemptyandhasneverbeen

Xilled,hecanonlycontactfullness

viasoulandmemory.Surelythis

hastheimplicationofthepre-

existenceofthesoul,butthisisnotstatedexplicitly.

vi. Therefore,desireispurelyinthe

soul.

vii. Thereforethesoulrulesthebody.

c. Theargument(will)showthatthereisaformof

lifethatistobedesiredwithrespectto

affectionssuchashunger,thirst,etc.(?)


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d. (36a)Itispossibletohaveatwofoldpain,

simultaneouslyofthesoulandthebody,and

alsoamixtureofthebodyspainandthesouls

pleasure.HAVEREREADINDETAILTOHERE

e. (36c)Itispossibletohavefalse[andtherefore

bad?Ormixed?]pleasures.i. Argument1:Justasopinionscanbereal

butfalse,socanpleasures,iftheyare

causedbyafalsecognition(amIover-

rationalizingthispassage?)

1. Thesoulislikeabook.Memory

andsensationtogetherwrite

wordsinthesoul.

2. Imagesalso.

3. Pertainingtopast,present,and

future.

4. Thefriendsofthegodshavemostlytruepleasures.

ii.Anotherargumentthattherearefalse

pleasures

1. Wecanattempttojudge

concerningtherelativeintensities

ofourpainsandpleasures

2. Wecanerr

iii. Athirdargumentthattherecan

befalsepleasures

1. IfthebodyisbeingneitherXilled

noremptied,thereisinitneitherpleasurenorpain

2. Wearenotconsciousof

everythingthathappenstothe

body.

3. Thereforethereisanintermediate

stateandlifebetweenthatof

pleasureandthatofpain.

a. Arewetoacceptorreject

theviewthatpleasureis

theabsenceofpain?

b. Thosewhosaythisarerepulsedbycertain

pleasuresthoseofthe

sickandvicious,whichare

themostintense

4. Mixedpleasures

a. Thoseofthebody

(mentionedearlier)


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i. Likebeingwarm,

butbecomingcold

ii.Scratchingand

unreachableitch

b. Thoseofthebodyandthe

soul(alsomentionedearlier)

c. Thoseofthesoul

i. Thethreekindsof

non-self-knowledge:

onwealth,on

beauty,andon

virtue(especially

wisdom)

ii.Takingpleasureina

ridiculousfriend

(bothfalseandbad)[whydoesthismake

itmixed?]

f. Purepleasures

i. Examples

1. Puresensations

2. Knowledge

ii.Puresensationsbelongtothemixed

class,whereasviolentpleasuresbelongto

theinXinite

h. Comparingthepleasureandknowledgeintheirrelationtotruth

(andbeauty)i. Pleasure

1. Thepurewhite,nomatterhowsmall,istruerthanthe

mixed.

2. Likewisewithpleasure

3. Ispleasurealwaysasaspectofgeneration?

a. Instrumentalandintrinsicgoods

b. Ranking:materialsofbecoming,becoming,being

c. Thus,ifpleasureisalwaysanaspectof

generation,thenitcannotbethegood

ii.Testingmindregardingtruth

1. Productiveandeducational2. Oftheeducational,exactandexperiential

3. Oftheexact,commonandphilosophical

4. Philosophical,sinceitconcernstheeternal,isthebest

5. (Gorgiascanstillmaintainthatrhetoricismoreuseful)

i. Howshouldpleasureandknowledgebecombinedinthemixedlife?

i. Aroadtothegood

ii.Theymustbemixedwell


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iii. Truestsectionsofeach?InsufXicient

iv. Weshallpollknowledgeaboutthepleasuresandthe

pleasuresaboutknowledge,toseewhatiscompatible

v.Pleasurewantsknowledgeofthingsaroundthem,andof

themselves

vi. Knowledgedoesnotwantthemostintensepleasuresvii. Wehaveasitwereanincorporealorderthatshallrule

noblyalivingbody(andtheuniverse)

viii. Soourmixturehasmeasure,symmetry,andtruth

ix. Knowledgeisclosertoallthesethanpleasure

x.Ranking

1. Measure

2. Symmetryandbeauty

3. Mindandwisdom

4. Theartsandsciences(trueopinions)

5. Purepleasures

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