Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Preface
- Preliminary note
- List of abbreviations
- Introduction
- 1 Cratylus' naturalism (383a–384c)
- 2 Hermogenes' conventionalism (384c–386e)
- 3 Naturalism defended (386e–390e)
- 4 Naturalism unfolded (390e–394e)
- 5 Naturalism illustrated: the etymologies of ‘secondary’ names (394e–421c)
- 6 Naturalism illustrated: the primary names (421c–427e)
- 7 Naturalism discussed (427e–433b)
- 8 Naturalism refuted and conventionalism defended (433b–439b)
- 9 Flux and forms (439b–440e)
- Appendix 1 The text of 437d10–438b8
- Appendix 2 Some interpolations and non-mechanical errors in W and δ
- References
- I General index
- II Index of ancient texts
- III Index of Greek expressions
- IV Index of words discussed in the Cratylus
Appendix 1 - The text of 437d10–438b8
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 25 October 2011
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Preface
- Preliminary note
- List of abbreviations
- Introduction
- 1 Cratylus' naturalism (383a–384c)
- 2 Hermogenes' conventionalism (384c–386e)
- 3 Naturalism defended (386e–390e)
- 4 Naturalism unfolded (390e–394e)
- 5 Naturalism illustrated: the etymologies of ‘secondary’ names (394e–421c)
- 6 Naturalism illustrated: the primary names (421c–427e)
- 7 Naturalism discussed (427e–433b)
- 8 Naturalism refuted and conventionalism defended (433b–439b)
- 9 Flux and forms (439b–440e)
- Appendix 1 The text of 437d10–438b8
- Appendix 2 Some interpolations and non-mechanical errors in W and δ
- References
- I General index
- II Index of ancient texts
- III Index of Greek expressions
- IV Index of words discussed in the Cratylus
Summary
As announced in §8.2.3, this Appendix is devoted to the textual issue of 437d10–438b8, the passage transmitted by the MSS in two different versions. To get a clearer view of the matter it will be helpful to start by translating a text that is roughly identical with the one reported by W and with the one printed by Stallbaum and Hirschig, with line spaces added to highlight some relevant joints and a couple of further changes (I also translate the first words of c1–4):
(so.) And let us leave these things alone (437d8–9)
and examine these others [τάδε δὲ ἐπισκεψώμεθα], to see whether or not you agree with us on this point too. Come on, those who impose the names in the cities, both in the Greek and in the barbarian ones, on any given occasion, didn't we agree a while ago that they are lawgivers and that the art which has this power is the lawgiving [νομοθετικήν] art?
cr. Of course.
so. And tell me, did the first lawgivers impose the first names with knowledge of the objects on which they were imposing them or in ignorance of them? [οἱ πρῶτοι νομοθέται τὰ πρῶτα ὀνόματα πότερον γιγνώσκοντες τὰ πράγματα, οἷς ἐτίθεντο, ἐτίθεντο ἢ ἀγνοοῦντες;]
cr. I think with knowledge, Socrates.
so. Yes; for presumably they did not do so in ignorance, my friend Cratylus.
cr. I don't think so. (d10–438a2)
(so.) And go back to the point where we started this digression [ἐπανέλθωμεν δὲ πάλιν ὅθεν δεῦρο μετέβημεν]. A while ago in our previous discussion, if you remember, you said that he who imposed the names necessarily imposed them with knowledge of the things on which he was imposing them [εἰδότα τίθεσθαι οἷς ἐτίθετο]. […]
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- The Cratylus of PlatoA Commentary, pp. 489 - 495Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2011