Platonism

by Paul Elmer More

This historic book may have numerous typos, missing text or index. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. 1917. Not illustrated. Excerpt: ... CHAPTER V PSYCHOLOGY Plato's ethical philosophy is connected, as any system of ethics must be connected, with a particular way of regarding the soul. Its end is in psychology, and we are thus brought face to face with a problem of consistency: the soul under his analysis fell into three faculties (if we may use this word without its modern psychological implications), yet his ethics is essentially dualistic. How are these two positions to be reconciled? The apparent discrepancy of Plato's philosophy in this matter has troubled more than one of the commentators on The Republic. In a note on a critical passage of the tenth book James Adam has these significant words: "The reasoning from here to 607a has been supposed to rest on a psychological theory irreconcilable with that of Book iv, to which the discussion expressly alludes (in 602e). See for example Krohn PI. St. p. 255 and Pfleiderer Zur Losung etc. p. 38. It is true that Plato is here content, in view of his immediate purpose, with a twofold division of the soul into (1) a rational and (2) an irrational, alogiston (604d, 605b), or lower element. But the resemblance between the two theories is greater than the dif 118 ference, for (a) the logistikon is common to both, and (b) on its moral side the irrational element appears sometimes as the epithymStikon (606d), sometimes as a degenerate form of the thymoeides (604e, 606a)." The point is well taken, and is enforced chiefly by the characterization of the good man under the stress of adversity. "There is," says Plato, 604a "a principle of reason and law in him which commands him to resist, and there is likewise the sense of his misfortune which is forcing him to indulge his sorrow. But when a man is drawn in contrary directions at once in regard to the same ob...

144 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1917

About the author

Paul Elmer More was an American journalist, critic, essayist and Christian apologist.

Reviews

[Coyle · Rating 4 out of 5]

"n the course of [this book], More provides an extended discussion of several major and minor dialogues, including: Protagoras, Gorgias, The Republic, The Laws, The Statesman (Politicus), Thaetetus, Crito, Timaeus, Parmenides, Cratylus, and The Sophist. He also compares and contrasts Plato to both other philosophers (Mill, Rousseau, Kant, and Edwards all make appearances) and to later "Platonists" (Plotinus was the one I'd heard of, along with a bunch of 19th century names I didn't know)."

Full review available here:

http://coyleneal.blogspot.com/2013/03...