From the Beginning to Plato

FROM THE BEGINNING TO PLATO 355
5 Symposium 207d–208b: the relation between the different phases of ‘one‘ life is the
same as that between a parent and its offspring. See also Cratylus 439d; Theaetetus
154a, 159d–160a; Timaeus 49c–e. Contrast Phaedo 102e.
6 Even in this most extreme statement of the doctrine of flux, Plato allows that the
later and earlier objects share many characteristics. Hence, he does not accept the
Theaetetus’ wild version of Heracliteanism which says that sensibles always
change in every respect.
7 Timaeus 49d–e. For other views on flux, see Bolton [10.65], Irwin [10.80].
8 For a different interpretation, see Fine, ‘Knowledge and Belief in Republic V–VII’,
in [10.101], 85–115.
9 This topic is thoroughly examined in Malcolm [10.85].
10 Hippias Major 289d, 291d, 292c–d, 297e, 304d; Charmides 161a–b; Laches 192c–
d.
11 Hippias Major 292e; Protagoras 330c–e.
12 Hippias Major 291c.
13 Hippias Major 291d.
14 Hippias Major 296c–d.
15 Lysis 217c; Charmides 160e–161a, 169d–e; Hippias Major 291c; Gorgias 497e;
Meno 87d–e; Phaedo 68d–e, 100e–101b; Republic 335d–e, 379a–c; Parmenides
131c–d; Philebus 65a.
16 Hippias Major 287c.
17 While Plato allows that physical conditions and phenomena are necessary
conditions for the items he explains in other terms, the Phaedo (99a–b) denies them
the title of ‘explanations’. In the Timaeus (46c–d), however, he calls them
secondary or co-operative causes or explanations.
18 Parmenides 139e, 148a.
19 See, for example, Symposium 211e, Republic 500c, Phaedo 84b, Pbaedrus 250a,
Sophist 254b, Philebus 62a.
20 See Vlastos [10.98], 58–75. For the ideas in the paragraph before last, see [10.98],
43–57.
21 Timaeus 38b.
22 Republic 478b12–c1 with 478d–479d.
23 Phaedo 74c1–2. Plato equates two questions: (1) Is Equality ever unequal? (2) Is
Equality ever Inequality?
Had he seen the difference, he should also have seen (2)’s irrelevance to his
argument. He is trying to show that sensible equals differ from Equality because
they possess a feature Equality lacks. But sensible equals no more appear to be
Inequality than Equality does.
24 On this point see Frede [10.74], 51–2.
25 Timaeus 52a, c; Symposium 211a–b.
26 Phaedo 102d–e, 103b; Republic 501b; Parmenides 132d.
27 Theaetetus 177a.
28 Republic 532c–d.
29 Phaedo 80d.
30 Republic 5080, 509d, 517b.
31 Republic 526e.
32 Theaetetus 177a.
33 Republic 592b.