cratylus-第3章

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proceeds　to　analyse　simple　words　into　the　letters　of　which　they　are

composed。　　The　Socrates　who　'knows　nothing；'　here　passes　into　the　teacher；

the　dialectician；　the　arranger　of　species。　　There　is　nothing　in　this　part

of　the　dialogue　which　is　either　weak　or　extravagant。　　Plato　is　a　supporter

of　the　Onomatopoetic　theory　of　language；　that　is　to　say；　he　supposes　words

to　be　formed　by　the　imitation　of　ideas　in　sounds；　he　also　recognises　the

effect　of　time；　the　influence　of　foreign　languages；　the　desire　of　euphony；

to　be　formative　principles；　and　he　admits　a　certain　element　of　chance。　　But

he　gives　no　imitation　in　all　this　that　he　is　preparing　the　way　for　the

construction　of　an　ideal　language。　　Or　that　he　has　any　Eleatic　speculation

to　oppose　to　the　Heracleiteanism　of　Cratylus。



The　theory　of　language　which　is　propounded　in　the　Cratylus　is　in　accordance

with　the　later　phase　of　the　philosophy　of　Plato；　and　would　have　been

regarded　by　him　as　in　the　main　true。　　The　dialogue　is　also　a　satire　on　the

philological　fancies　of　the　day。　　Socrates　in　pursuit　of　his　vocation　as　a

detector　of　false　knowledge；　lights　by　accident　on　the　truth。　　He　is

guessing；　he　is　dreaming；　he　has　heard；　as　he　says　in　the　Phaedrus；　from

another：　　no　one　is　more　surprised　than　himself　at　his　own　discoveries。　

And　yet　some　of　his　best　remarks；　as　for　example　his　view　of　the　derivation

of　Greek　words　from　other　languages；　or　of　the　permutations　of　letters；　or

again；　his　observation　that　in　speaking　of　the　Gods　we　are　only　speaking　of

our　names　of　them；　occur　among　these　flights　of　humour。



We　can　imagine　a　character　having　a　profound　insight　into　the　nature　of　men

and　things；　and　yet　hardly　dwelling　upon　them　seriously；　blending

inextricably　sense　and　nonsense；　sometimes　enveloping　in　a　blaze　of　jests

the　most　serious　matters；　and　then　again　allowing　the　truth　to　peer

through；　enjoying　the　flow　of　his　own　humour；　and　puzzling　mankind　by　an

ironical　exaggeration　of　their　absurdities。　　Such　were　Aristophanes　and

Rabelais；　such；　in　a　different　style；　were　Sterne；　Jean　Paul；　Hamann；

writers　who　sometimes　become　unintelligible　through　the　extravagance　of

their　fancies。　　Such　is　the　character　which　Plato　intends　to　depict　in　some

of　his　dialogues　as　the　Silenus　Socrates；　and　through　this　medium　we　have

to　receive　our　theory　of　language。



There　remains　a　difficulty　which　seems　to　demand　a　more　exact　answer：　　In

what　relation　does　the　satirical　or　etymological　portion　of　the　dialogue

stand　to　the　serious？　　Granting　all　that　can　be　said　about　the　provoking

irony　of　Socrates；　about　the　parody　of　Euthyphro；　or　Prodicus；　or

Antisthenes；　how　does　the　long　catalogue　of　etymologies　furnish　any　answer

to　the　question　of　Hermogenes；　which　is　evidently　the　main　thesis　of　the

dialogue：　　What　is　the　truth；　or　correctness；　or　principle　of　names？



After　illustrating　the　nature　of　correctness　by　the　analogy　of　the　arts；

and　then；　as　in　the　Republic；　ironically　appealing　to　the　authority　of　the

Homeric　poems；　Socrates　shows　that　the　truth　or　correctness　of　names　can

only　be　ascertained　by　an　appeal　to　etymology。　　The　truth　of　names　is　to　be

found　in　the　analysis　of　their　elements。　　But　why　does　he　admit　etymologies

which　are　absurd；　based　on　Heracleitean　fancies；　fourfold　interpretations

of　words；　impossible　unions　and　separations　of　syllables　and　letters？



1。　　The　answer　to　this　difficulty　has　been　already　anticipated　in　part：　

Socrates　is　not　a　dogmatic　teacher；　and　therefore　he　puts　on　this　wild　and

fanciful　disguise；　in　order　that　the　truth　may　be　permitted　to　appear：　　2。

as　Benfey　remarks；　an　erroneous　example　may　illustrate　a　principle　of

language　as　well　as　a　true　one：　　3。　many　of　these　etymologies；　as；　for

example；　that　of　dikaion；　are　indicated；　by　the　manner　in　which　Socrates

speaks　of　them；　to　have　been　current　in　his　own　age：　　4。　the　philosophy　of

language　had　not　made　such　progress　as　would　have　justified　Plato　in

propounding　real　derivations。　　Like　his　master　Socrates；　he　saw　through　the

hollowness　of　the　incipient　sciences　of　the　day；　and　tries　to　move　in　a

circle　apart　from　them；　laying　down　the　conditions　under　which　they　are　to

be　pursued；　but；　as　in　the　Timaeus；　cautious　and　tentative；　when　he　is

speaking　of　actual　phenomena。　　To　have　made　etymologies　seriously；　would


have　seemed　to　him　like　the　interpretation　of　the　myths　in　the　Phaedrus；

the　task　'of　a　not　very　fortunate　individual；　who　had　a　great　deal　of　time

on　his　hands。'　　The　irony　of　Socrates　places　him　above　and　beyond　the

errors　of　his　contemporaries。



The　Cratylus　is　full　of　humour　and　satirical　touches：　　the　inspiration

which　comes　from　Euthyphro；　and　his　prancing　steeds；　the　light　admixture　of

quotations　from　Homer；　and　the　spurious　dialectic　which　is　applied　to　them；

the　jest　about　the　fifty…drachma　course　of　Prodicus；　which　is　declared　on

the　best　authority；　viz。　his　own；　to　be　a　complete　education　in　grammar　and

rhetoric；　the　double　explanation　of　the　name　Hermogenes；　either　as　'not

being　in　luck；'　or　'being　no　speaker；'　the　dearly…bought　wisdom　of　Callias；

the　Lacedaemonian　whose　name　was　'Rush；'　and；　above　all；　the　pleasure　which

Socrates　expresses　in　his　own　dangerous　discoveries；　which　'to…morrow　he

will　purge　away；'　are　truly　humorous。　　While　delivering　a　lecture　on　the

philosophy　of　language；　Socrates　is　also　satirizing　the　endless　fertility

of　the　human　mind　in　spinning　arguments　out　of　nothing；　and　employing　the

most　trifling　and　fanciful　analogies　in　support　of　a　theory。　　Etymology　in

ancient　as　in　modern　times　was　a　favourite　recreation；　and　Socrates　makes

merry　at　the　expense　of　the　etymologists。　　The　simplicity　of　Hermogenes；

who　is　ready　to　believe　anything　that　he　is　told；　heightens　the　effect。　

Socrates　in　his　genial　and　ironical　mood　hits　right　and　left　at　his

adversaries：　　Ouranos　is　so　called　apo　tou　oran　ta　ano；　which；　as　some

philosophers　say；　is　the　way　to　have　a　pure　mind；　the　sophists　are　by　a

fanciful　explanation　converted　into　heroes；　'the　givers　of　names　were　like

some　philosophers　who　fancy　that　the　earth　goes　round　because　their　heads

are　always　going　round。'　　There　is　a　great　deal　of　'mischief'　lurking　in

the　following：　　'I　found　myself　in　greater　perplexity　about　justice　than　I

was　before　I　began　to　learn；'　　'The　rho　in　katoptron　must　be　the　addition

of　some　one　who　cares　nothing　about　truth；　but　thinks　only　of　putting　the

mouth　into　shape；'　　'Tales　and　falsehoods　have　generally　to　do　with　the

Tragic　and　goatish　life；　and　tragedy　is　the　place　of　them。'　　Several


philosophers　and　sophists　are　mentioned　by　name：　　first；　Protagoras　and

Euthydemus　are　assailed；　then　the　interpreters　of　Homer；　oi　palaioi

Omerikoi　（compare　Arist。　Met。）　and　the　Orphic　poets　are　alluded　to　by　the

way；　then　he　discovers　a　hive　of　wisdom　in　the　philosophy　of　Heracleitus；

the　doctrine　of　the　flux　is　contained　in　the　word　ousia　（=　osia　the　pushing

principle）；　an　anticipation　of　Anaxagoras　is　found　in　psuche　and　selene。

Again；　he　ridicules　the　arbitrary　methods　of　pulling　out　and　putting　in

letters　which　were　in　vogue　among　the　philologers　of　his　time；　or　slightly

scoffs　at　contemporary　religious　beliefs。　　Lastly；　he　is　impatient　of

hearing　from　the　half…converted　Cratylus　the　doctrine　that　falsehood　can

neither　be　spoken；　nor　uttered；　nor　addressed；　a　piece　of　sophistry

attributed　to　Gorgias；　which　reappears　in　the　Sophist。　　And　he　proceeds　to

demolish；　with　no　less　delight　than　he　had　set　up；　the　Heracleitean　theory

of　language。



In　the　latter　part　of　the　dialogue　Socrates　becomes　more　serious；　though　he

does　not　lay　aside　but　rather　aggravates　his　banter　of　the　Heracleiteans；

whom　here；　as　in　the　Theaetetus；　he　delights　to　ridicule。　　What　was　the

origin　of　this　enmity　we　can　hardly　determine：was　it　due　to　the　natural

dislike　which　may　be　supposed　to　exist　between　the　'patrons　of　the　flux'

and　the　'friends　of　the　ideas'　（Soph。）？　or　is　it　to　be　attributed　to　the