Plato · Cratylus §387-388

Naming as an Action and the Instrument for Teaching

Passage 3 of 34 · Greek

Summary

Socrates demonstrates that speaking and naming are actions that must follow the intrinsic nature of things rather than human opinion. He defines a name as an instrument for teaching and dividing essence, concluding that its creator is the lawgiver who possesses the relevant expertise.

§387ΣΩ. κατὰ τὴν αὑτῶν ἄρα φύσιν καὶ αἱ πράξεις πράττονται, οὐ κατὰ τὴν ἡμετέραν δόξαν.

SOCRATES: In accordance with their own nature, then, actions are also performed, and not in accordance with our opinion.

οἷον ἐάν τι ἐπιχειρήσωμεν ἡμεῖς τῶν ὄντων τέμνειν, πότερον ἡμῖν τμητέον ἕκαστον ὡς ἂν ἡμεῖς βουλώμεθα καὶ ᾧ ἂν βουληθῶμεν, ἢ ἐὰν μὲν κατὰ τὴν φύσιν βουληθῶμεν ἕκαστον τέμνειν τοῦ τέμνειν τε καὶ τέμνεσθαι καὶ ᾧ πέφυκε, τεμοῦμέν τε καὶ πλέον τι ἡμῖν ἔσται καὶ ὀρθῶς πράξομεν τοῦτο, ἐὰν δὲ παρὰ φύσιν, ἐξαμαρτησόμεθά τε καὶ οὐδὲν πράξομεν;

For instance, if we should attempt to cut any of the things that are, must we cut each thing as we wish and with what we wish, or if we wish to cut each thing in accordance with the nature of cutting and being cut and with what is natural, shall we cut it and will there be some advantage for us and shall we perform this action correctly; but if we do so contrary to nature, shall we fail and accomplish nothing?

ΕΡΜ. ἔμοιγε δοκεῖ οὕτω.

HERMOGENES: So it seems to me.

ΣΩ. οὐκοῦν καὶ ἐὰν κάειν τι ἐπιχειρήσωμεν, οὐ κατὰ πᾶσαν δόξαν δεῖ κάειν, ἀλλὰ κατὰ τὴν ὀρθήν;

SOCRATES: Therefore, if we should attempt to burn something, must we not burn it in accordance with every opinion, but in accordance with the correct one?

αὕτη δʼ ἐστὶν ᾗ ἐπεφύκει ἕκαστον κάεσθαί τε καὶ κάειν καὶ ᾧ ἐπεφύκει;

And this is the way in which each thing is naturally constituted to be burned and to burn, and with what it is naturally constituted to be burned?

ΕΡΜ. ἔστι ταῦτα.

HERMOGENES: That is so.

ΣΩ. οὐκοῦν καὶ τἆλλα οὕτω;

SOCRATES: Therefore, is it also the same with other things?

ΕΡΜ. πάνυ γε.

HERMOGENES: Certainly.

ΣΩ. ἆρʼ οὖν οὐ καὶ τὸ λέγειν μία τις τῶν πράξεών ἐστιν;

SOCRATES: Is not speaking, then, also one of these actions?

ΕΡΜ. ναί.

HERMOGENES: Yes.

ΣΩ. πότερον οὖν ᾗ ἄν τῳ δοκῇ λεκτέον εἶναι, ταύτῃ λέγων ὀρθῶς λέξει, ἢ ἐὰν μὲν ᾗ πέφυκε τὰ πράγματα λέγειν τε καὶ λέγεσθαι καὶ ᾧ, ταύτῃ καὶ τούτῳ λέγῃ, πλέον τέ τι ποιήσει καὶ ἐρεῖ·

SOCRATES: If, then, one speaks in the way that seems fit to them, in speaking this way will they speak correctly, or if they speak in the way that things are naturally constituted to speak and be spoken, and with what is natural, will they accomplish something and speak; but if not, will they fail and accomplish nothing?

ἂν δὲ μή, ἐξαμαρτήσεταί τε καὶ οὐδὲν ποιήσει; ΕΡΜ. οὕτω μοι δοκεῖ ὡς λέγεις.

HERMOGENES: It seems to me as you say.

ΣΩ. οὐκοῦν τοῦ λέγειν μόριον τὸ ὀνομάζειν;

SOCRATES: Therefore, is naming not a part of speaking?

διονομάζοντες γάρ που λέγουσι τοὺς λόγους.

For surely, in naming things, people speak their statements.

ΕΡΜ. πάνυ γε.

HERMOGENES: Certainly.

ΣΩ. οὐκοῦν καὶ τὸ ὀνομάζειν πρᾶξίς ἐστιν, εἴπερ καὶ τὸ λέγειν πρᾶξίς τις ἦν περὶ τὰ πράγματα;

SOCRATES: Therefore, is naming also an action, if indeed speaking was also a kind of action concerning things?

ΕΡΜ. ναί.

HERMOGENES: Yes.

ΣΩ. αἱ δὲ πράξεις ἐφάνησαν ἡμῖν οὐ πρὸς ἡμᾶς οὖσαι, ἀλλʼ αὑτῶν τινα ἰδίαν φύσιν ἔχουσαι;

SOCRATES: And did actions appear to us not to be relative to us, but to have some private nature of their own?

ΕΡΜ. ἔστι ταῦτα.

HERMOGENES: That is so.

ΣΩ. οὐκοῦν καὶ ὀνομαστέον ᾗ πέφυκε τὰ πράγματα ὀνομάζειν τε καὶ ὀνομάζεσθαι καὶ ᾧ, ἀλλʼ οὐχ ᾗ ἂν ἡμεῖς βουληθῶμεν, εἴπερ τι τοῖς ἔμπροσθεν μέλλει ὁμολογούμενον εἶναι;

SOCRATES: Therefore, must we also name things in the way they are naturally constituted to name and be named, and with what is natural, and not as we might wish, if indeed what was said before is going to be consistent?

καὶ οὕτω μὲν ἂν πλέον τι ποιοῖμεν καὶ ὀνομάζοιμεν, ἄλλως δὲ οὔ;

And in this way indeed we might accomplish something and name, but otherwise not?

ΕΡΜ. φαίνεταί μοι.

HERMOGENES: So it appears to me.

ΣΩ. φέρε δή, ὃ ἔδει τέμνειν, ἔδει τῳ, φαμέν, τέμνειν;

SOCRATES: Come then, that which had to be cut, did it have to be cut with something, as we say?

ΕΡΜ. ναί.

HERMOGENES: Yes.

ΣΩ. καὶ ὃ ἔδει κερκίζειν, ἔδει τῳ κερκίζειν;

SOCRATES: And that which had to be woven with a shuttle, did it have to be woven with something?

καὶ ὃ ἔδει τρυπᾶν, ἔδει τῳ τρυπᾶν;

And that which had to be bored, did it have to be bored with something?

ΕΡΜ. πάνυ γε.

HERMOGENES: Certainly.

ΣΩ. καὶ ὃ ἔδει δὴ ὀνομάζειν, ἔδει τῳ ὀνομάζειν;

SOCRATES: And that which had to be named, did it have to be named with something?

§388ΕΡΜ. ἔστι ταῦτα.

HERMOGENES: That is so.

ΣΩ. τί δὲ ἦν ἐκεῖνο ᾧ ἔδει τρυπᾶν;

SOCRATES: What then was that with which it had to be bored?

ΕΡΜ. τρύπανον.

HERMOGENES: A drill.

ΣΩ. τί δὲ ᾧ κερκίζειν;

SOCRATES: And with what to weave?

ΕΡΜ. κερκίς.

HERMOGENES: A shuttle.

ΣΩ. τί δὲ ᾧ ὀνομάζειν;

SOCRATES: And with what to name?

ΕΡΜ. ὄνομα.

HERMOGENES: A name.

ΣΩ. εὖ λέγεις.

SOCRATES: Well said.

ὄργανον ἄρα τί ἐστι καὶ τὸ ὄνομα.

Therefore, a name is also a kind of instrument.

ΕΡΜ. πάνυ γε.

HERMOGENES: Certainly.

ΣΩ. εἰ οὖν ἐγὼ ἐροίμην τί ἦν ὄργανον ἡ κερκίς;

SOCRATES: If then I should ask: what kind of instrument was the shuttle?

οὐχ ᾧ κερκίζομεν;

Was it not that with which we weave?

ΕΡΜ. ναί.

HERMOGENES: Yes.

ΣΩ. κερκίζοντες δὲ τί δρῶμεν;

SOCRATES: And in weaving, what do we do?

οὐ τὴν κρόκην καὶ τοὺς στήμονας συγκεχυμένους διακρίνομεν;

Do we not separate the web and the woof which are confused?

ΕΡΜ. ναί.

HERMOGENES: Yes.

ΣΩ. οὐκοῦν καὶ περὶ τρυπάνου ἕξεις οὕτως εἰπεῖν καὶ περὶ τῶν ἄλλων;

SOCRATES: Therefore, will you also be able to speak in this way about a drill and about other things?

ΕΡΜ. πάνυ γε.

HERMOGENES: Certainly.

ΣΩ. ἔχεις δὴ καὶ περὶ ὀνόματος οὕτως εἰπεῖν;

SOCRATES: Can you then also speak in this way about a name?

ὀργάνῳ ὄντι τῷ ὀνόματι ὀνομάζοντες τί ποιοῦμεν;

Naming with the name, which is an instrument, what do we do?

ΕΡΜ. οὐκ ἔχω λέγειν.

HERMOGENES: I cannot say.

ΣΩ. ἆρʼ οὐ διδάσκομέν τι ἀλλήλους καὶ τὰ πράγματα διακρίνομεν ᾗ ἔχει;

SOCRATES: Do we not teach each other something and separate things according to how they are?

ΕΡΜ. πάνυ γε.

HERMOGENES: Certainly.

ΣΩ. ὄνομα ἄρα διδασκαλικόν τί ἐστιν ὄργανον καὶ διακριτικὸν τῆς οὐσίας ὥσπερ κερκὶς ὑφάσματος.

SOCRATES: A name, then, is a kind of instrument that teaches and separates essence, just as a shuttle does with a web.

ΕΡΜ. ναί.

HERMOGENES: Yes.

ΣΩ. ὑφαντικὸν δέ γε ἡ κερκίς;

SOCRATES: And the shuttle is a tool for weaving, is it not?

ΕΡΜ. πῶς δʼ οὔ;

HERMOGENES: How could it not be?

ΣΩ. ὑφαντικὸς μὲν ἄρα κερκίδι καλῶς χρήσεται, καλῶς δʼ ἐστὶν ὑφαντικῶς· διδασκαλικὸς δὲ ὀνόματι, καλῶς δʼ ἐστὶ διδασκαλικῶς.

SOCRATES: The weaver, then, will use the shuttle well, and "well" means in the manner of a weaver; and the teacher will use the name, and "well" means in the manner of a teacher.

ΕΡΜ. ναί.

HERMOGENES: Yes.

ΣΩ. τῷ τίνος οὖν ἔργῳ ὁ ὑφάντης καλῶς χρήσεται ὅταν τῇ κερκίδι χρῆται;

SOCRATES: Whose work, then, will the weaver use well when using the shuttle?

ΕΡΜ. τῷ τοῦ τέκτονος.

HERMOGENES: The carpenter's.

ΣΩ. πᾶς δὲ τέκτων ἢ ὁ τὴν τέχνην ἔχων;

SOCRATES: And is every carpenter such, or the one who possesses the art?

ΕΡΜ. ὁ τὴν τέχνην.

HERMOGENES: The one who possesses the art.

ΣΩ. τῷ τίνος δὲ ἔργῳ ὁ τρυπητὴς καλῶς χρήσεται ὅταν τῷ τρυπάνῳ χρῆται;

SOCRATES: And whose work will the borer use well when using the drill?

ΕΡΜ. τῷ τοῦ χαλκέως.

HERMOGENES: The blacksmith's.

ΣΩ. ἆρʼ οὖν πᾶς χαλκεὺς ἢ ὁ τὴν τέχνην ἔχων;

SOCRATES: Therefore, is every blacksmith such, or the one who possesses the art?

ΕΡΜ. ὁ τὴν τέχνην.

HERMOGENES: The one who possesses the art.

ΣΩ. εἶεν.

SOCRATES: Very well.

τῷ δὲ τίνος ἔργῳ ὁ διδασκαλικὸς χρήσεται ὅταν τῷ ὀνόματι χρῆται;

And whose work will the teacher use when using the name?

ΕΡΜ. οὐδὲ τοῦτʼ ἔχω.

HERMOGENES: This too I cannot say.

ΣΩ. οὐδὲ τοῦτό γʼ ἔχεις εἰπεῖν, τίς παραδίδωσιν ἡμῖν τὰ ὀνόματα οἷς χρώμεθα;

SOCRATES: Can you not even say this: who delivers to us the names we use?

ΕΡΜ. οὐ δῆτα.

HERMOGENES: Certainly not.

ΣΩ. ἆρʼ οὐχὶ ὁ νόμος δοκεῖ σοι ὁ παραδιδοὺς αὐτά;

SOCRATES: Does not the law seem to you to be the one that delivers them?

ΕΡΜ. ἔοικεν.

HERMOGENES: It seems so.

ΣΩ. νομοθέτου ἄρα ἔργῳ χρήσεται ὁ διδασκαλικὸς ὅταν ὀνόματι χρῆται;

SOCRATES: Therefore, will the teacher use the work of the lawgiver when using the name?

ΕΡΜ. δοκεῖ μοι.

HERMOGENES: So it seems to me.

ΣΩ. νομοθέτης δέ σοι δοκεῖ πᾶς εἶναι ἀνὴρ ἢ ὁ τὴν τέχνην ἔχων;

SOCRATES: And does the lawgiver seem to you to be just any man, or the one who possesses the art?

ΕΡΜ. ὁ τὴν τέχνην.

HERMOGENES: The one who possesses the art.

Notes

387aτοῦ τέμνειν τε καὶ τέμνεσθαι — The genitive infinitives τοῦ τέμνειν τε καὶ τέμνεσθαι (of cutting and being cut) function as an adnominal genitive modifying the preceding noun τὴν φύσιν (nature/essence). It specifies "the natural capacity/essence of cutting and being cut."
387cᾗ πέφυκε τὰ πράγματα λέγειν τε καὶ λέγεσθαι — In the clause introduced by the relative adverb ᾗ, the infinitives λέγειν τε καὶ λέγεσθαι (to speak and to be spoken) function as infinitives of specification or result limiting πέφυκε (are naturally constituted), with τὰ πράγματα acting as their subject.
388cδιδασκαλικὸς δὲ ὀνόματι — The verb χρήσεται (will use) is omitted in this clause, supplied from the preceding parallel clause ὑφαντικὸς μὲν ἄρα κερκίδι καλῶς χρήσεται. Similarly, in καλῶς δʼ ἐστὶ διδασκαλικῶς, the subject of ἐστίν is the implied infinitive χρῆσθαι (to use [the name]).

Cite this passage

Plato, Cratylus §387-388. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0059.tlg005.humanitext-grc2:387-388

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