§1.6#1τὸ δὲ καθόλου βέλτιον ἴσως ἐπισκέψασθαι καὶ διαπορῆσαι πῶς λέγεται, καίπερ προσάντους τῆς τοιαύτης ζητήσεως γινομένης διὰ τὸ φίλους ἄνδρας εἰσαγαγεῖν τὰ εἴδη.
But perhaps it is better to examine the universal good and to discuss how it is spoken of, even though such an inquiry is difficult because those who introduced the Forms are our friends.
δόξειε δʼ ἂν ἴσως βέλτιον εἶναι καὶ δεῖν ἐπὶ σωτηρίᾳ γε τῆς ἀληθείας καὶ τὰ οἰκεῖα ἀναιρεῖν, ἄλλως τε καὶ φιλοσόφους ὄντας·
Yet it would perhaps seem better, and indeed a duty, for the sake of preserving truth, to sacrifice even what is close to us, especially as we are philosophers.
ἀμφοῖν γὰρ ὄντοιν φίλοιν ὅσιον προτιμᾶν τὴν ἀλήθειαν.
For, while both are dear, it is a sacred duty to prefer the truth.
οἱ δὴ κομίσαντες τὴν δόξαν ταύτην οὐκ ἐποίουν ἰδέας ἐν οἷς τὸ πρότερον καὶ ὕστερον ἔλεγον, διόπερ οὐδὲ τῶν ἀριθμῶν ἰδέαν κατεσκεύαζον·
Now, those who introduced this opinion did not establish Ideas for things in which they spoke of priority and posteriority, which is why they did not construct an Idea of numbers.
τὸ δʼ ἀγαθὸν λέγεται καὶ ἐν τῷ τί ἐστι καὶ ἐν τῷ ποιῷ καὶ ἐν τῷ πρός τι, τὸ δὲ καθʼ αὑτὸ καὶ ἡ οὐσία πρότερον τῇ φύσει τοῦ πρός τι (παραφυάδι γὰρ τοῦτʼ ἔοικε καὶ συμβεβηκότι τοῦ ὄντος)·
But the good is spoken of in whatness (substance), in quality, and in relation; and that which is in itself, namely substance, is prior by nature to that which is relative (for this is like an offshoot and an accident of being).
ὥστʼ οὐκ ἂν εἴη κοινή τις ἐπὶ τούτοις ἰδέα.
Consequently, there could not be any common Idea over these.
ἔτι δʼ ἐπεὶ τἀγαθὸν ἰσαχῶς λέγεται τῷ ὄντι (καὶ γὰρ ἐν τῷ τί λέγεται, οἷον ὁ θεὸς καὶ ὁ νοῦς, καὶ ἐν τῷ ποιῷ αἱ ἀρεταί, καὶ ἐν τῷ ποσῷ τὸ μέτριον, καὶ ἐν τῷ πρός τι τὸ χρήσιμον, καὶ ἐν χρόνῳ καιρός, καὶ ἐν τόπῳ δίαιτα καὶ ἕτερα τοιαῦτα), δῆλον ὡς οὐκ ἂν εἴη κοινόν τι καθόλου καὶ ἕν· οὐ γὰρ ἂν ἐλέγετʼ ἐν πάσαις ταῖς κατηγορίαις, ἀλλʼ ἐν μιᾷ μόνῃ.
Furthermore, since the good is spoken of in as many ways as being is (for it is spoken of in the category of whatness, as god and intellect, in quality as the virtues, in quantity as the moderate, in relation as the useful, in time as the right moment, in place as the right dwelling, and other such things), it is clear that there cannot be any common and single universal; for if there were, it would not be spoken of in all the categories, but in one only.
ἔτι δʼ ἐπεὶ τῶν κατὰ μίαν ἰδέαν μία καὶ ἐπιστήμη, καὶ τῶν ἀγαθῶν ἁπάντων ἦν ἂν μία τις ἐπιστήμη·
Furthermore, since of things that fall under one Idea there is also one science, there would also be some single science of all goods.
νῦν δʼ εἰσὶ πολλαὶ καὶ τῶν ὑπὸ μίαν κατηγορίαν, οἷον καιροῦ, ἐν πολέμῳ μὲν γὰρ στρατηγικὴ ἐν νόσῳ δʼ ἰατρική, καὶ τοῦ μετρίου ἐν τροφῇ μὲν ἰατρικὴ ἐν πόνοις δὲ γυμναστική.
But as it is, there are many sciences even of things under a single category, such as the right moment; for in war it is generalship, while in disease it is medicine, and of the moderate in food it is medicine, while in physical exertions it is gymnastics.
ἀπορήσειε δʼ ἄν τις τί ποτε καὶ βούλονται λέγειν αὐτοέκαστον, εἴπερ ἔν τε αὐτοανθρώπῳ καὶ ἐν ἀνθρώπῳ εἷς καὶ ὁ αὐτὸς λόγος ἐστὶν ὁ τοῦ ἀνθρώπου.
One might also raise the question of what on earth they mean by "each thing itself," if indeed in "man himself" and in "man" there is one and the same definition of man.
ᾗ γὰρ ἄνθρωπος, οὐδὲν διοίσουσιν· εἰ δʼ οὕτως, οὐδʼ ᾗ ἀγαθόν.
For insofar as they are man, they will differ in no way; and if so, neither insofar as they are good.
ἀλλὰ μὴν οὐδὲ τῷ ἀίδιον εἶναι μᾶλλον ἀγαθὸν ἔσται, εἴπερ μηδὲ λευκότερον τὸ πολυχρόνιον τοῦ ἐφημέρου.
Moreover, it will not be any more of a good by being eternal, if indeed that which lasts for a long time is no whiter than that which lasts for a single day.
πιθανώτερον δʼ ἐοίκασιν οἱ Πυθαγόρειοι λέγειν περὶ αὐτοῦ, τιθέντες ἐν τῇ τῶν ἀγαθῶν συστοιχίᾳ τὸ ἕν· οἷς δὴ καὶ Σπεύσιππος ἐπακολουθῆσαι δοκεῖ.
The Pythagoreans seem to give a more plausible account of it, placing the One in the co-column of goods; and Speusippus indeed seems to have followed them.
ἀλλὰ περὶ μὲν τούτων ἄλλος ἔστω λόγος·
But let there be another discussion about these things.
τοῖς δὲ λεχθεῖσιν ἀμφισβήτησίς τις ὑποφαίνεται διὰ τὸ μὴ περὶ παντὸς ἀγαθοῦ τοὺς λόγους εἰρῆσθαι, λέγεσθαι δὲ καθʼ ἓν εἶδος τὰ καθʼ αὑτὰ διωκόμενα καὶ ἀγαπώμενα, τὰ δὲ ποιητικὰ τούτων ἢ φυλακτικά
However, an objection to what has been said suggests itself, because the arguments have not been spoken of concerning every good, but things pursued and loved in themselves are spoken of as falling under one species, whereas those that are productive of these or protective of them...