Humanitext Reader

Theophrastus · Fragments §28.1

Objection to Plato's Theory of the Cosmic Generation

Passage 18 of 196 · Greek

Summary

Theophrastus, in his *Opinions of the Physicists*, raises objections to Plato's view on the generation of the universe, while hinting that Plato might have assumed this generation merely for the sake of clarity.

§28.1Fr. 28 Καὶ Θ. μέντοι ἐν τῷ περὶ τῶν φυσικῶν δοξῶν κατὰ Πλάτωνά φησι γεννητὸν τὸν κόσμον καὶ οὕτω ποιεῖται τὰς ἐνστάσεις, παρεμφαίνει δὲ ὅτι ἴσως σαφηνείας χάριν γεννητὸν αὐτὸν ὑποτίθεται.
Fr. 28 And indeed, Theophrastus, in his *Opinions of the Physicists*, says that according to Plato the universe is generated, and on this basis he makes his objections, but he also intimates that perhaps for the sake of clarity he assumes it to be generated.

Notes

  1. §28.1κατὰ Πλάτωνά — The prepositional phrase κατὰ Πλάτωνα can be interpreted either as 'about Plato' (Theophrastus speaking in his section on Plato) or as 'according to Plato' (the universe is generated according to Plato's doctrine). Here, it is taken in the latter sense, as summarizing Plato's view that the universe is generated.
  2. §28.1ὑποτίθεται — The subject of the verb ὑποτίθεται is Plato, not Theophrastus, judging from the context. Theophrastus implies that Plato assumes the universe to be generated merely 'for the sake of clarity' (σαφηνείας χάριν) in his exposition, even if it is actually eternal.

Cite this passage

Theophrastus, Fragments §28.1. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0093.tlg010x09.humanitext-grc1:28.1

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