Plato, CharmidesPRIVATE

Outlines and Overview

153a-159b–Introduction

159b-160d Argument 1—Sophrosune learning is quick and not slow

161b-162a 7 Argument 2–“Sophrosune is not defined as ‘doing your own business’”

162e-163a 7 Argument 3–“Sophrosune is not defined as ‘doing your own business’”

173a9-175d Argument 4

Plato, Charmides

Argument 1–159b 3-160d 3

“Sophrosune learning is quick and not slow”

1. Antithesis: Sophrosune is performing all actions orderly (kosmios => kosmos) [discretely/decently] and quietly (hesukia | opposite to oxeos, sharp and quick)–Assertion. (159b 3-5)

2. In boxing, lyre playing, etc., the proper execution of an art requires quick (seamless) agility–Assertion.(159c)

3. [Proper execution (excellence) renders some action noble and the opposite, shameful]–Fact

4. In all bodily actions (erga somatos) it is quickness which makes it noble and slowness which makes it shameful–2,3 (159c13-d2)

5. [Sophrosune is associated with the noble.] –Fact (159d)

6. With respect to bodily actions, sophrosune is associated with the quick (oxeos) not the quiet/show (hesukia)–4,5 (159d 10-11)

7. Good learning occurs quickly; difficult (poor) learning occurs slowly–Assertion. (159e 1)

8. Recall which is quick is excellent; recall which is slow is inferior—Assertion (159e 9-10)

9. [Good learning and recall equal cleverness, agxinoia]–Fact

10. Excellence in cleverness is due to a quickness of the soul–7-9 (160a 1)

11. Deliberations (zetesein) of the soul which are quick are excellent while slowness and difficulty are bad—Assertion (160a 4-6)

12. Deliberations and cleverness of the soul which are quick are noble and the opposite are shameful– 10, 11, 3 (160a 10)

13. [Deliberations and cleverness of the soul which are quick are sophrosune while the opposite are not]–12, 5

14. In aspects of the body and soul, the quick is sophrosune and the slow is not–13, 6 (160b 7- d 3)

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15. Thesis: antithesis is rejected–14,1

Comments on Argument One

Argument one takes some time to begin. There is a very long prologue in this dialogue. Why? Is there a character development of Charmides to let us think of him as a “toy boy”? Is this why the arguments are so bad in this dialogue?

Anthesis. Note that in the statement of the antithesis there are two alternatives given yet Charmides chooses to defend only one. Why is this? It seems as if he chooses the wrong one. If he had decided upon “cosmios” and order, then it might have encompassed the other alternative. Further, if one takes cosmios then one might encompass both fast and slow thinking which is discussed in the argument.

Why is the weaker of the two chosen? Is it because Charmides is so stupid? Is there a dynamic of seduction working between the protagonists? Charmides is associated with the beautiful and the slow. It seems that Charmides is almost female in his depiction. On a feminist interpretation one might say that Socrates is over sensitive to the male or the “fast” thinking as opposed to the “female-slow-thinking.” But this is perhaps stretching things.

I am on record as believing that all great thinking occurs as slow thinking. cf. My introduction to Perspectives in Philosophy.

Premise 2–This is certainly true of boxing. But is it true of all bodily action? Cooking and bomb defusing are probably better if done slowly and deliberately. Perhaps “fast” here only means “decisively” or “confidently.” It is unclear.

Premise 5. The logical move that says, “x has F; y has F, therefore; x = y” is a fallacy in most cases. compare: “John has hair; Jane has hair; therefore, Jane=John.” This move only works when the property asserted is part of the essential definition of the entity involved and the thing and its property are asserted at the same level of generality: “John (as a human) is rational; Jane (as a human) is rational; therefore, John (as human) is the same as Jane (as human). I believe this is a deep and recurring problem in Plato. cf my essay on class inclusion in Plato’s Republic.

Premise 9. There may be two types of learning. It may be true of “quick” learning that Socrates’ suggestions are correct. But they are not universally correct, see premise 11.

Premise 11. This sort of learning cannot be fast. This only works if “oxeos” means “sure” and “confidently” see the discussion of premise 2.

Plato, Charmides

Argument 2—161b-162a7

“Sophrosune is not defined as ‘doing your own business’”

1. Antithesis: Sophrosune is doing your own business—Assertion (161b)

2. All technai are instances of “doing” (prattein)–Assertion. (161e6)

3. [A state operates on the same principles as a man]–Assertion

4. A state in which everyone does only his own business would be one in which there are no interdependent craftsmen/citizens–i.e., everyone would be self-sufficient—Assertion (161e 10)

5. [No state can exist well which does not have interdependent craftsmen/citizens]–Assertion

6. The sophrosune state is a good state—3 (162a 3)

7. [The state in which everyone does his own business is a bad state]–3,4,5

8. [The state in which everyone does his own business is not a sophrosune state]–6,7

9. Sophrosune is not doing one’s own business–8,3,2 (162a7)

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10. Thesis: antithesis is rejected–1,9

Plato, Charmides

Argument 3—162e-163a7

“Sophrosune is not defined as ‘doing your own business’”

1. Antithesis: Sophrosune is doing your own business—Assertion (162e)

2. All craftsmen make something—Fact (162e8)

3. Craftsmen make for others as well as for themselves—Fact (163a 1)

4. [Making = doing]–Assertion

5. [Craftsmen can be sophrosune]–Fact

6. One can be sophrosune and not simply “do his own business”–2-5 (163a 7)

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7. Thesis: Antithesis is rejected–1,6

Plato, Charmides

Argument 4

(Socrates’ Dream)

“Sophrosune is not the power that causes us to act according to episteme”

1. Antithesis: Sophrosune is the power that causes us to act according to episteme—Assertion (173a9-b1)

2. If all acted according to the arts (technai) and sciences (epistemai), then actions falling under these would be skillfully performed—Fact (173c)

3. Sophrosune would allow for a maximum of activity to be skillfully performed–1,2 (173c 2)

4. [Acting skillfully is necessary but is not sufficient for acting well (eu prattein) or being happy (eudaimon)]–Assertion

5. Sophrosune alone may make us act well or be happy–3,4,5 (173d 8-e 10)

6. Various artisans may be sophrosune and not act well or be happy—Fact 173e 10-174a 2)

7. Various artisans have various epistemai—Fact (173d 8-9)

8. Some epistemai are not sufficient to act well or be happy–5-7 (173e 8)

9. If one could know all the knowledge of good (agathos) and bad (kakos), this would be sufficient for acting well and being happy—Assertion (174b 10)

10. What is sufficient for acting well and making on happy is the key science, the knowledge of which may be sophrosune—Assertion (174c 1)

11. [If sophrosune is knowledge, it must be the knowledge of good and bad]–8-10

12. The science of the knowledge of good and evil, which is the science of making us (causing us) to act well and be happy, is the science of human advantage, ophelmos—Assertion (174d 1)

13. [Sophrosune is different from what “advantages us”]–Assertion

14. Sophrosune is not the science of human advantage–12,13 (174d 3)

15. Sophrosune has no practical ergon—Assertion (174e 5)

16. [Only that which has a practical ergon can know (or cause to do) the good and evil of some x which is practically situated]–Assertion

17. Sophrosune cannot be the knowledge of or the power to cause good and evil–14, 15, 16, 12 (175a 11)

18. Sophrosune is not the knowledge of good and evil nor is it the power to cause the same–11, 17 (175d)

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19. Thesis: antithesis is rejected–1, 18