Discipleship theme in Plato’s Cratylus Mokinyst s tema Platono Kratile.docVIP

ISSN 0258–0802. LITERAT?RA 2006 48(3) DISCIPLESHIP THEME IN PLATO’SCRATYLUS* Mantas Adom?nas Vilniaus universiteto Klasikin?s filologijos katedros docentas Reader at the Department of Classics, Vilnius University Thepresentpaperseekstodiscussthethemeof re?’2 –introducesthethemeof‘sharedness’.Her- teaching and learning in Plato’s Cratylus – a mogenes is eager to ‘share’ his l^goV – ‘argu- theme that pervades the whole dialogue and is ment’, ‘talk’, ‘discussion’ – with Socrates. The closelylinkedtoquestionsaboutther?leofaut- motif will acquire further development and will hority in the philosophical inquiry in general. be echoed in the ultimate exchanges of the dia- Inordertoconsiderthesequestions,anattempt logue. Cratylus’ answer to Hermogenes is indif- will be made to uncover the hidden dialectics ferent:eá soi doke?, ‘if you like’. The characteri- that frames the dramatic flow of the dialogue sation of the dramatis personae – and the hin- with a set of half-explicit and, on the first rea- ting reference to ‘communication’ as the dialo- ding, hardly noticeable pointers.1 gue’s underlying preoccupation – has begun from the very first words.3 Hermogenes’ eager- 1. The very first sentence of the dialogue – ness forl^goi, as opposed to Cratylus’ self-con- Hermogenes’ question: bolei o?n ka? tained indifference, will develop into elaborate Swkr@tei tòde ànakoinws_meqa tên l^gon; representation of the two characters and provi- ‘Shall we share our discussion with Socrates he- de a setting for the whole dialogue. 2.1. The dialogue ‘proper’ starts with Her- mogenes’complainttoSocrates(383a4–384a7). * This piece began its life as a Cambridge M.Phil. essay in 1996. Ten years on, its arguments still stand, and so, with slight modifications, it deserves to see the light of the day. 2 The Greek text is quoted from the Duke-Nicoll edition in the OCT, the English translation is sometimes 1 The account offered