Cratylus

Cratylus (Greek Κρατύλος Cratylus; * probably around the middle of the 5th century BC) was an ancient Greek philosopher. He lived in Athens and pleaded to the teaching of Heraclitus Vorsokratikers. Plato grappled with the philosophy of the Cratylus.

Life

About the origin of the Cratylus is only known that his father was probably Smikrion. Although he lived in Athens, but if he had his origins after Athens, is uncertain.

Cratylus in ancient times was the most famous Heraclitean ( followers of the teachings of Heraclitus ). However, it can Heraclitus not have known personally, as this had already died around 460 BC. Cratylus had students who he taught the " right word usage ".

Aristotle says, Plato was " from his youth first become familiar with Cratylus and the Heraclitean doctrines " and have held onto later. From a different approach, Socrates had gone out, which Plato had connected, and was the base from which Plato had developed his theory of ideas and the concept of Methexis ( participation ). From these data, Aristotle is concluded in the research, that Plato's thought before he decided to Socrates as his teacher, was strongly influenced by the ideas of the Cratylus. Whether this was done in the context of a teacher-student ratio, however, is unclear. A differing opinion research is Aristotle's term " first " ( proton) is not time to understand, but in the sense of a logical sequence in the development of Plato's doctrine, and therefore offers no clue to the chronology of the influence of Cratylus. This hypothesis has, however, not enforced. The presentation of philosophy Diogenes Laertius historian, according to Plato after Socrates ' death was hearer of the Cratylus is not credible.

Plato named his dialogue Cratylus by this Heraclitean. There he deals with his views. The literary embodied dialogue is a fictional conversation with Cratylus again, which has, according to the fiction later than 421 occurred BC, because the dialog is assumed that the father of the call participant Hermogenes, the latest 421 died Hipponicus of Alopeke, is still alive. At the end of the dialogue, Socrates says to Cratylus: " You're young. " In another place, the born in the year 469 Socrates indirectly to the significant age difference between him and Cratylus out. These clues allow approximate dating of Cratylus ' lives. According to the current state of research is to be assumed that he was probably born in the fifth or sixth decade of the 5th century.

Teaching

Since there are no works of the Cratylus have been preserved - perhaps he has not written anything - the principles of his teachings can only be inferred from the scanty information of Aristotle and Plato's dialogue Cratylus from. It should be noted that the Cratylus is a literary work whose author could take the liberty to lay didactic or literary considerations of his Cratylus figure also views in the mouth that has the historical Cratylus not represented in this form. In research often is the possibility been considered that you have to look behind the literary figure of the Cratylus an unnamed historical opponent of Plato ( or more ), or had gone to combat tendencies within Plato's Academy.

Epistemology

Aristotle announced that the doctrine of Heraclitus was further developed in the circle of their supporters in a radical way. Of these thinkers, the " heraklitisieren " he mentions only Cratylus name. Cratylus I meant, given the emphasis of Heraclitus incessant change of all sensible things are true philosophical statements impossible. A true statement would be true regardless of time. However, each statement could (at best) only have one related to the particular exact timing accuracy. The saying of Heraclitus that one can not step twice into the same river ( the second time because he already is other ), Cratylus had pointed. He had found that it was not even possible, just once to get into the same river (because it is during this action even changes ). This means, based on statements that the matters in which you talk, already changed, while you talk, and thus devalues ​​the statement. Thus, Cratylus represented a radical epistemological skepticism, because he denied any possibility of identity and thus a valid statement. Aristotle tells Cratylus 've finally said for this reason nothing more, but only moved his finger ( to show ). However, this anecdote is possibly Cratylus ' position and behavior of a biased picture they may come from an opponent or scoffers. Also on Heraclitus circulated anecdotes that were invented for the purpose of ridicule. Aristotle mentions in another context with reference to Aeschines, that Cratylus used to use non-verbal means of expression such as hand movements while talking.

Philosophy of Language

The only source for the philosophy of language is Plato's dialogue Cratylus Cratylus. It is a conversation between the philosopher Socrates, Cratylus and Hermogenes is examined critically in the Cratylus ' view. Despite the objections of Socrates, Cratylus maintains its opinion. He refers to Heraclitus, whose position more than anything else einleuchte him. However, there is no independent evidence of Plato's representation that the historical Heraclitus has represented a philosophy of language of this kind. Is clearly seen that Plato, Socrates against Cratylus can argue considers the philosophy of language Herakliteers skeptical and treated with irony. Maybe he 's Cratylus ' view in the dialog is not historically accurate description; is striking that the Heraclitean flux theory is brought into play not of Cratylus, but from Socrates and Cratylus connects her later. Can be considered at least as certain that Cratylus has worked extensively with the question of how words associated with their meanings explained, and that he regarded this relationship as natural. He rejected the view that language is based on arbitrary convention.

In the dialog, the conviction of the Cratylus, a natural, right by nature relationship between words and the things they designate, is was given from the outset. Thus, each word was appropriate to the associated object, all names are correct. A seemingly false designation was not in fact, just a meaningless sequence of tones. This should also apply to names, each name carriers such as gods and mythical figures are assigned. This refers to the specific sound-forms; According to similarity of words to interpret their meaning relationship.

Cratylus ' understanding of etymology has far-reaching epistemological consequences: if the relationship between signifier and signified is natural to deduce from the name on the nature of the signified are possible and a high epistemological relevance comes to the language. Cratylus maintains, who know the names, who knew so well the things, and this is the only way to capture the essence of things. Plato rejects this, he does not accept words as an independent means of knowledge and keeps their sound shape not natural. But he rejects the idea of an inner link between name and signified not in principle, but only in its radical represented by Cratylus version. A recycling the names on a purely arbitrary convention does not match Plato's position, but he considers the words as images of the designated things that are these things more or less similar.

It is unclear how Cratylus his conviction that there is inherently fixed word meanings and as such proper names, has agreed with the Heraclitean concept of a fundamental impermanence of all things and with his epistemological skepticism. Apparently he has changed his views over time and - what Aristotle's presentation suggests - radicalized the epistemological skepticism and later extended to the names. Maybe he was responding to Plato's criticism of his earlier position.

Reception

In the Roman period mentioned Aristotle commentators the Heraclitean flux theory and its narrated by Aristotle modification by Cratylus. The late antique Neoplatonist Proclus wrote a comment on Plato's Cratylus. There, he described Cratylus as taciturn scholar who in the dialogue only with scarce answers outer, and mentioned that he was Plato's teacher.

Source book

• Serge N. Mouraviev (ed.): Héraclite d' ephese. Part 2 A: La tradition et antique médiévale. Témoignages et citations. Volume 1: D' Épicharme à Philon d' Alexandrie ( = Heraclitea II.A.1 ). Academia Verlag, Sankt Augustin, 1999, ISBN 3-89665-090-4, pp. 23-55 ( critical edition with French translation )