Plato and the Other Companions of Sokrates, 3rd ed. Volume 2
Plato · en
[Footnote 41: Stallbaum, Proleg. ad Plat. Euthydem. p. 30. "Cavendum
est magnopere, ne quæ hic à Socrate disputantur, pro ipsius decretis
habeamus: _sunt enim omnia ad mentem Sophistarum disputata_,
quos ille, reprehensis eorum opinionibus, sperat eo adductum iri, ut
gravem prudentemque earum defensionem suscipiant." Compare p. 66.
Stallbaum says that Plato often reasons, adopting for the occasion
the doctrine of the Sophists. See his Prolegg. to the Lachês and
Charmidês, and still more his Proleg. to the Protagoras, where he
tells us that Plato introduces his spokesman Sokrates not only as
arguing _ex mente Sophistarum_, but also as employing captious
and delusive artifice, such as in this dialogue is ascribed to
Euthydemus and Dionysodorus.--pp. 23-24. "Itaque Socrates, missâ
hujus rei disputatione, repentè ad alia progreditur, scilicet
_similibus loqueis_ hominem denuo irretiturus. Nemini facilé
obscurum erit, hoc quoque loco Protagoram _argutis conclusiunculis
deludi_" (_i.e._ by Sokrates) "atque _callidé eo
permoveri,_" &c. "Quanquam nemo erit, quin videat, _callidé
deludi Protagoram_, ubi ex eo, quod qui injusté faciat, is
neutiquam agat [Greek: sôphro/nôs], protinus colligitur justitiam et
[Greek: sôphrosu/nê] unum idemque esse."--p. 25. "Disputat enim
Socrates pleraque omnia ad mentem ipsius Protagoræ."--p. 30.
"Platonem ipsum hæc non probâsse, sed e vulgi opinione et mente
explicasse, vel illud non obscuré significat," &c.--p. 33.]
[Side-note: Mistaken representations about the Sophists--Aristotle's
definition--no distinguishable line can be drawn between
the Sophist and the Dialectician.]