Plato on the Norms of Speech and Thought

Evans, Matthew

doi:10.1163/156852811x588688

Cited by 4 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 7 publications

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“…See, e.g.,Evans (2011) 341-2. 16 I take the 'function' of a to be defined by the response to the question 'what do we do when we w with a?…”

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confidence: 99%

TAKING THE TOOL ANALOGY SERIOUSLY: FORMS AND NAMING IN THECRATYLUS

Smith

2014

Camb. class. j.

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It has been suggested that the so-called tool analogy passage of Plato's Cratylus presents us with a moderate linguistic naturalism that can stand or fall independently of the more unpalatable etymological and mimetic theories advanced later in the dialogue. This paper offers a reading of the tool analogy which argues that Socrates' employment of Forms (and in particular Species-Forms), together with a careful distinction between the types of knowledge associated with making and using tools, aims to establish a radical linguistic naturalism that constrains the intrinsic properties of names. This should be clear if we take Socrates' claim seriously that names are tools: tools in general can only function successfully if they exhibit the relevant structural, compositional and (to some extent) material properties. Since Socrates claims that names are a class of tools and not merely like tools in some respects, as many have supposed, then what holds for tools in general must also hold for names.

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“…See, e.g.,Evans (2011) 341-2. 16 I take the 'function' of a to be defined by the response to the question 'what do we do when we w with a?…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

TAKING THE TOOL ANALOGY SERIOUSLY: FORMS AND NAMING IN THECRATYLUS

Smith

2014

Camb. class. j.

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Plato on the Metaphysical Foundation of Meaning and Truth

Hestir

2016

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What is the nature of truth? Blake Hestir offers an investigation into Plato's developing metaphysical views, and examines Plato's conception of being, meaning, and truth in the Sophist, as well as passages from several other later dialogues including the Cratylus, Parmenides, and Theaetetus, where Plato begins to focus more directly on semantics rather than only on metaphysical and epistemological puzzles. Hestir's interpretation challenges both classical and contemporary interpretations of Plato's metaphysics and conception of truth, and highlights new parallels between Plato and Aristotle, as well as clarifying issues surrounding Plato's approach to semantics and thought. This book will be of interest to scholars and students of ancient Greek philosophy, metaphysics, contemporary truth theory, linguistics, and philosophy of language.

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The Case for the 399 BCE Dramatic Date of Plato’s Cratylus

Smith

2022

Classical Philology

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Plato on the Norms of Speech and Thought

Cited by 4 publications

References 7 publications

TAKING THE TOOL ANALOGY SERIOUSLY: FORMS AND NAMING IN THECRATYLUS

TAKING THE TOOL ANALOGY SERIOUSLY: FORMS AND NAMING IN THECRATYLUS

Plato on the Metaphysical Foundation of Meaning and Truth

The Case for the 399 BCE Dramatic Date of Plato’s Cratylus

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