Miscellanies 1.8.42
Summary: Plato followed reason alone and blamed those who trust opinion without knowledge; people lose the truth unwillingly through deception, force, or enchantment, but none of these can drive out real knowledge.
Textual problem in this passage: the printed text is uncertain or disputed here. See the notes.
Greek text · Stählin 2:28
ταύτῃ τοι ὁ φιλαλήθης Πλάτων οἷον θεοφορούμενος ὡς ἐγὼ τοιοῦτος φησίν, ὁποῖος οὐδενὶ ἄλλῳ ἢ τῷ λόγῳ πείθεσθαι, ὃς ἄν μοι σκοπουμένῳ βέλτιστος φαίνηται. αἰτιᾶται γοῦν τοὺς ἄνευ νοῦ καὶ ἐπιστήμης δόξαις πιστεύοντας, ὡς μὴ προσῆκον ἀφεμένους τοῦ ὀρθοῦ καὶ ὑγιοῦς λόγου τῷ κοινωνοῦντι τοῦ ψεύδους πιστεύειν. τὸ μὲν γὰρ ἐψεῦσθαι τῆς ἀληθείας κακόν ἐστι, τὸ δὲ ἀληθεύειν καὶ τὰ ὄντα δοξάζειν ἀγαθόν. τῶν δὲ ἀγαθῶν ἀκουσίως μὲν στέρονται ἄνθρωποι, στέρονται δὲ ὅμως ἢ κλαπέντες ἢ γοητευθέντες ἢ βιασθέντες καὶ † μὴ πιστεύσαντες. ὁ μὲν † δὴ πιστεύσας ἑκὼν ἤδη † παραναλίσκεται· κλέπτεται δὲ ὁ μεταπεισθεὶς καὶ ὁ ἐκλαθόμενος, ὅτι τῶν μὲν ὁ χρόνος, τῶν δὲ ὁ λόγος ἐξαιρούμενος λανθάνει· βιάζεταί τε πολλάκις ὀδύνη τε καὶ ἀλγηδὼν φιλονεικία τε αὖ καὶ θυμὸς μεταδοξάσαι, καὶ ἐπὶ πᾶσι γοητεύονται οἱ ἤτοι ὑφʼ ἡδονῆς κηληθέντες ἢ ὑπὸ φόβου δείσαντες· πᾶσαι δὲ ἀκούσιοι τροπαί, καὶ τούτων οὐδὲν ἄν ποτε ἐπιστήμην ἐκβάλοι.
English · Claude translation
In this way the truth-loving Plato, as if inspired, says: “I am such as to obey nothing else but the reason that seems best to me when I consider.” At any rate he blames those who trust opinions without mind and knowledge, as though they wrongly abandoned right and sound reason to trust what shares in falsehood. For to be deceived about the truth is evil, but to speak truth and to hold opinions about what is, is good. People are deprived of good things unwillingly, but they are deprived nonetheless, either robbed, or bewitched, or forced, and … not believing. The one who has … believed willingly is now consumed …; the one who is persuaded to change his mind and the one who forgets are robbed, because time takes away from the one and argument from the other without their noticing; and pain and suffering, contentiousness and anger often force a change of opinion; and above all those are bewitched who are charmed by pleasure or terrified by fear. All these changes are involuntary, and none of them could ever drive out knowledge.
About this passage
Notes
Translation notes
- The quotations are Plato, Crito 46b, and Republic 3.412e–413c. The text is corrupt in several places (daggers).
Cite this passage
Clement of Alexandria, Strom. 1.8.42 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/clement-stromata/1/8/42/).
Plain text
Clement of Alexandria, Strom. 1.8.42 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/clement-stromata/1/8/42/).
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