Proclus' Commentary on the Cratylus in Context: Ancient Theories of Language and Naming (Philosophia Antiqua)

263 Pages·2007·1.54 MB·English

by  R. M. Van Den Berg

Proclus’ Commentary on the Cratylus in Context
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Philosophia Antiqua
A Series of Studies on Ancient Philosophy
Previous Editors
J.H. Waszink†
W.J. Verdenius†
J.C.M. van Winden
Edited by
K.A. Algra
F.A.J. De Haas
J. Mansfeld
C.J. Rowe
D. T. Runia
Ch. Wildberg
VOLUME 112
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Proclus’ Commentary
on the Cratylus
in Context
Ancient Theories of Language and Naming
By
R. M. van den Berg
LEIDEN • BOSTON
2008
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A C.I.P. record for this book is available from the Library of Congress.
This book is printed on acid-free paper.
ISSN 0079-1687
ISBN 978 90 04 16379 9
Copyright 2008 by Koninklijke Brill NV, Leiden, The Netherlands.
Koninklijke Brill NV incorporates the imprints Brill, Hotei Publishing,
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printed in the netherlands
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To Judith
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CONTENTS
Acknowledgements ..................................................................... xi
Introduction ................................................................................ xiii
Chapter One
Plato’s Cratylus and Aristotle’s De Interpretatione: Setting the
Scene ....................................................................................... 1
1. Introduction ................................................................... 1
2. The Cratylus: an outline ................................................. 2
3. Towards a dialectical interpretation of the Cratylus ..... 8
4. Aristotle on names: De Interpretatione .............................. 20
5. Aristotle on language and philosophy .......................... 24
6. Conclusive remark: Plato, Aristotle and the issue of
the correctness of names .............................................. 28
Chapter Two
The Middle Platonists: Constructing Platonic Doctrines ...... 31
1. Introduction ................................................................... 31
2. Background: Stoic and Epicurean theories of
language ......................................................................... 33
3. A handbook on the Cratylus: Alcinous
Didaskalikos c. 6, 159, 43–160, 41 ................................... 37
4. Tracing back the logical-etymological interpretation:
Antiochus of Ascalon .................................................... 43
5. Plutarch of Chaeroneia: the Cratylus as a
theological dialogue ....................................................... 46
6. Philo of Alexandria ....................................................... 51
7. Galen: a dissident voice ................................................ 56
8. Conclusions .................................................................... 58
Chapter Three
Porphyry’s Aristotelian Semantic Theory and Proclus’
Platonic Criticism of it ........................................................... 61
1. Introduction ................................................................... 61
2. Plotinus: naming Being ................................................. 62
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viii contents
3. Porphyry ........................................................................ 68
4. Iamblichus ..................................................................... 76
5. Proclus ........................................................................... 81
6. Conclusions .................................................................... 91
Chapter Four
Proclus’ Commentary on the Cratylus (I): The Issue of the
Correctness of Names ............................................................ 93
1. Introduction ................................................................... 93
2. Proclus’ notes on the Cratylus ........................................ 94
3. The (cid:2)(cid:3)(cid:4)(cid:5)(cid:6)(cid:7) (In Crat. I): the correctness of names and
the human soul .............................................................. 96
4. Two characters: two classes of things, two types
of names (In Crat. X–XIV) ........................................... 98
5. A historical excursus (In Crat. XVI–XVII) ................... 103
6. Epicurus and the two meanings of (cid:8)(cid:9)(cid:2)(cid:10)(cid:11)
(In Crat. XVII) ............................................................... 106
7. Socrates’ discussion with Hermogenes: the natural
correctness of names ..................................................... 109
8. Names of mortal individuals (In Crat. LXXX–XCV) .... 123
9. Proclus on the correctness of names: some
conclusions ..................................................................... 131
Chapter Five
Proclus’ Commentary on the Cratylus (II): Naming, Dialectic,
and the Divine Intellect .......................................................... 135
1. Introduction ................................................................... 135
2. The dialectical character of the Cratylus
(In Crat. II–IX) ............................................................... 135
3. The human legislator/name-giver and the divine
Demiurge ....................................................................... 139
4. Instruments: form and matter (In Crat. LIII–VIII) ....... 147
5. The dialectician: the user of names
(In Crat. LIX–LXVII) .................................................... 156
6. Conclusions .................................................................... 160
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contents ix
Chapter Six
Proclus’ Commentary on the Cratylus (III): Learning from
Divine Names ......................................................................... 161
1. Introduction ................................................................... 161
2. The nature of divine names (In Crat. LXXI) ............... 162
3. Divine language: a paradox? (In Crat.
LXXII–LXXIX) ............................................................ 170
4. Proclus’ commentary on the etymological section ....... 173
5. The theological function of etymology ........................ 174
6. The pedagogical function of etymology:
names as playthings ......................................................... 187
7. Play and salvation through names .................................. 192
8. Proclus on the hermeneutics of divine names:
concluding remarks ....................................................... 196
9. Taking stock: Proclus’ interpretation of the Cratylus
in (cid:2) ve points .................................................................. 197
Chapter Seven
After Proclus ........................................................................... 201
1. Introduction ................................................................... 201
2. Return to the harmony thesis ....................................... 201
3. Theology from divine names ........................................ 211
Bibliography
1. Editions cited of the principal texts ............................. 219
2. Secondary literature ...................................................... 220
Indices
1. Index of passages cited .................................................. 229
2. Index of subjects and names ......................................... 237
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