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 The oldest, surviving manuscript ofDefinitions: Paris, Bibliothèque Nationale, Gr. 1807 (9th century), first page | |
| Author | Pseudo-Plato |
|---|---|
| Language | Ancient Greek |
| Subject | Philosophy |
TheDefinitions (Ancient Greek:ὍροιHoroi;Latin:Definitiones[1]) is adictionary of 184 philosophical terms sometimes included in the corpus ofPlato's works. Plato is generally not regarded as the editor of all ofDefinitions. Some ancient scholars attributedDefinitions toSpeusippus.[2]
In modern scholarship,Definitions is thought to have little philosophical value. Given the sophistication of Plato's and Aristotle's efforts in the area of definition, this collection seems to be an elementary text produced by second-rate philosophical study.[citation needed] Its early date, however, does give it some importance as a source for the history of ancient Platonism.[3]
Definitions is a list of 184 terms important in early Platonism together with one or more brief definitions. Though not in alphabetical or any other simple order, it is possible to discern some features of the organization of the collection. Definitions 1–20 consist chiefly of terms from natural philosophy. Definitions 21–107, the main section of the collection, contain concepts from ethics (affects and virtues), political theory, logic, grammar, and epistemology. Definitions 108–184 are a final appendix that contains a mixture of concepts which sometimes duplicate earlier terms and therefore was probably added at a later date. There are few terms drawn from metaphysics. It is probable that the collection underwent changes through the centuries since the number of definitions in the surviving manuscripts varies.[4]
Methodologically,Definitions is related to the Platonic Method of Division (diairesis) that progresses from the more general to the more specific, i.e., from 'above' to 'below.' Definitions were constructed by first giving the genus of the thing to be defined and then giving more and more of its special characteristics (its differentia) until it was fully distinguished from other members of the genus. Such a definition therefore gives the lowest species for the thing defined. InDefinitions, for example, the worddefinition is defined asan expression that is composed of genus and differentia.[5] Many definitions inDefinitions follow these principles and define terms by giving their genus and distinguishing characteristics. A human, for example, is a two-footed animal without wings.[6] Here,two-footed animal is the lowest genus that contains humans andwithout wings distinguishes humans from all the other two-footed animals, i.e., from birds. Other definitions, however, consist only of lists of characteristics or are trivial explanations of words. Many concepts are defined simply by giving the distinguishing characteristic. Humans, for example, are also defined as the only rational animal.
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There is a scholarly consensus thatDefinitions cannot be ascribed to Plato. However, many individual points rest on his doctrines and it is probable that the way of defining various concepts goes back to this teaching. It is thought certain thatDefinitions originated in the circles around the school of philosophy founded by Plato, i.e., in or around the Academy. The definitions were probably collected at the time of the Early Academy, and indeed in the period immediately following Plato's death, that is, in the second half of the fourth century or the first third of the third century BCE. Key Aristotelian terms such as 'potential' and 'actuality' are not conspicuous inDefinitions.
It was conjectured thatDefinitions is a selection from a larger collection that was available in the Academy in that period, and may have been the foundation of a lost collection made bySpeusippus, Plato's nephew and the second head of the Academy.[7] Today, however, the hypothesis that the extant collection is related to Speusippus' is no longer defended.[8] WhetherDefinitions is a compilation made from older collections is debated by scholars.[9]
The existence ofDefinitions is first attested in the Roman imperial period. Until late antiquity, no one else but Plato was named as the author,[10] but the prevailing opinion was that the collection did not originate with him. It was not included in the tetralogical arrangement of Plato's works. TheAnonymous Prolegomena to Platonic Philosophy which is dated to late antiquity, designates Speusippus as the author.[11]
The earliest, surviving manuscript is from the ninth century CE.[12]
Definitions was unknown to the Latin-speaking, scholarly world of the Middle Ages and was first rediscovered byRenaissance humanists. In the fifteenth century, the humanistMarsilio Ficino believed the collection's author was Speusippus.[13]
Ficino translatedDefinitions into Latin and published his translation in Venice in 1497 withAldus Manutius, and named Speusippus as the author in the introduction.[14]
Thefirst edition of the Greek text was brought out in Venice byAldus Manutius in September 1513 as part of the complete works of Plato edited byMarkos Musuros. This edition was the basis for the Latin translation that the humanistWillibald Pirckheimer brought out in Nuremberg in 1523 with the printer Friedrich Peypus.[15]
Apocrypha public domain audiobook atLibriVox. Collection includes Definitions.George Burges, translator (1855).| International | |
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| National | |
