Plato's Cratylus -- Brief Introduction

[@g.s.3450]

Excellent 'walk through' of Cratylus. It was logical, made the work accesible, and, was informative. You covered the most important points and that helped me when I read the work. Thank you.

[@platosworld]

You're welcome, and thanks for the comment.

[@leonardosarmiento6959]

Hello! I’ll have a speaking Semantics exam about Plato’s Cratylus and this video helped me a lot with the example of slaves and masters. Thank you so much!

[@platosworld]

You're welcome! That example is crucial. It highlights the central matters of language: conventionality and justice (correctness). Hope your exam goes well.

[@silvernewman47]

I did enjoy this brief introduction to Plato's Cratylus! :D Thank you very much for providing it!

[@fractal_gate]

Thank you very much for this intro to a dialogue not often covered here!

[@platosworld]

You're welcome--it is a challenging one!

[@Gabriel_RSC_]

Great video, sir. Thank you!

[@platosworld]

You're welcome--glad you liked it.

[@lbcarpio]

Thank you for this. This was very helpful :)

[@Teddy_Toto]

Reading this dialogue together with Heidegger’s The Nature of Language is fascinating.

[@LostBedouin]

I've really liked all the Plato videos so far but this one has been a fave

[@hiruyteka4094]

This is amazing, thank you!

[@gabrielkochanny7904]

Thanks!

[@platosworld]

You're welcome!

[@monamiller536]

you deserve more views!

[@GwazaJuse]

Great one

[@ganeshank5266]

Excellent sir

[@thefinnishbolshevik2404]

This was very useful

[@SeptemberCFawkes]

Thank you!

[@platosworld]

You're welcome!

[@lsipahelut]

Language is the key to knowledge, and to creation.

[@ubestbegood]

i guess i didn't get the sense this one ended in aporia really because of the very end at 439b when Socrates seems to be affirming the existence of things themselves and the value of learning those things themselves from themselves rather than from names. and then in 439d where he rejects the flux view and affirms things in themselves. i think the reason he says "how to learn and make discoveries about the things that are is probably too large a topic for you or me" is almost a rejection entirely that the crux of knowledge (of things that are that they are) lies in names to begin with.

[@platosworld]

Yes, but how does one learn "from the things themselves"? We see particular things. And perhaps in some way the particular "informs" our soul with its form. But the medium of our learning is language, words. We don't just gaze mutely. We speak. The speech--even if it's as simple as "big" and "small" in reference to one's fingers--prompts the seeking.

[@ubestbegood]

@@platosworld i think there are some practical accounts of this in Republic and Meno. Socrates' dialogue with the slave boy to demonstrate mathematical objects of knowledge are remembered not taught is one. and his account in Republic of how the tension between objects that seem both big and small or tall and short or rough and smooth lead us to embark on a rational journey of finding what they have in common. in a sense it's the unveiling of a duality or dichotomy which leads us to seek its unity. but it isn't the word small or the word big which leads us to inquire, it's the tension of the ideas which they represent that gives us pause. and it gives us pause whether we can attach a word to these concepts or not. so i think words still work to help us organize and play with concepts. i certainly don't get the impression Socrates thinks they're useless! just that nothing can be fully expressed with words or given to someone who does not have some sort of idea of the word being expressed already understood in some way.

[@MTXMTX-oj6yn]

THIANKS. . . .!

[@WhenceRed]

how serious to take? enough it was written

[@anhumblemessengerofthelawo3858]

Eudoxus & that heavenly firmament above .... the key to understand the rightness of names is astrology. Logos; as above, so below. What are the intervals of time which are decreed to us from Above? By the organs of time (the planets). Out of such intervals must names be forged. The 7 planets correspond to the 7 vowels. Only then, in a world carefully designed wherein the objects existing therein are proper reflections of the heavenly original (properly named; existing in true form), could a world hope to live in harmony with what is.

[@carlosmantilla4018]

"The gods are playful with words".Some examples of divine playfulness.....Mt everest in Tibeten is...Chomolungma.Chomo spoken backwards quickly IN SPANISH,is mucho=alot. Lungma in english backwards and quickly=lotsa lung.So,two languages that DID NOT EXIST when the name "chomolungma" came to be.So,can we agree that to reach the summit of Mt.Everest you need lotsa lung,ma! Amphetemines=Amp those feet o mine! Psylosibin= Psy bin silly!

[@2020visionofrochesterhills]

Hebrew is supposed to be the best language.

[@platosworld]

I've heard it said ... But best for what?