CONTENTS.
Project Gutenberg EPUB3 edition
Grote, George
CHAPTER XIX.
CHARMIDES.
Scene and personages of the dialogue. Crowded palæstra. Emotions of Sokrates
153
Question, What is Temperance? addressed by Sokrates to the temperate Charmides. Answer, It is a kind of sedateness or slowness
154
But Temperance is a fine or honourable thing, and slowness is, in many or most cases, not fine or honourable, but the contrary. Temperance cannot be slowness
ib.
Second answer. Temperance is a variety of the feeling of shame. Refuted by Sokrates
ib.
Third answer. Temperance consists in doing one’s own business. Defended by Kritias. Sokrates pronounces it a riddle, and refutes it. Distinction between making and doing
155
Fourth answer, by Kritias. Temperance consists in self-knowledge
ib.
Questions of Sokrates thereupon. What good does self-knowledge procure for us? What is the object known, in this case ? Answer: There is no object of knowledge, distinct from the knowledge itself
156
Sokrates doubts the possibility of any knowledge, without a given cognitum as its object. Analogies to prove that knowledge of knowledge is impossible
156
All knowledge must be relative to some object
157
All properties are relative — every thing in nature has its characteristic property with reference to something else
ib.
Even if cognition of cognition were possible, cognition of non-cognition would be impossible. A man may know what he knows, but he cannot know what he is ignorant of. He knows the fact that he knows: but he does not know how much he knows, and how much he does not know
158
Temperance, therefore, as thus defined, would be of little or no value
159
But even granting the possibility of that which has just been denied, still Temperance would be of little value. Suppose that all separate work were well performed, by special practitioners, we should not attain our end — Happiness
ib.
Which of the varieties of knowledge contributes most to well-doing or happiness? That by which we know good and evil
160
Without the science of good and evil, the other special science will be of little or of no service. Temperance is not the science of good and evil, and is of little service
161
Sokrates confesses to entire failure in his research. He cannot find out what temperance is: although several concessions have been made which cannot be justified
ib.
Temperance is and must be a good thing: but Charmides cannot tell whether he is temperate or not ; since what temperance is remains unknown
162
Expressions both from Charmides and Kritias of praise and devotion to Sokrates, at the close of the dialogue. Dramatic ornament throughout
ib.
The Charmides is an excellent specimen of Dialogues of Search. Abundance of guesses and tentatives, all ultimately disallowed
163