ABSTRACT
H aving shown th a t the eq u a t io n of know ledge w i th p e r c e p t io n c a n
not be de fen d ed ^cxTcx t o o 'c ra v T a kiv<>?<r6 m ^e G o ^ T o v '
(183c 2 -3 ) , P la to t u r n s a t l a s t to c o n s id e r the m e r i t s of the eq u a t io n in
i t s p u r e s t a t e , w ith o u t a d m ix tu r e of H e r a c l e i t e a n i s m . The c o n c lu s io n
of h is a r g u m e n t (186e 9 - 1 0 ) l e a v e s no doubt th a t in h is v iew p e r c e p t io n ,
w ith o r w ithou t the a id of H e r a c l e i t e a n m e t a p h y s i c s , c a n n o t be e q u a ted
w ith know ledge .# But in the i n t e r p r e t a t i o n of the a r g u m e n t by w h ic h he
r e a c h e s th is c o n c lu s io n , a s w e have s e e n is a l s o the c a s e in th e i n t e r
p r e t a t i o n of h is r e fu ta t io n of H e r a c l e i t e a n i s m i t s e l f , t h e r e a r e e n o r
m o u s ly w ide d iv e r g e n c e s of op in ion . *
S om e th ink th a t P l a to in e f fec t a p p e a ls to the e x i s t e n c e of c e r
ta in th in g s w h ich a r e not o b je c t s of p e r c e p t io n but w h ic h w e a r e n e v e r
t h e l e s s a c q u a in te d w ith . T h e s e he c a l l s o r " c o m m o n t e r m s , "
in s ta n c in g e x i s te n c e , n o n - e x i s t e n c e , s i m i l a r i t y , d i s s i m i l a r i t y , s a m e
n e s s , d i f f e r e n c e , n u m b e r (185c 9 ff. ), h o n o ra b le , d i s g r a c e f u l , good,
and bad (186a 8 ). A c c o rd in g to th e s e i n t e r p r e t e r s he th en a r g u e s th a t 2 > ^
the soul in and by i t s e l f con templa tes ((5-Tr O TT^ i 185e 2) th e se
o b je c ts , s in c e , be ing c o m m o n to a l l th in g s , they a r e not the o b je c ts of
any of the s p e c i a l s e n s e s of s ig h t , h e a r in g , and the l ik e . E ach of th e
s e n s e s a c q u a in ts us w ith i t s p r o p e r o b je c ts (the s o - c a l l e d " i n t e r n a l
o b je c ts " ) , but w ith noth ing e l s e , and any th ing w hich we a r e not acq u a in te d
w ith th ro u g h s o m e one of the s p e c ia l s e n s e s does not co m e to us th ro u g h
the s e n s e s a t a l l . Now, a s one of the co m m o n o b je c ts w hich the sou l
c o n te m p la te s a l l by i t s e l f and not th ro u g h any of the s e n s e s is Oo<rw\
( e x is te n c e ) , i t fo llow s not only th a t s o m e th ings w e a r e acq u a in ted w ith
a r e not known by s e n s e - p e r c e p t i o n but even th a t none of w hat is c o n
veyed to us th ro u g h the s e n s e s is in i t s e l f know ledge . F o r (cf. 152c 5,
186c 7 ff. ) t h e r e c an n o t be know ledge o r even t r u t h w h e r e o 0 Cl'<k is
not a t t a in e d t o - - 0 6 x~((K be ing now u n d e r s to o d to m e a n " p e r m a n e n t ,
p u re , r e a l ly r e a l e x i s t e n c e , " and not j u s t e x is te n c e . But a s P la to has > /
shown O o <r ia i s not co n v ey ed th ro u g h any of the s e n s e s but is r a t h e r
g r a s p e d by the sou l in i ts a c t iv i ty in d ep en d en t of the body. T h e r e f o r e
no s e n s e p e r c e p t io n am o u n ts to know ledge.
