Universe of Platonic Thought 2022

30th International Conference “The Universe of Platonic Thought: Plato and European Philosophy”

Galina Karimovna Safiullina; Russian Christian Academy for the Humanities (Saint Petersburg, Russia), Student

Delphic maxim "know thyself" in the interpretation of Heraclitus and Plato

“Know thyself” is one of the most famous inscriptions of the Temple of Apollo at Delphi, which is mentioned by Heraclitus and Plato. In addition to the dialogue "Alcibiades", where Delphic wisdom is one of the central themes, the inscription is found in dialogues "Protagoras", "Phaedrus", "Philebus". The purpose of the report is to show the difference in the interpretations of the maxim by philosophers. For Heraclitus, self-knowledge is an opportunity to understand the All, while the path to the divine voice is open to every person. The essence of Plato's maxim is taking care of your soul.

Keywords: Delphic maxim, Heraclitus, Plato, soul

It is impossible to establish the exact time of the appearance of the inscriptions on the columns in the vestibule of the temple of Apollo’s at Delphi, as well as their authorship due to the numerous reconstructions of the building. One of the most common stories about these heroes is a competition in wisdom. Plato, in the "Protagoras", is the first to tell this story, probably claiming to be canonical.

The fragment of Heraclitus with a direct quotation of the wisdom has not been preserved; we rely on the evidence of Plutarch that the thinker not only used it in his writing, but considered it divine. With the same inscription, Plutarch connects the words of Heraclitus:“I have sought for myself” (101 DK, translated by J. Burnet), since he considers them Heraclitus’s answer to the call of Apollo. William Guthrie notes that Heraclitus, when trying to find himself, seeks to comprehend the logos, since everything that exists is one, and man is one of its parts. Heraclitus' confidence that "It pertains to all men to know themselves and to learn self-control" (116 DK, translated by P. White) opens the way to the divine logos for every person. At the same time, the process of cognition is directly related to self-restraint - Eliza Wilkins offers such an interpretation in particular.

Plato in "Philebus" (48с-d) considers the Delphic statement through the concept of measure: interlocutors come to him from the definition of a person who does not know himself, i.e. gives an incorrect assessment of his wealth, appearance, character. Socrates also discusses these three characteristics with Alcibiades when comparing the merits of the young man with the kings of the Lacedaemonians and Persians (121a – 124a). The maxim is also the starting point for considering the "self" itself (129b). The philosopher proves that in a person there is nothing more important than the soul - and it is about it that you need to take care of in order to become more perfect.

In the"Phaedrus" (230а), Socrates mentions an inscription on the way to the place of conversation when he explains that he devotes all his time to the study of himself: is he a monster like Typhon or a being involved in the divine? This couple at the beginning of the conversation anticipates the image of the soul that awaits the reader at the core of the dialogue. The author points out that self-knowledge can lead a person both to an underground dungeon and to a higher, divine mind - the result depends on the skill of the charioteer.

Thus, Heraclitus and Plato single out the maxim from other Delphic inscriptions and interpret it in a similar way: firstly, traditionally as a need for knowledge of one’s own limitations and real ideas about oneself, and secondly, as an accessible way to the one divine through the knowledge of the soul. Heraclitus is silent about the results of his search, and for Plato, two opposite options are possible.