Reference address : https://ellopos.net/elpenor/greek-texts/ancient-Greece/plato/plato-lysis.asp?pg=29

ELPENOR - Home of the Greek Word

Three Millennia of Greek Literature
PLATO HOME PAGE  /  PLATO COMPLETE WORKS  /  SEARCH PLATO WORKS  

Plato : LYSIS

Persons of the dialogue: Socrates - Menexenus - Hippothales - Lysis - Ctesippus
Scene: A newly-erected Palaestra outside the walls of Athens
Translated by Benjamin Jowett - 33 Pages - Greek fonts
Search Plato's works / Plato Anthology / The Greek Word Library

Plato notes @ Elpenor = Note by Elpenor 

ELPENOR EDITIONS IN PRINT

The Original Greek New Testament

Plato in print

33 Pages


Page 29

But does he therefore value the three measures of wine, or the earthen vessel which contains them, equally with his son? Is not this rather the true state of the case? All his anxiety has regard not to the means which are provided for the sake of an object, but to the object for the sake of which they are provided. And although we may often say that gold and silver are highly valued by us, that is not the truth; for there is a further object, whatever it may be, which we value most of all, and for the sake of which gold and all out other possessions are acquired by us. Am I not right?

Yes, certainly.

And may not the same be said of the friend? That which is only dear to us for the sake of something else is improperly said to be dear, but the truly dear is that in which all these so called dear friendships terminate.

That, he said, appears to be true.

And the truly dear or ultimate principle of friendship is not for the sake of any other or further dear.

True.

Then we have done with the notion that friendship has any further object. May we then infer that the good is the friend?

I think so.

And the good is loved for the sake of the evil? Let me put the case in this way: Suppose that of the three principles, good, evil, and that which is neither good nor evil, there remained only the good and the neutral, and that evil went far away, and in no way affected soul or body, nor ever at all that class of things which, as we say, are neither good nor evil in themselves;-would the good be of any use, or other than useless to us? For if there were nothing to hurt us any longer, we should have no need of anything that would do us good. Then would be clearly seen that we did but love and desire the good because of the evil, and as the remedy of the evil, which was the disease; but if there had been no disease, there would have been no need of a remedy. Is not this the nature of the good-to be loved by us who are placed between the two, because of the evil? but there is no use in the good for its own sake.

I suppose not.

Previous Page / First / Next

  Plato Home Page / Bilingual Anthology   Plato Search ||| Aristotle

Three Millennia of Greek Literature

 

Greek Literature - Ancient, Medieval, Modern

Elpenor's Greek Forum : Post a question / Start a discussion

Learned Freeware

Reference address : https://ellopos.net/elpenor/greek-texts/ancient-Greece/plato/plato-lysis.asp?pg=29

Copyright : Elpenor 2006 -