CHAPTER VII.

Platonic Canon, as Appreciated and Modified by Modern Critics.

The Canon of Thrasyllus continued to be generally acknowledged, by the Neo-Platonists, as well as by Ficinus and the succeeding critics after the revival of learning 301

Serranus--his six Syzygies--left the aggregate Canon unchanged, Tennemann--importance assigned to the Phædrus 302

Schleiermacher--new theory about the purposes of Plato. One philosophical scheme, conceived by Plato from the beginning--essential order and interdependence of the dialogues, as contributing to the full execution of this scheme. Some dialogues not constituent items in the series, but lying alongside of it. Order of arrangement 303

Theory of Ast--he denies the reality of any preconceived scheme--considers the dialogues as distinct philosophical dramas 304

His order of arrangement. He admits only fourteen dialogues as genuine, rejecting all the rest 305

Socher agrees with Ast in denying preconceived scheme--his arrangement of the dialogues, differing from both Ast and Schleiermacher--he rejects as spurious Parmenidês, Sophistês, Politikus, Kritias, with many others 306

Schleiermacher and Ast both consider Phædrus and Protagoras as early compositions--Socher puts Protagoras into the second period, Phædrus into the third 307

K. F. Hermann--Stallbaum--both of them consider the Phædrus as a late dialogue--both of them deny preconceived order and system--their arrangements of the dialogues--they admit new and varying philosophical points of view _ib._

They reject several dialogues 309

Steinhart--agrees in rejecting Schleiermacher's fundamental postulate--his arrangement of the dialogues--considers the Phædrus as late in order--rejects several _ib._

Susemihl--coincides to a great degree with K. F. Hermann--his order of arrangement 310

Edward Munk--adopts a different principle of arrangement, founded upon the different period which each dialogue exhibits of the life, philosophical growth, and old age, of Sokrates--his arrangement, founded on this principle. He distinguishes the chronological order of composition from the place allotted to each dialogue in the systematic plan 311

Views of Ueberweg--attempt to reconcile Schleiermacher and Hermann--admits the preconceived purpose for the later dialogues, composed after the foundation of the school, but not for the earlier 313

His opinions as to authenticity and chronology of the dialogues, He rejects Hippias Major, Erastæ, Theagês, Kleitophon, Parmenidês: he is inclined to reject Euthyphron and Menexenus 314

Other Platonic critics--great dissensions about scheme and order of the dialogues 316

Contrast of different points of view instructive--but no solution has been obtained _ib._

The problem incapable of solution. Extent and novelty of the theory propounded by Schleiermacher--slenderness of his proofs 317

Schleiermacher's hypothesis includes a preconceived scheme, and a peremptory order of interdependence among the dialogues 318

Assumptions of Schleiermacher respecting the Phædrus inadmissible 319

Neither Schleiermacher, nor any other critic, has as yet produced any tolerable proof for an internal theory of the Platonic dialogues _ib._

Munk's theory is the most ambitious, and the most gratuitous, next to Schleiermacher's 320

The age assigned to Sokrates in any dialogue is a circumstance of little moment _ib._

No intentional sequence or interdependence of the dialogues can be made out 322

Principle of arrangement adopted by Hermann is reasonable--successive changes in Plato's point of view: but we cannot explain either the order or the causes of these changes _ib._

Hermann's view more tenable than Schleiermacher's 323

Small number of certainties, or even reasonable presumptions, as to date or order of the dialogues 324

Trilogies indicated by Plato himself 325

Positive dates of all the dialogues--unknown 326

When did Plato begin to compose? Not till after the death of Sokrates _ib._

Reasons for this opinion. Labour of the composition--does not consist with youth of the author 327

Reasons founded on the personality of Sokrates, and his relations with Plato 328

Reasons, founded on the early life, character, and position of Plato 330

Plato's early life--active by necessity, and to some extent ambitious 331

Plato did not retire from political life until after the restoration of the democracy, nor devote himself to philosophy until after the death of Sokrates 333

All Plato's dialogues were composed during the fifty-one years after the death of Sokrates 334

The Thrasyllean Canon is more worthy of trust than the modern critical theories by which it has been condemned 335

Unsafe grounds upon which those theories proceed 336

Opinions of Schleiermacher, tending to show this 337

Any true theory of Plato must recognise all his varieties, and must be based upon all the works in the Canon, not upon some to the exclusion of the rest 339