Κρατύλος

Bölümler

383–384 384 384–385 385 385–386 386 386–387 387–388 388 388–389 389 389–390 390 391 391 392 392–393 393 393 394 394–395 395 395 396 396–397 397 397–398 398 398 398–399 399–400 400 400–401 401 402 402–403 403 403–404 404 404–405 405 406 406–407 407 407–408 408 408–409 409–410 410 410–411 411 411 412 413 413–414 414 414 415 416 416–417 417 417 417–418 418 419 419 420 420 420–421 421 421–422 422 422–423 423–424 424 424 425 425–426 426 426 427 427–428 428 428–429 429 429–430 430 431 431–432 432 432–433 433 433–434 434 434–435 435 435–436 436 437 437 437–438 438 439 439 439–440 440 440

İngilizce Yunanca

433–434

Cratylus

Cratylus. I suppose, Socrates, there is no use in keeping up my contention; but I am not satisfied that it can be a name and not be well given.

Socrates

Socrates. Are you not satisfied that the name is the representation of a thing? 10

Cratylus

Cratylus. Yes.

Socrates

Socrates. And do you not think it is true that some names are composed of earlier ones and others are primary?

Cratylus

Cratylus. Yes.

Socrates

Socrates. But if the primary names are to be representations of any things, can you suggest any better way of making them representations than by making them as much as possible like the things which they are to represent? Or do you prefer the theory advanced by Hermogenes and many others, who claim that names are conventional and represent things to those who established the convention and knew the things beforehand, and that convention is the sole principle of correctness in names, and it makes no difference whether we accept the existing convention or adopt an opposite one according to which small would be called great and great small? Which of these two theories do you prefer?

Cratylus

Cratylus. Representing by likeness the thing represented is absolutely and entirely superior to representation by chance signs.