Plato is my friend - but the truth is dearer. Who said “Plato is my friend, but the truth is dearer”? Plato is my friend but the truth is more important
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Plato is my friend, but truth is more valuable - this
Plato is my friend but the truth is dearer
Plato is my friend but the truth is dearer
From Latin: Amicus Plato, sed magis arnica Veritas (amicus plateau, sed ma-gis amica veritas).
In world literature it first appears in the novel (Part 2, Chapter 51) “Don Quixote” (1615) by the Spanish writer Miguel Cervantes de Saavedra (1547-1616). After the publication of the novel, the expression became world famous.
The primary source is the words of the ancient Greek philosopher Plato (421-348 BC). In the essay “Phaedo”, he puts the following words into the mouth of Socrates: “Following me, think less about Socrates, and more about the truth.” That is, Plato advises students to choose the truth rather than faith in the authority of the teacher.
A similar phrase is found in Aristotle (IV century BC), who in his work “Nicomachean Ethics” wrote: “Even though friends and truth are dear to me, duty commands me to give preference to truth.” In other, later, ancient authors, this expression occurs in the form: “Socrates is dear to me, but the truth is dearest of all.”
Thus, the history of the famous expression is paradoxical: its actual author - Plato - became at the same time its “hero”, and it was in this form, edited by time, that Plato’s words entered world culture. This expression served as the basis for the formation of similar phrases, the most famous of which are the words of the German church reformer Martin Luther (1483-1546). In his work “On the Enslaved Will,” he wrote: “Plato is my friend, Socrates is my friend, but truth should be preferred.”
The meaning of the expression: truth, accurate knowledge is the highest, absolute value, and authority is not an argument.
Encyclopedic Dictionary of winged words and expressions. - M.: “Locked-Press”.
Vadim Serov.
Plato is my friend but the truth is dearer
The Greek philosopher Plato (427-347 BC) in his essay “Phaedo” attributes to Socrates the words: “Following me, think less about Socrates, and more about the truth.” Aristotle, in his work “Nicomachean Ethics,” polemicizes with Plato and, referring to him, writes: “Even though friends and truth are dear to me, duty commands me to give preference to truth.” Luther (1483-1546) says: “Plato is my friend, Socrates is my friend, but truth should be preferred” (“On the Enslaved Will,” 1525). The expression “Amicus Plato, sed magis amica veritas” - “Plato is my friend, but the truth is dearer”, was formulated by Cervantes in the 2nd part, ch. 51 novels "Don Quixote" (1615).
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How often, falling under the influence of someone else’s views and opinions, we bow to other people’s authorities. Sometimes this happens contrary to common sense. For example, parents always think: they know what is best for their child. Who should he be friends with, what hobby should he choose, what profession should he realize himself in. And even the personal life of their child should be built according to the orders of adults. Are those who gave us life always right? And can someone else’s life experience be considered the ultimate truth?
Popular expression
For such cases, the most suitable expression is one that became popular a long time ago. It sounds like this: “Plato is my friend, but the truth is dearer.” Like most aphorisms, this one also has a primary source. At the end of the 16th - beginning of the 17th century, there lived such a famous writer - Miguel Cervantes de Saavedra. Everyone knows his funny and ideal hero - Don Quixote of La Mancha. In the second part of the novel, in chapter 51, we come across something familiar: “Plato is my friend, but the truth is dearer.” So, this means where this phrase came into our language! “Amicus Plato, sed ma-gis amika varitas” is a Russian transcription. Why did we remember it? Cervantes simply introduced the phrase to the broad masses of readers. But he only repeated in Spanish what the ancients had said long before him.
An excursion into history...
And now let’s mentally take a time machine to even later times. IV century BC, Ancient Greece, the great Plato, his philosophical school and works, which to this day have not lost their relevance and interest. In one of them - the essay "Phaedo" - Plato cites the words of Socrates, of whom he himself was a student, where his brilliant predecessor advises to look less back at himself when defending his point of view. Truth is more valuable than authority, Socrates argued. And the author of the Phaedo completely agrees with this. Hence: “Plato is my friend, but the truth is dearer.” Let us note that the philosopher gives his students a precise instruction: they should go to the end if they are confident in their own rightness, and not think about whether this coincides with the opinion of their teacher.
From Plato to Aristotle
Ancient Greece gave the world many geniuses. One cannot help but recall another remarkable representative of it - Aristotle. This is also the 4th century BC, only a slightly later period. He is the author of the profound and serious work “Nicomachean Ethics”. In it, Aristotle, continuing the thoughts of his teachers (Socrates and the same Plato), wrote that, no matter how dear his friends were to him, if one chooses between them and the truth, preference should still be given to the truth. This saying has such a long history! But it is not yet final, because many ancient writers believed that the primary source of all the “fuss” was Socrates, it was his name that was mentioned in the aphorism. But, as we have established, it would be more correct to say this: “Plato is my friend, but the truth is dearer!”
Further eras
So, here we have a classic example of a logical and cultural paradox. The author released an axiom that contradicts himself. On its basis, many similar statements of “general content” were subsequently compiled. For example, justifying his religious and philosophical postulates, he speaks with almost the same universal formula, very close to the traditional one: “Plato is my friend, but the truth is dearer,” only mentioning Socrates and using the volitional imperative “should be preferred.” Its meaning, of course, is clear: in any dispute, correctness, compliance with common sense, and objectivity should act as an arbiter. Or the truth. It is she who should act as an absolute value and have privileges over all subjective opinions.
Let's look at examples
In what cases is such an expression appropriate? Almost in all cases, when we are talking about serious fundamental decisions, on which, for example, the fate of an important scientific discovery, the solution of a legal issue, etc., or even personal relationships may depend. Dudintsev's novel “White Clothes” discusses issues related to a new branch of biology - genetics. You may ask, what does the same aphorism have to do with all this: “Plato is my friend, but the truth is dearer”? Its meaning is directly related to the conflict revealed in the work: some scientists follow the lead of the official authorities, agree on everything with the “people's academician” Ryadno (prototype Lysenko). For the sake of personal gain and power, he “overwrites” not only his talented colleagues, but also openly falsifies and pours lies on progressive scientific ideas.
Others are not afraid to openly fight these retrogrades and opportunists, but defend the truth despite the danger that threatens them. These are Dezhkin, Tsvyakh, Strigalev, Kheifetz. The latter, for example, is so shocked by the atmosphere of hidden meanness and denunciations in the team that, although there are many of his friends among the scientists working there, he is ready to leave the walls of the institute where he worked for many years. “Plato is my friend, but truth is dearer” - he proves the meaning of this statement with his own actions. And not only him! Dezhkin once considered Ryadno a true professional, a man of great intelligence and talent, a biologist with a capital B. Having learned that the academician has stooped to appropriating other people's discoveries and subjecting their authors to persecution and repression, he is also indignant and stands up in defense of the truth.
“Plato is my friend, but truth is dearer” - what does this statement mean to him? Much: Dezhkin brings to the end the work of the destroyed underground laboratory. He risks his life by passing on valuable information to Western colleagues who came to the Union specifically for this purpose. And then for many years, until Stalin’s death and the rehabilitation of his colleagues, some of whom died in prison or camps, he lives practically underground. These are the hardships and sacrifices that principled people are willing to make for the sake of truth!
Literature gives us worthy examples!
"Plato is my friend but the truth is dearer"
Aristotle, who received the nickname Stagirite by his place of birth (384-322 BC), was born into the family of the court physician of the king of Macedonia and from childhood was friends with the future king Philip, the father of Alexander the Great. At the age of 17 he came to Athens and became first a student, then a philosopher at Plato's Academy, where he remained until the teacher's death in 347 BC.
At the Academy, he immediately stood out among the adherents of Plato for his independence. Despite the contempt of “academics” for rhetoric as a superficial and vain science developed by the sophists, Aristotle writes the essay “Topika”, devoted to the analysis of language, its structures, and introduces some rules. Moreover, Aristotle changes the generally accepted form of dialogues in the Academy, presenting his works in the form treatises. The Topeka is followed by Sophistic Refutations, where Aristotle distances himself from the Sophists. However, he continues to be fascinated by working with formalized thought, and he writes treatises “Categories”, “On Interpretation” and finally “Analytics”, in which he formulates the rules syllogisms. In other words, he creates science logic in the form in which it is still taught and studied in schools, gymnasiums and universities around the world under the name formal logic.
Aristotle specifically develops, on the one hand, ethical issues, and on the other, as a separate discipline, natural philosophy: he writes “Great Ethics” and “Eudsmian Ethics”, as well as treatises “Physics”, “On Heaven”, “On the Origin and destruction", "Meteorology". In addition, he examines “metaphysical” issues: the most general and reliable principles and reasons that allow us to understand the essence of knowledge and cognize existing things. This familiar name for us “Metaphysics” arose after the publisher of Aristotle’s works in the 1st century. BC. Andronikos of Rhodes placed the relevant texts
“following physics” (workshops and photography); Aristotle himself (in the second chapter of the first book of Metaphysics) considered the corresponding science - first philosophy - in some sense superior to human capabilities, the most divine and therefore the most precious.
In total, Aristotle wrote more than 50 works, which reflect natural scientific, political, ethical, historical, and philosophical ideas. Aristotle was extremely versatile.
In 343 BC. Aristotle, at the invitation of the Macedonian king Philip, becomes the tutor of his son Alexander, the future conqueror (or unifier) of all of Hellas. In 335 he returned to Athens and created his own school there. Aristotle was not an Athenian citizen, did not have the desire to purchase a house and land in Athens, so he founded a school outside the city at a public gymnasium, which was located near the temple of Apollo Lyceum and was called accordingly Lyceum. Over time, Aristotle’s school, a kind of prototype of the university, also began to be called this way. Both research and teaching work were carried out here, and a variety of areas were explored: natural philosophy (natural science), philology (linguistics, rhetoric), history, etc. At the gymnasium there was a garden, and in it there was a covered gallery for walking. The school began to be called Peripatos(from the Greek yaersateoo - to walk, stroll), and Aristotle’s students - peripatetics, since during classes they walked.
The Lyceum, as well as Plato's Academy, existed until 529. At this time, Christianity had already become the official religion in the territory of the former Hellas, which became part of the Byzantine (Eastern Roman) Empire. In 529, Emperor Justinian issued a law prohibiting pagans, among other things, from engaging in teaching activities; now they had to either be baptized or be subject to confiscation of property and exile. A decree was sent to Athens banning the teaching of philosophy: “so that no one would teach philosophy, interpret the laws, or set up a gambling den in any of the cities” (John Malala, “Chronography,” book XVIII).
Plato and Aristotle were luckier than other philosophers; their concepts, especially Aristotle’s, were adopted by Christian theologians, synthesizing them with Christian doctrine. Coinciding with the Judeo-Christian tradition was their explanation of the essence of the world, based on the existence of extra-sensory ideal reality, the single beginning of all things, which the ancient philosophers themselves called God.
Aristotle's ontology is presented primarily in his works “Physics” and “Metaphysics” (we will talk about the history of this name below).
So, Aristotle recognizes the existence of ideas, agrees with their dominant role in the universe, but refuses their separation from things. From the bifurcated Platonic world, he constructs a single world in which ideas and things, entities and phenomena are united. The world is one and has a single beginning - God, who is also prime mover; but all material things are not reflections or copies of genuine entities, but genuine things themselves, possessing essence, connected with all other things. Aristotle believes that being has not one, but many meanings. Everything that is not nothing enters into the sphere of existence, both sensory and intelligible.
The basis of the world, according to Aristotle, is matter(passive beginning) and form(active principle), which, when combined, form the whole variety of things with the primacy of form. The form is idea, the essence of a thing. The sculptor, when creating a statue, initially has its image, or shape, in his head, then his idea is combined with marble (matter); without an idea, marble will never turn into a statue, it will remain a dead stone. Likewise, all things arise and exist.
To illustrate this with an example of an idea equineity, then it turns out that it is the form that unites with matter according to the laws that are prescribed by the highest idea (horses give birth to new horses); it still remains ideal, the commonality of all horses is explained by the commonality of their form, but not separated from them, but existing together with each horse. Thus forms exist through material things. Even the form of a verse (i.e. the verse itself) exists and develops through its reproduction in oral or written form. However, there are also pure forms without any admixture of matter.
Bertrand Russell, a famous English philosopher and logician, calls the teachings of Aristotle “the views of Plato diluted with common sense.” Aristotle tries to combine the everyday concept of reality with the philosophical one, without denying the former the ability to begin the path to truth; does not deny the world of things authenticity, thereby raising its status.
Aristotle's ontology seems more down-to-earth, but at the same time takes into account the presence of higher entities. The key concept of his teaching is essence. Everything has essence - that kind of being that gives things and the world as a whole authenticity and relevance. Essence is what determines the quality of a thing. Thus, the essence of a table is that it is a table, and not that it is round or square; hence the essence is form.
It is important to understand that the content of the concept of “form” in Aristotle differs from its meaning in our everyday practice of word use; form is essence, idea. Do all entities have a material carrier? No, not all. God is announced shape of forms, pure essence without any admixture of materiality. Aristotle clearly distinguished between general and individual concepts. Under single proper names are understood that refer to a specific subject (for example, Socrates); under general - those that are applicable to many objects (horse), but in both cases, form is manifested through connection with matter.
Form is understood as relevance(act), and matter as potentiality. Matter contains only the possibility (potency) of existence; unformed, it represents nothing. The life of the Universe is a constant flow of forms into each other, constant change, and everything changes for the better, moves towards more and more perfection, and this movement is associated with time. Time is not created and will not pass, it is a form. The passage of time presupposes the presence of moments at first And Then, but time as a condition of these moments is eternal. Eternal time itself, like eternal motion, exists thanks to to the beginning, which must be eternal and motionless, for only the immovable can be the absolute cause of movement. From this comes Aristotle's doctrine of the four first causes - formal(form, act), material(matter, potency), driving And target.
The first two have already been said, the second two are associated with a formal reason, since they appeal to the existence of the One God. Everything that is mobile can be moved by something else, which means that to explain any movement it is necessary to come to the beginning. To explain the movement of the universe, it is necessary to find an absolute universal principle, which itself would be motionless and could give an impulse to the movement of everything else; that's what it is form of forms, the first form, devoid of all potentiality. This pure act(formal cause), or God, who is also the nerve mover and the primary cause of all things. The doctrine of the primary impulse, dating back to Aristotle, is intended to explain the existence of movement in the world, the unity of its laws and the role of movement in the process of world formation.
The target cause is also connected with God, for, setting universal laws, he sets the universal goal of movement and development. Nothing happens without a purpose, everything exists for a reason. The purpose of the seed is the tree, the purpose of the tree is the fruit, etc. One goal gives birth to another, therefore, there is something that is the goal of itself, which sets this chain of goal-setting. All world processes rush towards a common goal, towards God; it is also the common good. Thus, doctrine of the four first causes is intended to prove that:
There is some essence that is eternal, immovable and separate from sensible things; ...this essence cannot have any magnitude, but it has no parts and is indivisible...
All living beings are aware of God and are attracted to him, for they are attracted to every action by love and admiration. The world, according to Aristotle, has no beginning. The moment when there was chaos did not exist, since this would contradict the thesis about the superiority of actuality (form) over potentiality (matter, material cause). This means that the world has always been as it is; therefore, by studying it, we will be able to get to the essence of things and the essence of the world as a whole (absolute truth). However, the paths of knowledge are not associated with any irrational insights and revelations. Everything that Plato promises us through some kind of unprovable recollection, we, according to Aristotle, can achieve by completely earthly rational means: the study of nature (description, observation, analysis) and logic (correct thinking). “All people strive for knowledge” - this is how Aristotle’s Metaphysics begins.
- See: Shichalip Yu. A. Academy under Aristotle // History of Philosophy. West-Russia-East. Book 1: Philosophy of Antiquity and the Middle Ages. M.: Greco-Latin Cabinet, 1995.P. 121-125.
- See: History of Philosophy. West-Russia-East. pp. 233-242.
- See: Russell B. History of Western Philosophy. Book 1. P. 165.
- Aristotle. Metaphysics. Ki. XII. Ch. 7. Cited from: Anthology of world philosophy. T. 1. Part 1. P. 422.
Very often, in any dispute, my opponents, instead of the necessary own argumentation, give some quotes. It is interesting that often the individual citing this or that quote does not even know its exact origin. Here the calculation is made on the fact that popular expressions are known to everyone and only because of this they seem undeniable. So, for a minute, I imagined the following: My neighbor Vasily, for example, would have spoken in quotes, being very hungover, but I wouldn’t have known that these expressions were so well known and I would have been sure that he was them author. Would I answer him? Of course, I would answer (I am terribly sarcastic by nature). There are no undisputed statements, just as there are no statements that cannot be ridiculed.
Below are the five most frequently used quotes in disputes and my comments on them.
1. "Plato is my friend but the truth is dearer".
Truth is more expensive, but Plato is cheaper, it turns out? Well, that means you’re such a friend that you put price tags on everything. Obviously, you and Plato did not serve in the same regiment. Platosha, oh! Don't be friends with such an asshole!
2. "Patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel."
Yeah. And in this refuge he fights off the attacking vile scoundrels. What a scoundrel!
3. “The exception only confirms the rule.”
The truest truth! For example, you were expelled from the school of noble maidens, right? And what was written in the rules of this establishment, huh? That transvestites have no place there! Everything has been confirmed!
4. "Best the enemy of the good".
Yeah, but the best is the enemy of the best, and the super-best is the enemy of the best, etc. Well, they will make their own enemies! And the main thing is that everyone seems to be quite good.
5. “Only he is worthy of life and freedom who goes to battle for them every day.”
Some kind of nightmarish prospect looms - going to fight every day is like going straight to work. Yes, with such a schedule, personal freedom definitely disappears. Me too, they call life some kind of hard labor... and why the hell do we need all this?
Since, in most cases, my opponents themselves did not know exactly who the author of the quotes they cited was (they confused the authorship), I will help them a little. Here is all the necessary information on the given expressions:
1. “Plato is my friend, but truth is dearer.”
For some reason, it is believed that Aristotle said this. This, to put it mildly, is not entirely true. Actually, these words belong to... Plato. In one of his works, it was written “Following me, think less about Socrates, and more about the truth.” And Aristotle, polemicizing, also in writing, expressed the following opinion: “Even though friends and truth are dear to me, duty commands me to give preference to truth.” Subsequently, this saying was paraphrased by the famous medieval Christian theologian Martin Luther: “Plato is my friend, Socrates is my friend, but truth should be preferred,” and this saying was paraphrased by Miguel Cervantes, who is its author in its modern form. This statement has the following interpretation:
- Accurate, specific knowledge (i.e., truth) is the main value, and therefore more important than the authority of the teacher.
- So-and-so is my friend, but I will speak out against him because some kind of abstract justice is dearer to me (in Soviet times, by the way, this phrase was often used at various party meetings).
2. “Patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel.”
This was said by the 18th century English figure Samuel Johnson. Subsequently, the phrase was taken out of the main context. He said this in his speech directed against the opposition. In England at that time, there was a constant confrontation between representatives of two parties - the Whigs and the Tories. At that time, the Tories were in power, and the Whigs were in opposition. Johnson supported the current government - the Tories. The Whigs called themselves “patriots” and portrayed their opponents (the Tories) as an anti-national force. In general, Johnson has an entire work dedicated to exposing the “false patriotism” of the Whigs as a manifestation of political demagoguery, as opposed to real true patriotism. For example, in his essay on this topic, he argued that only true patriots (that is, like him, Tories, presumably) can occupy a place in parliament. He always wrote the word “patriot” with a capital letter. I read quite a lot about him and, accordingly, could write a lot, if I wanted. He was quite the guy, to be honest. In Russia, this saying became known thanks to L.N. Tolstoy.
This statement, oddly enough, has three different and extremely contradictory interpretations:
- A call not to trust loud words about patriotism and civic duty.
- Not everything is lost even for the last scoundrel. Patriotism may become his last refuge. Having become a patriot of his country, he has the last chance to be morally reborn, like the Phoenix bird, and again become a full citizen.
- Patriotism (love for the Motherland) is immoral and is characteristic only of unworthy scoundrels, while worthy members of human society should love the whole world (be tolerant).
3. “The exception only confirms the rule.”
The exact origin of this expression is not established, but is generally attributed to Cicero. It is believed that this phrase was uttered by him during his defense speech when he was hired as a lawyer for Lucius Balbus the Elder. Lucius Cornelius Balbus was an oligarch and personal banker to Julius Caesar. The people of Rome accused him of having dual citizenship (well, it’s like now brazenly having two passports in your hands, for example, Israeli and Russian, but then it was considered that this was completely bad). Cicero, being an unsurpassed orator, made a defensive speech, and the oligarch was acquitted. In fact, many different expressions are attributed to Cicero. How did Cicero end his life? They cut off his head, impaled him on a pole and put him on the oratorical platform from which he so loved to speak. He expressed himself further. In Russia, the mentioned saying became known thanks to I. S. Turgenev. This statement usually has the following interpretations:
- There are no rules without exceptions. And if you really need to, then you can make an exception.
- The unexpected exception that occurred does not call into question the existing rules.
4. “The best is the enemy of the good.”
Shakespeare was the first to express such an idea in one of his tragedies: “Striving for the best, we often spoil the good” (it is believed that a similar expression had already been used by the Italians before him). But this phrase became famous after Voltaire began to use it in his works (in a novel and in one of his articles). The popular expression known to us is a translation from French of Voltaire’s version of this aphorism.
This statement has the following interpretations:
- Approval of the actions of someone who is ready to give up good in the name of the best, since “one cannot stop there.”
- Warning. Because, despite all efforts, the “best” may never be achieved, while losing the “good” already achieved.
5. “Only he is worthy of life and freedom who goes to battle for them every day.”
This phrase is from I.V. Goethe’s tragedy “Faust”.
Faust says:
“...I am committed to this thought! Life years
It wasn’t in vain, it’s clear to me
The final conclusion of earthly wisdom:
Only he is worthy of life and freedom,
Who goes to battle for them every day!
All my life in a harsh, continuous struggle
Let the child, and the husband, and the elder lead,
So that I can see in the brilliance of wondrous power
Free land, free my people!
Then I would say: Moment!
You're great, last, wait!
And the passage of centuries would not be bold
The trace left by me!
In anticipation of that wondrous moment
I am now tasting my highest moment.”
Those. - these are his wishes and instructions, what “a child, and a husband, and an elder” should do, according to his understanding.
After this fiery speech, Faust immediately dies.
This is followed by the last chapter of the poem, entitled “Entombment,” about the funeral of Faust. By the way, I remember the following lines from it:
“So why is the hall standing
No furniture, shabby?
Everything was bought on credit,
And there are many creditors.”
But, at its core, this is still a work on religious themes, so it is not surprising that, in the end, Faust’s soul fled to heaven (if you distance yourself from high poetry and simply delve into the semantic meaning of the last chapter, it becomes clear that that the angels “divorced” the demons as “suckers”), and Mephistopheles laments the gross violation, so to speak, of legal norms, despite the existence of an agreement in his hands.
In addition, some researchers believe that the writing of Faust was influenced by the fact that the author was a Freemason (Johann Wolfgang von Goethe was a member of the Amalia Masonic Lodge and did not really hide it).
A small digression: They also say that you need to read “Faust” only in the original language (well, some smart people wrote that to me twice). A completely different impression is created. Maybe, but I don’t speak German. I'm generally not a polyglot, alas. And that's putting it mildly. Somehow, barely, I read in English and Spanish, also in Slavic languages (mainly Ukrainian and Bulgarian), I also understand Turkic languages by ear (I know some common Turkic words and expressions), perhaps that’s all. I speak fluently only Russian and Russian swear words. Well, it wasn’t fate, therefore, it didn’t work out for me to become a polyglot. And, in general, whoever understands Faust in German should quote it in German... to the Germans. And we speak Russian here.
This statement has the following interpretation:
- As a call to protect certain rights, freedoms and personal interests.
- An encouraging and humorous variation on the theme “and our whole life is a struggle.”
P.S. Something like that. What do you think?
B I hope everyone is tired of this saying, but in it, as in everything Greek, lies a sea of nuances that are important not so much for the Greeks, they are knee-deep in the Aegean Sea, but for you and me.
Judge for yourself. "Plato is my friend but the truth is dearer". This means “more dear to me.” Those. there are clearly three present here: (1) Plato, who is called a friend, (2) truth, and (3) Socrates (let's say Socrates, who is behind this phrase).
Plato expressed something that we call Platonic truth, and Socrates, who most likely has his own truth, different from Plato’s, does not agree with it. He will express it now - whether Plato likes it or not.
Socrates has friendly feelings towards Plato, which he declares openly, and this is expressed in the fact that he would not want to offend him. But it can’t help but offend! Because Socrates’ own truth is more valuable than Plato’s well-being.
We dare to guess that Plato may be somewhat upset (that is, Socrates thinks that he will be upset, as he would have done in his place) when he sees that his truth is rejected by Socrates. Those. Plato will not so much like Socrates' truth as he worries about his own.
And Socrates, knowing about his younger friend’s touchiness, hastens to apologize to him. They say, don’t be offended, but I’ll refute you now. And he refutes - as they say, regardless of the persons, in this case Plato.
Judging by his tone, Socrates expressed a universal truth. This means that it is recursively true in relation to itself (because it contains the term “truth”). It turns out that when speaking about the truth that is dear to himself, he means exactly this: “Plato is my friend, but the truth, etc.”
Truth is more important than the warmest friendship - Socrates said this. And even more so, more important than any other person. And this is my truth! At least I share it, even if it was stated by someone else, say (mythical) Athenagoras of Edessa. So, if I share the opinion of Athenagoras, then it belongs to me too! And to you, Plato, I declare my truth only so that you also make it yours, abandoning false delusions. Those. I'm telling you for your own benefit. But even if you don’t agree, I will still express it to you, shout it, recite it. Because the truth is more important than anything else.
We see that the Greeks, “according to Socrates” in the above expression, live not in the world of people, but in the world of truth. (This maxim is the truth of Socrates.) Moreover, it - in any of its forms - is completely concrete, and not conditional, not supramaterial, i.e. not one of those that are cognizable only mystically, through the construction of ideal structures (this is Plato’s idea about the world of the ideal).
The completely material and grounded Socrates prefers specificity to the ideal Plato. In other words, the world “according to Plato,” where the priority of people over ideas reigns, is ideal, unreal, and platonic. Socrates does not agree with such a world; he denies it the right to exist.
I don’t know who Plato really was (in our context), but Socrates, based on the above expression, endowed him with a completely recognizable point of view. Plato (according to this expression) could say: truth is dear to me, but you, Socrates, are much dearer, and I cannot offend you with my truth.
(A small note. Socrates is talking about truth in general. He does not say: my truth is dearer to me than Plato with his truth. Thus, Socrates brings into his truth - and it is still only his! - himself. Socrates seems to be saying: I , Socrates, is more important than you, Plato. - But let’s not focus on this, so as not to completely quarrel our friends.)
So, Plato is afraid of offending Socrates. Socrates is not afraid to offend Plato. Plato sees a friend in Socrates, and this is not an empty phrase for him. Socrates also considers Plato his friend, but is ready to neglect his friendly attitude towards him, for he, Socrates, is even closer friends with the truth. Socrates has a gradation of friendship, a degree of preference: Plato stands at a lower level than truth. (It is not for nothing that he uses the term “more expensive” in connection with truth.) Plato does not have such a ladder: he treats Socrates with no less love than he treats his truth. He doesn't want to offend him. And even more precisely, he would rather offend the truth than a friend.
To offend the truth means to be ready, under certain circumstances, to abandon it, to agree that a friend’s opinion is no less significant, and perhaps superior to mine, it can be assumed to be more true, correct, even if I do not share it.
And if this is the total rule that Plato adheres to, then his only truth is to never offend your friends. Even at the expense of my Platonic truth. And you can offend them only by rejecting the truth to which they reverently cling. Therefore, we will not reject, criticize, or show the inconsistency of someone else’s opinion.
And since we are talking about philosophers, then, most likely, for them a friend is everyone who has his own truth, or at least some truth. For Socrates, living in what seems to him to be a real world, his own truth has the greatest value. While for the idealist Plato, no one's truth is valuable enough to hurt a person for the sake of it.
Practice shows that most people - Socrates - live in a world of truths. Platos live in the world of people. For Socrates, ideas and truths are important, for Platos - the environment.
I don’t want to say that this intellectual and ethical confrontation determines the main course of world history. But practice shows that the balance of power over the centuries has shifted towards the world of people, pushing the world of truth aside. Those. that truth, which only yesterday was recognized as more important than a person, goes into the shadows and becomes a lie.
But why did this shift take so long? Because the Platos cannot impose their obvious truth on the Socrates. Because people are more important to them than the imposed Platonic truth. Let them come to her themselves.
“Following me, think less about Socrates and more about the truth.” These words are allegedly spoken by Socrates in Plato's Phaedrus. That is, Plato puts into the mouth of his teacher the advice to his students to choose the truth rather than faith in the authority of the teacher. But the phrase has spread all over the world precisely in the version given above: “Plato is my friend, but the truth is dearer.” In this form, it no longer calls for independence of judgment from authorities, but for the dictate of truth over norms of behavior. Truth is more important than ethics.