1 - Cratylus' naturalism (383a–384c)

Summary

THE THESIS

First approach to the thesis (383ab)

Our dialogue, like the Philebus, opens by bringing us in medias res:

he. So do you want us to let Socrates here join in our discussion?

cr. If you like.

(383a1–3)

The situation seems to be the following. Hermogenes and Cratylus are on their way to the countryside (440e) and have been discussing for some time without reaching an agreement. Then they meet Socrates. Hermogenes suggests that they should inform him of the content of their discussion; Cratylus agrees.

But what is the issue Hermogenes and Cratylus were debating just before meeting Socrates? Hermogenes does not explain this in so many words. Rather, he immediately sets forth Cratylus' own view:

he. Cratylus here, Socrates, says there is a natural correctness of name for each of the beings [ὀνόματος ὀρθότητα εἶναι ἑκάστῳ τῶν ὄντων φύσει πεφυκυῖαν], and what some conventionally agree to call something, uttering a bit of their voice and applying it to the thing, is not a name [καὶ οὐ τοῦτο εἶναι ὄνομα ὃ ἄν τινες συνθέμενοι καλεῖν καλῶσι, τῆς αὑτῶν φωνῆς μόριον ἐπιφθεγγόμενοι]; but there is a natural correctness of names for both Greeks and barbarians, the same for all [ἀλλὰ ὀρθότητά τινα τῶν ὀνομάτων πεφυκέναι καὶ Ἕλλησι καὶ βαρβάροις τὴν αὐτὴν ἅπασιν].

(383a4–b2)

This first part of Hermogenes' exposition is articulated into three coordinate clauses:

1. (C₁) ‘There is a natural … beings’ (a4–5),

2. (C₂) ‘What some … not a name’ (a5–7),

3. (C₃) ‘There is … same for all’ (a7–b2).