The Republic — Page 2
He was the greatest metaphysical genius whom the world has seen; and in him, more than in any other ancient thinker, the germs of future knowledge are contained.
Il fut le plus grand génie métaphysique que le monde ait jamais vu ; et en lui, plus qu'en tout autre penseur de l'Antiquité, se trouvent contenus les germes du savoir à venir.
The sciences of logic and psychology, which have supplied so many instruments of thought to after-ages, are based upon the analyses of Socrates and Plato.
Les sciences de la logique et de la psychologie, qui ont fourni tant d'instruments de pensée aux époques ultérieures, sont fondées sur les analyses de Socrate et de Platon.
The principles of definition, the law of contradiction, the fallacy of arguing in a circle, the distinction between the essence and accidents of a thing or notion, between means and ends, between causes and conditions; also the division of the mind into the rational, concupiscent, and irascible elements, or of pleasures and desires into necessary and unnecessary—these and other great forms of thought are all of them to be found in the Republic, and were probably first invented by Plato.
Les principes de la définition, la loi de la contradiction, le sophisme du raisonnement circulaire, la distinction entre l'essence et les accidents d'une chose ou d'une notion, entre les moyens et les fins, entre les causes et les conditions ; ainsi que la division de l'esprit en éléments rationnel, concupiscible et irascible, ou des plaisirs et des désirs en nécessaires et inutiles — celles-ci et d'autres grandes formes de pensée se trouvent toutes dans la République, et furent vraisemblablement inventées en premier par Platon.
The greatest of all logical truths, and the one of which writers on philosophy are most apt to lose sight, the difference between words and things, has been most strenuously insisted on by him (cp. Rep.; Polit.; Cratyl. 435, 436 ff), although he has not always avoided the confusion of them in his own writings (e.g. Rep.)
La plus grande de toutes les vérités logiques, et celle que les auteurs philosophiques ont le plus tendance à perdre de vue, à savoir la différence entre les mots et les choses, a été affirmée avec le plus de vigueur par lui (cf. Rép. ; Polit. ; Cratyl. 435, 436 et suiv.), bien qu'il n'ait pas toujours évité lui-même la confusion entre les deux dans ses propres écrits (ex. Rép.).
But he does not bind up truth in logical formulae,—logic is still veiled in metaphysics; and the science which he imagines to 'contemplate all truth and all existence' is very unlike the doctrine of the syllogism which Aristotle claims to have discovered (Soph. Elenchi, 33. 18).
Mais il n'enferme pas la vérité dans des formules logiques — la logique est encore voilée dans la métaphysique ; et la science qu'il imagine comme devant « contempler toute vérité et toute existence » est fort différente de la doctrine du syllogisme qu'Aristote prétend avoir découverte (Soph. Elenchi, 33. 18).
Vocabulary
- Il
- il — Third person singular masculine pronoun meaning 'he'
- fut
- fu — Past tense of 'être'; was
- le
- lə — Definite masculine singular article meaning 'the'
- plus
- ply — Adverb meaning 'more' or 'most'
- grand
- grɑ̃ — Adjective meaning 'great' or 'large'
- génie
- ʒeni — Noun meaning 'genius' or extraordinary intellectual talent
- métaphysique
- metafizik — Adjective meaning 'metaphysical'; relating to abstract philosophy
- que
- kə — Conjunction or relative pronoun meaning 'that' or 'than'
- monde
- mɔ̃d — Noun meaning 'world' or 'people'
- ait
- ɛ — Subjunctive form of 'avoir'; has (subjunctive)
- jamais
- ʒamɛ — Adverb meaning 'never' or 'ever'
- vu
- vy — Past participle of 'voir'; seen
- et
- e — Conjunction meaning 'and'
- en
- ɑ̃ — Preposition meaning 'in' or 'within'
- lui
- lɥi — Pronoun meaning 'him' or 'to him'
- qu'en
- kɑ̃ — Contraction of 'que' and 'en'; than in
- tout
- tu — Adjective or pronoun meaning 'all' or 'every'
- autre
- otʁ — Adjective meaning 'other' or 'another'
- penseur
- pɑ̃sœʁ — Noun meaning 'thinker'; one who thinks deeply
- de
- də — Preposition meaning 'of' or 'from'
- l'Antiquité
- lɑ̃tikite — Noun meaning 'Antiquity'; the ancient historical period
- se
- sə — Reflexive pronoun meaning 'oneself' or 'itself'
- trouvent
- tʁuv — Third person plural of 'trouver'; are found
- contenus
- kɔ̃tny — Past participle of 'contenir'; contained within something
- les
- le — Definite plural article meaning 'the'
- germes
- ʒɛʁm — Noun meaning 'seeds' or 'germs'; early origins
- du
- dy — Contraction of 'de' and 'le'; of the
- savoir
- savwaʁ — Noun or verb meaning 'knowledge' or 'to know'
- à
- a — Preposition meaning 'to', 'at', or 'in'
- venir
- vəniʁ — Verb meaning 'to come'; future knowledge yet to arrive
- Les
- le — Definite plural article meaning 'the'
- sciences
- sjɑ̃s — Noun meaning 'sciences'; fields of systematic knowledge
- la
- la — Definite feminine singular article meaning 'the'
- logique
- lɔʒik — Noun meaning 'logic'; study of valid reasoning
- psychologie
- psikolɔʒi — Noun meaning 'psychology'; study of mind and behavior
- qui
- ki — Relative pronoun meaning 'who' or 'which'
- ont
- ɔ̃ — Third person plural of 'avoir'; have
- fourni
- fuʁni — Past participle of 'fournir'; provided or supplied
- tant
- tɑ̃ — Adverb meaning 'so many' or 'so much'
- d'instruments
- dɛ̃stʁymɑ̃ — Noun meaning 'instruments' or tools for thinking
- pensée
- pɑ̃se — Noun meaning 'thought' or 'thinking'
- aux
- o — Contraction of 'à' and 'les'; to the (plural)
- époques
- epɔk — Noun meaning 'epochs' or historical periods
- ultérieures
- ylteʁjœʁ — Adjective meaning 'later' or 'subsequent' periods
- sont
- sɔ̃ — Third person plural of 'être'; are
- fondées
- fɔ̃de — Adjective meaning 'founded' or 'based upon something'
- sur
- syʁ — Preposition meaning 'on' or 'upon'
- analyses
- analiz — Noun meaning 'analyses'; detailed examinations of subjects
- principes
- pʁɛ̃sip — Noun meaning 'principles'; fundamental rules or truths
- définition
- definisjɔ̃ — Noun meaning 'definition'; precise meaning of a term
- loi
- lwa — Noun meaning 'law'; rule or principle
- contradiction
- kɔ̃tʁadiksjɔ̃ — Noun meaning 'contradiction'; logical inconsistency between statements
- sophisme
- sɔfism — Noun meaning 'sophism'; a clever but misleading argument
- raisonnement
- ʁɛzɔnmɑ̃ — Noun meaning 'reasoning'; process of logical argumentation
- circulaire
- siʁkylɛʁ — Adjective meaning 'circular'; reasoning that assumes its conclusion
- distinction
- distɛ̃ksjɔ̃ — Noun meaning 'distinction'; difference between two concepts
- entre
- ɑ̃tʁ — Preposition meaning 'between' or 'among'
- l'essence
- lesɑ̃s — Noun meaning 'essence'; fundamental nature of something
- accidents
- aksidɑ̃ — Noun meaning 'accidents'; non-essential attributes of a thing
- d'une
- dyn — Contraction of 'de' and 'une'; of a (feminine)
- chose
- ʃoz — Noun meaning 'thing' or 'matter'
- ou
- u — Conjunction meaning 'or'
- notion
- nosjɔ̃ — Noun meaning 'notion' or 'concept'
- moyens
- mwajɛ̃ — Noun meaning 'means'; methods used to achieve ends
- fins
- fɛ̃ — Noun meaning 'ends' or 'goals'; purposes of actions
- causes
- koz — Noun meaning 'causes'; reasons why things happen
- conditions
- kɔ̃disjɔ̃ — Noun meaning 'conditions'; circumstances required for something
- ainsi
- ɛ̃si — Adverb meaning 'thus' or 'in this way'
- division
- divizjɔ̃ — Noun meaning 'division'; separation into distinct parts
- l'esprit
- lɛspʁi — Noun meaning 'the mind' or 'the spirit'
- éléments
- elemɑ̃ — Noun meaning 'elements'; basic components of something
- rationnel
- ʁasjɔnɛl — Adjective meaning 'rational'; based on reason and logic
- des
- de — Partitive or plural article meaning 'some' or 'of the'
- plaisirs
- plɛziʁ — Noun meaning 'pleasures'; enjoyable sensations or experiences
- désirs
- deziʁ — Noun meaning 'desires'; strong wishes or cravings
- nécessaires
- nesesɛʁ — Adjective meaning 'necessary'; essential or required
- inutiles
- inytil — Adjective meaning 'useless' or 'unnecessary'
- celles-ci
- sɛlsi — Demonstrative pronoun meaning 'these' (feminine plural)
- d'autres
- dotʁ — Phrase meaning 'others' or 'of other' things
- grandes
- gʁɑ̃d — Adjective meaning 'great' or 'large' (feminine plural)
- formes
- fɔʁm — Noun meaning 'forms' or 'shapes'; structural types
- toutes
- tut — Adjective or pronoun meaning 'all' (feminine plural)
- dans
- dɑ̃ — Preposition meaning 'in' or 'inside'
- République
- ʁepyblik — Noun meaning 'Republic'; also Plato's famous philosophical work
- furent
- fyʁɑ̃ — Past tense of 'être' (plural); were
- vraisemblablement
- vʁɛsɑ̃blabləmɑ̃ — Adverb meaning 'probably' or 'in all likelihood'
- inventées
- ɛ̃vɑ̃te — Past participle of 'inventer'; invented or created first
- premier
- pʁəmje — Adjective meaning 'first'; foremost in order or time
- par
- paʁ — Preposition meaning 'by' or 'through'
- La
- la — Definite feminine singular article meaning 'the'
- grande
- gʁɑ̃d — Adjective meaning 'great' or 'large' (feminine singular)
- vérités
- veʁite — Noun meaning 'truths'; accurate or proven statements
- logiques
- lɔʒik — Adjective meaning 'logical'; conforming to rules of logic
- celle
- sɛl — Demonstrative pronoun meaning 'the one' (feminine singular)
- auteurs
- otœʁ — Noun meaning 'authors'; writers of texts or works
- philosophiques
- filɔzɔfik — Adjective meaning 'philosophical'; relating to philosophy
- tendance
- tɑ̃dɑ̃s — Noun meaning 'tendency'; inclination toward a behavior
- perdre
- pɛʁdʁ — Verb meaning 'to lose'; to cease having something
- vue
- vy — Noun or past participle meaning 'view' or 'seen'
- différence
- difeʁɑ̃s — Noun meaning 'difference'; distinction between two things
- mots
- mo — Noun meaning 'words'; units of language
- choses
- ʃoz — Noun meaning 'things'; objects or matters
- a
- a — Third person singular of 'avoir'; has
- été
- ete — Past participle of 'être'; been
- affirmée
- afiʁme — Past participle of 'affirmer'; affirmed or stated firmly
- avec
- avɛk — Preposition meaning 'with'
- vigueur
- vigœʁ — Noun meaning 'vigor'; force or energy in expression
- bien
- bjɛ̃ — Adverb meaning 'well' or 'indeed'; emphasizes a point
- qu'il
- kil — Contraction of 'que' and 'il'; that he
- n'ait
- nɛ — Negative subjunctive of 'avoir'; has not
- pas
- pa — Adverb used in negation; not
- toujours
- tuʒuʁ — Adverb meaning 'always' or 'still'
- évité
- evite — Past participle of 'éviter'; avoided
- lui-même
- lɥimɛm — Reflexive pronoun meaning 'himself'
- confusion
- kɔ̃fyzjɔ̃ — Noun meaning 'confusion'; mixing up of distinct concepts
- deux
- dø — Number meaning 'two'
- ses
- se — Possessive adjective meaning 'his', 'her', or 'its' (plural)
- propres
- pʁɔpʁ — Adjective meaning 'own'; belonging specifically to someone
- écrits
- ekʁi — Noun meaning 'writings'; texts written by an author
- Mais
- mɛ — Conjunction meaning 'but'
- il
- il — Personal pronoun meaning 'he'
- n'enferme
- nɑ̃fɛʁm — Negated form of 'enfermer'; does not enclose or confine
- vérité
- veʁite — Noun meaning 'truth'; accurate or factual statement
- formules
- fɔʁmyl — Noun meaning 'formulas'; fixed expressions or rules
- est
- ɛ — Third person singular of 'être'; is
- encore
- ɑ̃kɔʁ — Adverb meaning 'still' or 'yet'
- voilée
- vwale — Adjective meaning 'veiled' or 'hidden'; not fully revealed
- science
- sjɑ̃s — Noun meaning 'science' or 'knowledge'
- imagine
- imaʒin — Verb meaning 'imagines'; to envision or conceive mentally
- comme
- kɔm — Conjunction or preposition meaning 'as' or 'like'
- devant
- dəvɑ̃ — Preposition meaning 'before' or 'in front of'
- contempler
- kɔ̃tɑ̃ple — Verb meaning 'to contemplate'; to observe or reflect deeply
- toute
- tut — Adjective meaning 'all' or 'every' (feminine singular)
- existence
- ɛgzistɑ̃s — Noun meaning 'existence'; state of being or reality
- fort
- fɔʁ — Adverb meaning 'very' or 'quite'; intensifier
- différente
- difeʁɑ̃t — Adjective meaning 'different' (feminine); not the same
- doctrine
- dɔktʁin — Noun meaning 'doctrine'; a set of taught principles
- syllogisme
- silɔʒism — Noun meaning 'syllogism'; a logical argument with premises
- prétend
- pʁetɑ̃ — Verb meaning 'claims'; to assert something as true
- avoir
- avwaʁ — Verb meaning 'to have'
- découverte
- dekuvɛʁt — Noun meaning 'discovery'; something found for the first time
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