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Chapter 2. Plutarch and Apuleius on Socrates’ Daimonion

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The Neoplatonic Socrates
This chapter is in the book The Neoplatonic Socrates
chapter 2Plutarch and Apuleius on Socrates’ DaimonionJohn F. FinamoreIntroductionThe topic of the nature of Socrates’ daimonion found renewed interest in the Mid-dle Platonic period. We are fortunate to possess two works from this period on Socrates’ personal daimon by Plutarch (c. 46–120 CE) and Apuleius (c. 125–c. 180 CE).1 Plato tells us that Socrates listened to a daimon, which he describes as a sort of voice that prevents Socrates from performing certain actions.2 In this chapter, I wish to examine how these Middle Platonic philosophers interpreted Socrates’ divine sign and in what context they made their investigation. First, however, we should consider the difference between the ancient and modern conception of the daimonion problem. In a recent book, various philoso-phers have considered the possible problems raised by the specter of Socrates’ divine inner voice.3 In the introduction to that volume, Smith and Woodruff sum-marize the issue involved as one between Socrates’ religious beliefs and his use of rationality and logic in his elenchus. They isolate three possible positions: the two sets of belief (religious and rational) are consistent with each other, Socrates’ religious beliefs trump his rational elenchus, or his rational argumentation trumps his religious beliefs.4 Authors in the anthology argue for one or the other of these three positions. It should be noted here that these philosophers are concerned with a matter of consistency: how to reconcile the two seemingly contradictory sides of Socrates’ personality. The reason that the question becomes framed this way is that the dominant philosophical position on Socrates in contemporary analysis pivots on the characterization of him as a purely rational thinker.5The ancients came to the table with a different set of questions. There was no

chapter 2Plutarch and Apuleius on Socrates’ DaimonionJohn F. FinamoreIntroductionThe topic of the nature of Socrates’ daimonion found renewed interest in the Mid-dle Platonic period. We are fortunate to possess two works from this period on Socrates’ personal daimon by Plutarch (c. 46–120 CE) and Apuleius (c. 125–c. 180 CE).1 Plato tells us that Socrates listened to a daimon, which he describes as a sort of voice that prevents Socrates from performing certain actions.2 In this chapter, I wish to examine how these Middle Platonic philosophers interpreted Socrates’ divine sign and in what context they made their investigation. First, however, we should consider the difference between the ancient and modern conception of the daimonion problem. In a recent book, various philoso-phers have considered the possible problems raised by the specter of Socrates’ divine inner voice.3 In the introduction to that volume, Smith and Woodruff sum-marize the issue involved as one between Socrates’ religious beliefs and his use of rationality and logic in his elenchus. They isolate three possible positions: the two sets of belief (religious and rational) are consistent with each other, Socrates’ religious beliefs trump his rational elenchus, or his rational argumentation trumps his religious beliefs.4 Authors in the anthology argue for one or the other of these three positions. It should be noted here that these philosophers are concerned with a matter of consistency: how to reconcile the two seemingly contradictory sides of Socrates’ personality. The reason that the question becomes framed this way is that the dominant philosophical position on Socrates in contemporary analysis pivots on the characterization of him as a purely rational thinker.5The ancients came to the table with a different set of questions. There was no

Chapters in this book

  1. Frontmatter i
  2. Contents v
  3. Introduction 1
  4. Chapter 1. Socratic Love in Neoplatonism 21
  5. Chapter 2. Plutarch and Apuleius on Socrates’ Daimonion 36
  6. Chapter 3. The Daimonion of Socrates: Daimones and Divination in Neoplatonism 51
  7. Chapter 4. Socrates in the Neoplatonic Psychology of Hermias 73
  8. Chapter 5. The Character of Socrates and the Good of Dialogue Form: Neoplatonic Hermeneutics 80
  9. Chapter 6. Hypostasizing Socrates 97
  10. Chapter 7. Socratic Character: Proclus on the Function of Erotic Intellect 109
  11. Chapter 8. The Elenctic Strategies of Socrates: The Alcibiades I and the Commentary of Olympiodorus 118
  12. Chapter 9. Akrasia and Enkrateia in Simplicius’s Commentary on Epictetus’s Encheiridion 127
  13. Chapter 10. The Many-Voiced Socrates: Neoplatonist Sensitivity to Socrates’ Change of Register 143
  14. Conclusion 163
  15. Appendix: The Reception of Socrates in Late Antiquity: Authors, Texts, and Notable References 167
  16. Notes 179
  17. Bibliography 229
  18. Contributors 245
  19. General Index 249
  20. Acknowledgments 255
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https://doi.org/10.9783/9780812210002.36

Chapters in this book

  1. Frontmatter i
  2. Contents v
  3. Introduction 1
  4. Chapter 1. Socratic Love in Neoplatonism 21
  5. Chapter 2. Plutarch and Apuleius on Socrates’ Daimonion 36
  6. Chapter 3. The Daimonion of Socrates: Daimones and Divination in Neoplatonism 51
  7. Chapter 4. Socrates in the Neoplatonic Psychology of Hermias 73
  8. Chapter 5. The Character of Socrates and the Good of Dialogue Form: Neoplatonic Hermeneutics 80
  9. Chapter 6. Hypostasizing Socrates 97
  10. Chapter 7. Socratic Character: Proclus on the Function of Erotic Intellect 109
  11. Chapter 8. The Elenctic Strategies of Socrates: The Alcibiades I and the Commentary of Olympiodorus 118
  12. Chapter 9. Akrasia and Enkrateia in Simplicius’s Commentary on Epictetus’s Encheiridion 127
  13. Chapter 10. The Many-Voiced Socrates: Neoplatonist Sensitivity to Socrates’ Change of Register 143
  14. Conclusion 163
  15. Appendix: The Reception of Socrates in Late Antiquity: Authors, Texts, and Notable References 167
  16. Notes 179
  17. Bibliography 229
  18. Contributors 245
  19. General Index 249
  20. Acknowledgments 255
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