Characteristics of the Greek Philosophers; Socrates and Plato - Tapa blanda

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1845. Excerpt: ... THE SENSUALISM OF PLATO. Professor Sewell is not prepared to push Socrates from the chair of moral science on the ground of possessing "no scientific solidity whatever," though we see little difference between his estimate and that of Schleiermacher, since, though he also pays invidious compliments to the practical virtues of Socrates, he hesitates whether to consider him a sort of bare-footed friar, the grotesque mouth-piece of Plato's wisdom, or a mere Chorus in Plato's Dramas f. Upon the soundness and fairness of these estimates of Socrates we shall enable our readers to judge for themselves. Professor Sewell's admiration of Plato surpasses even that of Schleiermacher. "'The Homer of Philosophy speaking in the language of Jupiter'--the master of Demosthenes--'in irridendis oratoribus orator summus'--the biographer of the most interesting character of antiquity, the Boswell of Socrates--the 'Ille Deus Noster' of the creator of Roman Philosophy--the truth-loving Plato of Clement--the maxim us philosophorum of Ambrose--the Grecian Moses of Numenius--in the words of Augustin 'ille inter discipulos Socratis, qui non immerito excellentissima gloria claruit, qui omnino casteros obscuraret'--the 'prudentissimus philosophorum' of Jerome--the 'omnium sapientissimus' of Lactantius--the 'apex columenque philosophorum' of Arnobius--he who, in the words of Eusebius, 'alone of all the Greeks reached to the vestibule of truth and stood upon its threshold'--the former of Athanasius and the converter of Augustin." Such are the auctoritates prcescriptce which bear testimony to the Plato of Professor Sewell. Nor does the late Professor of Moral Philosophy in the University of Oxford fall short of his authorities in the extravagance of his devotion to Plato, setting him fo...