Single Idea 1

[catalogued under 8. Modes of Existence / D. Universals / 6. Platonic Forms / b. Partaking]

Full Idea

If anything is beautiful other than beauty itself, it is beautiful for no other reason but because it participates in that beautiful.

Clarification

'Beauty' is the Greek word 'kalos', which also translates as 'fine'

Gist of Idea

There is only one source for all beauty

Source

Plato (Phaedo [c.374 BCE], 100c)

Book Reference

Plato: 'The Last Days of Socrates', ed/tr. Tredennick,Hugh [Penguin 1969], p.159


A Reaction

The Greek word will be 'kalon' (beautiful, fine, noble). Like Aristotle, I find it baffling that such diversity could have a single source. Beautiful things have diverse aims.

Related Idea

Idea 514 Beauty is merely animal without intelligence [Democritus (attr)]