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Full Idea
To everything that admits of a contrary there is one contrary and no more.
Gist of Idea
Only one thing can be contrary to something
Source
Plato (Protagoras [c.380 BCE], 332c)
Book Ref
Plato: 'Protagoras and Meno', ed/tr. Guthrie,W K C [Penguin 1956], p.65
A Reaction
The sort of thing for which a modern philosopher would demand a proof (and then reject when the proof couldn't be found), where a Greek is happy to assert it as self-evident. I can't think of a counterexample.
| 188 | Socrates did not believe that virtue could be taught [Plato] |
| 189 | If we punish wrong-doers, it shows that we believe virtue can be taught [Plato] |
| 190 | If asked whether justice itself is just or unjust, you would have to say that it is just [Plato] |
| 191 | Everything resembles everything else up to a point [Plato] |
| 192 | Only one thing can be contrary to something [Plato] |
| 193 | Some things are good even though they are not beneficial to men [Plato] |
| 20184 | The only real evil is loss of knowledge [Plato] |
| 197 | Some pleasures are not good, and some pains are not evil [Plato] |
| 20185 | The most important things in life are wisdom and knowledge [Plato] |
| 200 | People tend only to disapprove of pleasure if it leads to pain, or prevents future pleasure [Plato] |
| 202 | No one willingly and knowingly embraces evil [Plato] |
| 203 | Courage is knowing what should or shouldn't be feared [Plato] |
| 204 | Socrates is contradicting himself in claiming virtue can't be taught, but that it is knowledge [Plato] |