Combining Texts

Ideas for 'works', 'Philebus' and 'Minds, Brains and Science'

unexpand these ideas     |    start again     |     choose another area for these texts

display all the ideas for this combination of texts


2 ideas

7. Existence / C. Structure of Existence / 8. Stuff / b. Mixtures
Any mixture which lacks measure and proportion doesn't even count as a mixture at all [Plato]
     Full Idea: Any blend [mixture] which does not have measure or the nature of proportion in any way whatsoever, of necessity destroys both its ingredients and, primarily, itself. It is truly no blend at all, but a kind of unblended disaster.
     From: Plato (Philebus [c.353 BCE], 64e)
     A reaction: Obviously there can be chaotic mixtures, but I guess Plato is picking out mixtures about which we can say something
If a mixture does not contain measure and proportion, it is corrupted and destroyed [Plato]
     Full Idea: Any kind of mixture that does not ...possess measure or the nature of proportion will necessarily corrupt its ingredients and most of all itself. For there would be no blending in such cases but really an unconnected medley, and ruin what contains it.
     From: Plato (Philebus [c.353 BCE], 64d)
     A reaction: My guess is that Plato is thinking of the decay of living things when they die, losing the proportions of psuché, and then applying this to the unity of inanimate objects as well. One might compare Leibniz's monads.