Timaeus (dialogue)

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The Dialogues of Plato

Early dialogues: Apology Charmides Crito Euthyphro First Alci iades !ippias "a#or !ippias "inor $on %aches %ysis Transitional & middle dialogues: Cratylus Euthydemus &orgias "ene'enus "eno Phaedo Protagoras (ymposium Later middle dialogues: )he *epu lic Phaedrus Parmenides )heaetetus Late dialogues: Timaeus Critias )he (ophist )he (tatesman Phile us %a+s Of doubtful authenticity: Clitophon Epinomis Epistles !ipparchus "inos *ival %overs (econd Alci iades )heages
)his o': vie+ , talk , edit

Timaeus -&reek: , Timaios. is a theoretical treatise of Plato in the form of a (ocratic dialogue, +ritten circa /01 2C3 )he +ork puts for+ard speculation on the nature of the physical +orld3 $t is follo+ed y the dialogue Critias3

(peakers of the dialogue are (ocrates, )imaeus of %ocri, !ermocrates, Critias3 (ome scholars have argued that it is not the Critias of the )hirty )yrants +ho is appearing in this dialogue, ut his grandfather, +ho is also named Critias3456

Contents
4hide6

5 $ntroduction 7 (ynopsis of )imaeus8 account

o o o o o o

735 9ature of the physical +orld 737 Purpose of the universe 73/ Properties of the universe 73: )he creation of the soul of the +orld 73; )he elements 730 &olden ratio

/ %ater influence : (ee also ; *eferences 0 Footnotes < E'ternal links

[edit] Int odu!tion

)he dialogue takes place the day after (ocrates descri ed his ideal state3 $n Plato8s +orks such a discussion occurs in the *epu lic3 (ocrates feels that his description of the ideal state +asn8t sufficient for the purposes of entertainment and that =$ +ould e glad to hear some account of it engaging in transactions +ith other states= -5> .3476 !ermocrates +ishes to o lige (ocrates and mentions that Critias kno+s #ust the account -71 . to do so3 Critias proceeds to tell the story of Atlantis, and ho+ Athens used to e an ideal state that su se?uently +aged +ar against Atlantis -7;a.3 Critias elieves that he is getting ahead of himself, and mentions that )imaeus +ill tell part of the account from the origin of the universe to man3 )he history of Atlantis is postponed to Critias3 )he main content of the dialogue, the e'position y )imaeus, follo+s3

[edit] "#no$sis of Timaeus% a!!ount

[edit] &atu e of the $h#si!al 'o ld

)imaeus egins +ith a distinction et+een the physical +orld, and the eternal +orld3 )he physical one is the +orld +hich changes and perishes: therefore it is the o #ect of opinion and unreasoned sensation3 )he eternal one never changes: therefore it is apprehended y reason -7@a.3 )he speeches a out the t+o +orlds are conditioned y the different nature of their o #ects3 $ndeed, =a description of +hat is changeless, fi'ed and clearly intelligi le +ill e changeless and fi'ed,= -7> ., +hile a description of +hat changes and is likely, +ill also change and e #ust likely3 =As eing is to ecoming, so is truth to elief= -7>c.3 )herefore, in a description of the physical +orld, one =should not look for anything more than a likely story= -7>d.3 )imaeus suggests that since nothing = ecomes or changes= +ithout cause, then the cause of the universe must e a demiurge or &od, a figure )imaeus refers to as the father of the universe3 And since the universe is fair, the demiurge must have looked to the eternal model to make it, and not to the perisha le one -7>a.3 !ence, using the eternal and perfect +orld of =forms= or ideals as a template, he set a out creating our +orld, +hich formerly only e'isted in a state of disorder3

[edit] Pu $ose of the uni(e se

)imaeus continues +ith an e'planation of the creation of the universe, +hich he ascri es to the handi+ork of a divine Craftsman3 )he demiurge, eing good, +anted there to e as much good as +as the +orld3 For Plato, the demiurge lacked the supernatural a ility to create ex nihilo or out of nothing3 9ot eing omnipotent the demiurge +as a le to only organiAe to a limited e'tent the =ananke= -BCBDEF. or necessity3 )he demiurge is said to ring order out of su stance y imitating an unchanging and eternal model -paradigm.3 )he ananke +as the only other coGe'istent element or presence in Plato8s cosmogony3 )his is a ma#or point of contrast et+een Plato8s e'planation of the origin of the +orld and the 2i le account of creation -in its t+elfthGcentury interpretation. in +hich &od created from nothing and +as the only eternal eing3 -%ater in history the term =demiurge= ecame a term of vilification y &nostics +ho purported that the demiurge +as a fallen and ignorant god creating a fla+ed universe, ut this +as not ho+ Plato +as using the term3.

[edit] P o$e ties of the uni(e se

)imaeus descri es the su stance as a lack of homogeneity or alance, in +hich the four elements -earth, air, fire and +aterHsee Platonic solids. +ere shapeless, mi'ed and in constant motion3 Considering that order is favoura le over disorder, the essential act of the creator +as to ring order and clarity to this su stance3 )herefore, all the properties of the +orld are to e e'plained y the demiurge8s choice of +hat is fair and goodI or, the idea of a dichotomy et+een good and evil3 First of all, the +orld is a living creature3 (ince the unintelligent creatures are in their appearance less fair than intelligent creatures, and since intelligence needs to e settled in a soul, the demiurge =put intelligence in soul, and soul in ody= in order to make a living and intelligent +hole3 =Wherefore, using the language of pro a ility, +e may say

that the +orld ecame a living creature truly endo+ed +ith soul and intelligence y the providence of &od= -/1aG .3 )hen, since the part is imperfect compared to the +hole, the +orld had to e one and only3 )herefore, the demiurge did not create several +orlds, ut one and unique +orld -/5 .3 )he creator decided also to make the percepti le ody of the universe y four elements, in order to render it proportioned3 $ndeed, in addition to fire and earth, +hich make odies visi le and solid, a third element +as re?uired as a mean: =t+o things cannot e rightly put together +ithout a thirdI there must e some ond of union et+een them=3 "oreover, since the +orld is not a surface ut a solid, a fourth mean +as needed to reach harmony: therefore, the creator placed +ater and air et+een fire and earth3 =And for these reasons, and out of such elements +hich are in num er four, the ody of the +orld +as created, and it +as harmonised y proportion= -/5G//.3 As for the figure, the demiurge created the +orld in the geometric form of a globe3 $ndeed, the round figure is the most perfect one, ecause it comprehends or averages all the other figures and it is the most omnimorphic of all figures: =he 4the demiurge6 considered that the like is infinitely fairer than the unlike= -// .3 )he creator assigned then to the +orld a rotatory or circular movement, +hich is the =most appropriate to mind and intelligence= on account of its eing the most uniform -/:a.3 Finally, he created the soul of the +orld, placed that soul in the center of the +orld8s ody and diffused it in every direction3 !aving thus een created as a perfect, selfG sufficient and intelligent eing, the +orld is a God -/: .3

[edit] The ! eation of the soul of the 'o ld

)imaeus then e'plains ho+ the soul of the +orld +as created3 )he demiurge com ined three elements: (ameness -indivisi le and unchangea le, also called 2eing., Jifference -divisi le and changing, also called Change., and E'istence, a reality +hich is intermediate to the first t+o -other+ise kno+n as 2ecoming.3 Kne su stance resulted, +hich he divided follo+ing precise mathematical proportions3 !e then cut the compound length+ays, fi'ed the resulting t+o ands in their middle, like in the letter L -chi., and connected them at their ends, to have t+o crossing circles3 )he demiurge imparted them a circular movement on their a'is: the outer circle +as assigned (ameness and turned horiAontally to the right, +hile the inner circle +as assigned to Jifference and turned diagonally and to the left -/:cG/0c.3 )he demiurge gave the primacy to the motion of (ameness and left it undividedI ut he divided the motion of Jifference in si' parts, to have seven une?ual circles3 !e prescri ed these circles to move in opposite directions, three of them +ith e?ual speeds, the others +ith une?ual speeds, ut al+ays in proportion3 )hese circles are the or its of the heavenly odies: the three moving at e?ual speeds are the (un, Menus and "ercury, +hile the four moving at une?ual speeds are the "oon, "ars, Jupiter and (aturn -/0cG d.3

)hen, the demiurge connected the ody and the soul of the universe: he diffused the soul from the center of the ody to its e'tremities in every direction, allo+ing the invisi le soul to envelop the visi le ody3 )he soul egan to rotate and this +as the eginning of its eternal and rational life -/0e.3 )herefore, having een composed y (ameness, Jifference and E'istence -their mean., and formed in right proportions, the soul declares the sameness or difference of every o #ect it meets: +hen it is a sensi le o #ect, the inner circle of the Jiverse transmit its movement to the soul, +here opinions arise, ut +hen it is an intellectual o #ect, the circle of the (ame turns perfectly round and true kno+ledge arises -/<aGc.3

[edit] The elements

)he term elements -stoicheia. +as first used y the &reek philosopher Plato in a out /01 2C, in his dialogue )imaeus, +hich includes a discussion of the composition of inorganic and organic odies and is a rudimentary treatise on chemistry3 Plato assumed that the minute particle of each element had a special geometric shape: tetrahedron -fire., octahedron -air., icosahedron -+ater., and cu e -earth.3

)etrahedron -fire.

Kctahedron -air.

$cosahedron -+ater.

Cu e -earth.

Plato8s Timaeus con#ectures on the composition of the four elements +hich the ancient &reeks thought made up the universe: earth, +ater, air, and fire3 Plato con#ectured each of these elements to e made up of a certain Platonic solid: the element of earth +ould e a cu e, of air an octahedron, of +ater an icosahedron, and of fire a tetrahedron4/63 Each of these perfect polyhedra +ould e in turn composed of triangles3 Knly certain triangular shapes +ould e allo+ed, such as the /1G01G>1 and the :;G:;G>1 triangles3 Each element could e roken do+n into its component triangles, +hich could then e put ack together to form the other elements3 )hus, the elements +ould e interconverti le, so this idea +as a precursor to alchemy3 Plato8s Timaeus posits the e'istence of a fifth element -corresponding to the fifth remaining Platonic solid, the dodecahedron. called ?uintessence, of +hich the cosmos itself is made3 Timaeus also discusses music theory: e3g3 construction of the Pythagorean scale3 )he last part of the dialogue addresses the creation of humans, including the soul, anatomy, perception, and transmigration of the soul3

[edit] )olden atio

=For +henever in any three num ers, +hether cu e or s?uare, there is a mean, +hich is to the last term +hat the first term is to itI and again, +hen the mean is to the first term

as the last term is to the meanHthen the mean ecoming first and last, and the first and last oth ecoming means, they +ill all of them of necessity come to e the same, and having ecome the same +ith one another +ill e all one=I there y he implies the aesthetically perfect proportion kno+n as &olden ratio or &olden mean3 -/5c G /7a.3

[edit] *ate influen!e

"edieval manuscript of Calcidius8 %atin Timaeus translation3 )he Timaeus +as translated into %atin y Cicero and again y Calcidius3 Cicero8s version can e found at Forum *omanumI Calcidius8 survived and +as one of the fe+ +orks of classical natural philosophy availa le to %atin readers in the early "iddle Ages3 )hus it had a strong influence on medieval 9eoplatonic cosmology and +as commented particularly y 57th century Christian philosophers of the Chartres (chool, such as )hierry of Chartres and William of Conches, +ho, follo+ing the official Christian doctrine, refused the original idea of eternal matter coGe'isting +ith &od and introduced the creation e' nihilo34:6

[edit] "ee also

Johannes Nepler %ei niA Plotinus Esoteric cosmology *eligious cosmology Creation myth )eleological argument

[edit] +efe en!es

Cornford, Francis "acdonald 45>/;6 -5>><.3 Plato s Cosmology! the Timaeus of Plato" Translated #ith a $unning Commentary3 $ndianapolis: !ackett Pu lishing Company, $nc3 $(29 1G@<771G/@0G<3 Jerrida, Jac?ues 45>>/6 -5>>;.3 On the %ame3 (tanford: (tanford Oniversity Press3 $(29 1G@1:<G7;;;G53 "artin, )homas !enry 45@:56 -5>@5.3 &tudes sur le Tim'e de Platon3 Paris: %i rairie philosophi?ue J3 Mrin3

(allis, John -5>>>.3 Chorology! On (eginning in Plato s )Timaeus)3 2loomington: $ndiana Oniversity Press3 $(29 1G7;/G75/1@G@3 )aylor, Alfred E3 -5>7@.3 * commentary on Plato s Timaeus3 K'ford: Clarendon3 N3 (arahGJane "urray, =From Plato to %ancelot: A Preface to Chretien de )royes,= (yracuse Oniversity Press, 711@3 $(29G51 1@5;0/501P

[edit] ,ootnotes
53 - (ee 2urnet, John -5>5:.3 Gree+ Philosophy" Part ,! Thales to Plato3 %ondon: "acmillan, p3 /7@ H )aylor, AE -5>7@.3 * commentary on Plato s Timaeus3 K'ford: Clarendon, p3 7/3 73 - )he ?uotings are in the (tephanus pagination form3 /3 - Plato, )imaeus, ;/c :3 - (tiefel, )ina -5>@;.3 The -ntellectual $evolution in T#elfth Century Europe3 9e+ Qork: (t3 "artin8s Press3 $(29 1G/57G:5@>7G73

[edit] ./te nal lin0s

Jig y 7/ Pro#ect at 2aylor Oniversity Plato8s Timaeus )ranslated y 2en#amin Jo+ett:

o o o

Pro#ect &uten erg edition -includes Jo+ett8s introduction. Qork Oniversity edition Jo+ett te't +ith all +ords linked and concordance

"athPages G Nevin 2ro+n8s discussion of Plato8s Timaeus (tanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy entry )imaeus 2i liography

*etrieved from =http:RRen3+ikipedia3orgR+ikiR)imaeusS-dialogue.= Categories: Jialogues of Plato T (ocratic dialogues T 2ooks a out Atlantis T Cosmology T !istory of physics