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επιληθομαι (Epilelesthai) and ληθη (Lethe):On Plato’s Philosophy of Forgetting


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1 Department of Philosophy, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
     

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Scholars H. N. Fowler, R. Waterfield, J. McDowell, D. Davidson and J. M. Cooper translate both επιληθομαι (epilelesthai) and ληθη (lethe) into “forgetting”. Yet it is problematic, as they designate two different meanings of forgetting Only J. C. B. Gosling, in his translation of Philebus, translates λήθηinto “oblivion” and επιληθομαι into forgetting respectively. However, he does not explain why the difference matters. This paper aims at explaining the ambiguous meaning of forgetting in Meno, Phaedo, Theaetetus and Philebus. The one hand, επιληθομαι (epilelesthai) means the loss of memory in our ordinary life. On the other hand, ληθη (lethe) means the loss of memory before-life or before we are born. I conclude by drawing attention to Paul Ricoeur’s critical examination of Plato’s philosophy of forgetting that he fails to provide an effective resolution to the ordinary forgetting as an attack on the reliability of memory.

Keywords

Plato, Paul Ricoeur, Forgetting, Oblivion, επιληθομαι, ληθη.
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  • επιληθομαι (Epilelesthai) and ληθη (Lethe):On Plato’s Philosophy of Forgetting

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Authors

Man-To Tang
Department of Philosophy, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong

Abstract


Scholars H. N. Fowler, R. Waterfield, J. McDowell, D. Davidson and J. M. Cooper translate both επιληθομαι (epilelesthai) and ληθη (lethe) into “forgetting”. Yet it is problematic, as they designate two different meanings of forgetting Only J. C. B. Gosling, in his translation of Philebus, translates λήθηinto “oblivion” and επιληθομαι into forgetting respectively. However, he does not explain why the difference matters. This paper aims at explaining the ambiguous meaning of forgetting in Meno, Phaedo, Theaetetus and Philebus. The one hand, επιληθομαι (epilelesthai) means the loss of memory in our ordinary life. On the other hand, ληθη (lethe) means the loss of memory before-life or before we are born. I conclude by drawing attention to Paul Ricoeur’s critical examination of Plato’s philosophy of forgetting that he fails to provide an effective resolution to the ordinary forgetting as an attack on the reliability of memory.

Keywords


Plato, Paul Ricoeur, Forgetting, Oblivion, επιληθομαι, ληθη.

References