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Δυσχέρεια and Ἀπορία: The Formation of a Philosophical Term
- TAPA
- Johns Hopkins University Press
- Volume 148, Number 1, Spring 2018
- pp. 75-110
- 10.1353/apa.2018.0004
- Article
- Additional Information
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summary:
Plato's nephew Speusippus has been widely accepted as the historical person behind the mask of the anti-hedonists in Phlb. 42b–44c. This hypothesis is supported by, inter alia, the link between Socrates' characterization of them as δυσχερεῖς and the frequent references of δυσχέρεια as ἀπορία to Speusippus in Aristotle's Metaphysics MN. This study argues against assigning any privileged status to Speusippus in the assimilation of δυσχέρεια with ἀπορία. Instead, based on a comprehensive survey of how δυσχερ- words were used in classical antiquity, the semantic shift of δυσχέρεια can be explained in an alternative way.