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Amicus Plato, sed magis amica veritas

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158:"So," he said, "Simmias and Cebes, I approach the argument with my mind thus prepared. But you, if you do as I ask, will give little thought to Socrates and much more to the truth; and if you think what I say is true, agree to it, and if not, oppose me with every argument you can muster, that I may not in my eagerness deceive myself and you alike and go away, like a bee, leaving my sting sticking in you." (translated by Harold North Fowler) 25: 156:παρεσκευασμένος δή, ἔφη, ὦ Σιμμία τε καὶ Κέβης, οὑτωσὶ ἔρχομαι ἐπὶ τὸν λόγον· ὑμεῖς μέντοι, ἂν ἐμοὶ πείθησθε, σμικρὸν φροντίσαντες Σωκράτους, τῆς δὲ ἀληθείας πολὺ μᾶλλον, ἐὰν μέν τι ὑμῖν δοκῶ ἀληθὲς λέγειν, συνομολογήσατε, εἰ δὲ μή, παντὶ λόγῳ ἀντιτείνετε, εὐλαβούμενοι ὅπως μὴ ἐγὼ ὑπὸ προθυμίας ἅμα ἐμαυτόν τε καὶ ὑμᾶς ἐξαπατήσας, ὥσπερ μέλιττα τὸ κέντρον ἐγκαταλιπὼν οἰχήσομαι. 326:
account of truth and virtue, as will be shown in the eighth book (1575-1577). Now truth is a most excellent friend of the sort to whom the homage of honor is due. Besides truth is a divine thing, for it is found first and chiefly in God. He concludes, therefore, that it is virtuous to honor truth above friends.
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For Plato says, "Socrates, my master, is my friend but a greater friend is truth." And Aristotle says that he prefers to be in accord with the truth, than with the friendship of our master, Plato. These things are clear from the Life of Aristotle and from the first book of Ethics and from the book of
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Andronicus, the peripatetic, says that piety makes men faithful to and observant of the things of God. Along the same line is the judgment of Plato who, in rejecting the opinion of his teacher Socrates, says a man ought to care more for truth than anything; and elsewhere says: "though Socrates is a
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Quod autem oporteat veritatem praeferre amicis, ostendit hac ratione. Quia ei qui est magis amicus, magis est deferendum. Cum autem amicitiam habeamus ad ambo, scilicet ad veritatem et ad hominem, magis debemus veritatem amare quam hominem, quia hominem praecipue debemus amare propter veritatem et
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But perhaps it is desirable that we should examine the notion of a Universal Good, and review the difficulties that it involves, although such an inquiry goes against the grain because of our friendship for the authors of the Theory of Ideas. Still perhaps it would appear desirable, and indeed it
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That truth should be preferred to friends he proves in this way. He is the greater friend for whom we ought to have the greater consideration. Although we should have friendship for both truth and our fellow man, we ought rather to love truth because we should love our fellow man especially on
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propter virtutem ut in VIII huius dicetur. Veritas autem est amicus superexcellens cui debetur reverentia honoris; est etiam veritas quiddam divinum, in Deo enim primo et principaliter invenitur. Et ideo concludit, quod sanctum est praehonorare veritatem hominibus amicis.
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Yet Aristotle splendidly ventured to say: 'Socrates is my friend, but Truth is more my friend. One has to be careful concerning Socrates, but more concerning truth.' I can say something like that, too: 'Bernard is my friend, but Truth is more my friend.'
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Et tamen Aristoteles egregie ausus est dicere: 'Amicus est Socrates, sed magis amica est ueritas. Cum Socrate oportet sollicitum esse, sed magis cum ueritate.' Possum et simili uoce uti: 'amicus est Bernardus, sed magis amica est ueritas.'
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Nam Plato dicit: "Amicus est Socrates, magister meus, sed magis est amica veritas." Et Aristotelis dicit se magis velle consentire veritati, quam amicitiae Platonis, doctoris nostri. Haec ex Vita Aristotelis et
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would seem to be obligatory, especially for a philosopher, to sacrifice even one's closest personal ties in defense of the truth. Both are dear to us, yet 'tis our duty to prefer the truth.
42: 203:) is preferable to any opinion, even if the opinion one beholds be "true." In this respect, Cicero's passage would be confirming, rather than contradicting, the message of Plato's 130:, translating to "Plato is my friend, but truth is a better friend (literally: Plato is friend, but truth is more friend (to me than he is))." The maxim is often attributed to 313:
Haec etiam fuit sententia Platonis, qui reprobans opinionem Socratis magistri sui dixit quod oportet de veritate magis curare quam de aliquo alio; et alibi dicit:
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James Otis, "A Vindication of the Conduct of the House of Representatives" 1762, The Preface, "Amicus Socrates, amicus Plato, sed magis Amica veritas."
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points out that the proverb appears in differing forms in a Life of Aristotle found in three distinct mediaeval manuscripts, two Greek and one Latin.
89: 61: 68: 581: 576: 402: 195:, I, xvii in reference to the Pythagoreans, that: "by Hercules, he would much rather err in company with Plato, than behold true things ( 75: 343: 108: 57: 586: 199:) with men of those opinions " However, here, Cicero's suggestion is that Plato's philosophical investigation (of philosophy 46: 330:
friend, truth is a greater friend"; and in another place: "with Socrates concern yourself but little, but with truth much".
356:, Part II, Chapter 51. Leonardo Tarán has traced the antecedents of Cervantes' adage in an eponymous 1984 paper. Logician 457: 82: 35: 571: 191: 127: 223: 215: 375: 347: 285: 269: 265: 172: 136: 538:
Leonardo Tarán, "Amicus Plato, sed magis amica veritas: From Plato and Aristotle to Cervantes",
417: 498: 370: 339: 219: 555:
For and Against Abelard: The Invective of Bernard of Clairvaux and Berengar of Poitiers
294: 482: 565: 357: 290: 289:, translated into Latin from the Arabic in the twelfth or early thirteenth century. 379: 352: 346:
with the slogan reading: "Amicus Plato amicus Aristoteles magis amica veritas."
252: 24: 361: 167: 131: 368:("Plato is an enemy, but falsehood is a greater enemy"). In his novella 528: 186: 311:
sanctitas est quae facit fideles et servantes ea quae ad Deum iusta.
386:("Plato is my friend, but the French Nation is a closer friend"). 283:
and a book of secrets is the pseudo-Aristotelian compilation, the
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de Socrate quidem parum est curandum, de veritate autem multum
228: 18: 414:
M. Tulli Ciceronis tusculanarum disputationum libri quinque
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by reference to the saying, with Socrates replacing Plato:
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The closest Platonic reference is the words of Socrates in
514:, Berkeley: University of California Press 1972, p. 166. 535:, Vol. 39, No. 4 (Oct.-Dec., 1978), pp. 627–633. 297:
relies on the same source while proving the point in
441: 429: 416:, M. Seyffertus (ed.), Lipsiae, Otto Holtze, 1864, 222:around 1150, defended his earlier writings against 49:. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. 546:, Brill Academic Publishers, 2001, pp. 1–46. 553:Thomson, R. M.; Winterbottom, M., eds. (2020). 315:amicus quidem Socrates sed magis amica veritas 8: 309:Dicit enim Andronicus Peripateticus, quod 366:Inimicus Plato sed magis inimica falsitas 109:Learn how and when to remove this message 350:popularized the redirection to Plato in 251:The closest Latin prototype is found in 542:30, 1984, pp. 93–124; reprinted in his 395: 58:"Amicus Plato, sed magis amica veritas" 164:Amicus Plato, sed magis amica veritas 123:Amicus Plato, sed magis amica veritas 7: 185:Apparently contradicting Aristotle, 47:adding citations to reliable sources 497:, Brill, Leiden-Boston-Köln, 2001, 384:Amicus Plato, sed magis amica Natio 14: 473:, Berlin, Walter de Gruyter, 1962 23: 533:Journal of the History of Ideas 510:Cited by Peter Thomas Geach in 442:Thomson & Winterbottom 2020 430:Thomson & Winterbottom 2020 344:1661 Cambridge student notebook 34:needs additional citations for 529:Amicus Plato and Other Friends 456:, Williams and Norgate, 1900, 1: 454:The Opus majus of Roger Bacon 582:Cultural depictions of Plato 544:Collected Papers (1962-1999) 495:Collected papers (1962-1999) 301:, Liber 1, Lectio 6, n. 4–5: 577:Latin philosophical phrases 364:by amending the formula to 603: 471:Vita Aristotelis Marciana 299:Sententia libri Ethicorum 279:Bacon's reference to the 170:, as a paraphrase of the 134:, as a paraphrase of the 192:Tusculanae Disputationes 587:Philosophy of Aristotle 557:. Boydell & Brewer. 378:has the King of France 166:is often attributed to 332: 277: 240: 232: 183: 160: 483:Corpusthomisticum.org 382:adapt the phrase as: 303: 261: 178: 154: 540:Antike und Abendland 224:Bernard of Clairvaux 216:Berengar of Poitiers 43:improve this article 348:Miguel de Cervantes 317:; et in alio loco: 286:Secretum Secretorum 218:in a letter to the 281:Nicomachean Ethics 173:Nicomachean Ethics 137:Nicomachean Ethics 469:Olof Gigon (ed.) 403:Perseus.tufts.edu 259:, Pars I, cap. v. 249: 248: 119: 118: 111: 93: 594: 572:Latin quotations 558: 527:Henry Guerlac, " 515: 508: 502: 493:Leonardo Tarán, 491: 485: 480: 474: 467: 461: 451: 445: 439: 433: 427: 421: 411: 405: 400: 376:Honoré de Balzac 371:Le Bal de Sceaux 270:libro Secretorum 229: 114: 107: 103: 100: 94: 92: 51: 27: 19: 602: 601: 597: 596: 595: 593: 592: 591: 562: 561: 552: 524: 519: 518: 509: 505: 492: 488: 481: 477: 468: 464: 452: 448: 440: 436: 428: 424: 412: 408: 401: 397: 392: 337: 335:Modern versions 322: 273: 272:manifesta sunt. 266:primo Ethicorum 245: 237: 220:bishop of Mende 213: 157: 146: 144:Classical forms 115: 104: 98: 95: 52: 50: 40: 28: 17: 12: 11: 5: 600: 598: 590: 589: 584: 579: 574: 564: 563: 560: 559: 550: 547: 536: 523: 520: 517: 516: 503: 486: 475: 462: 446: 434: 422: 406: 394: 393: 391: 388: 336: 333: 295:Thomas Aquinas 247: 246: 238: 212: 211:Medieval forms 209: 145: 142: 117: 116: 31: 29: 22: 15: 13: 10: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 599: 588: 585: 583: 580: 578: 575: 573: 570: 569: 567: 556: 551: 548: 545: 541: 537: 534: 530: 526: 525: 521: 513: 512:Logic Matters 507: 504: 500: 496: 490: 487: 484: 479: 476: 472: 466: 463: 459: 458:vol. 1, p. 16 455: 450: 447: 444:, p. 70. 443: 438: 435: 432:, p. 69. 431: 426: 423: 419: 415: 410: 407: 404: 399: 396: 389: 387: 385: 381: 377: 373: 372: 367: 363: 359: 358:Alfred Tarski 355: 354: 349: 345: 341: 334: 331: 327: 323: 320: 316: 312: 307: 302: 300: 296: 292: 291:Henry Guerlac 288: 287: 282: 276: 271: 267: 260: 258: 254: 244: 239: 236: 231: 230: 227: 225: 221: 217: 210: 208: 206: 202: 198: 194: 193: 188: 182: 177: 175: 174: 169: 165: 159: 153: 151: 143: 141: 139: 138: 133: 129: 125: 124: 113: 110: 102: 91: 88: 84: 81: 77: 74: 70: 67: 63: 60: –  59: 55: 54:Find sources: 48: 44: 38: 37: 32:This article 30: 26: 21: 20: 554: 543: 539: 532: 511: 506: 494: 489: 478: 470: 465: 453: 449: 437: 425: 413: 409: 398: 383: 369: 365: 360:excused his 351: 340:Isaac Newton 338: 328: 324: 318: 314: 310: 308: 304: 298: 284: 280: 278: 262: 256: 250: 241: 233: 214: 204: 200: 197:vera sentire 196: 190: 184: 179: 176:1096a11–15: 171: 163: 161: 155: 149: 147: 140:1096a11–15. 135: 128:Latin phrase 122: 121: 120: 105: 96: 86: 79: 72: 65: 53: 41:Please help 36:verification 33: 16:Latin phrase 380:Louis XVIII 353:Don Quixote 342:opened his 253:Roger Bacon 201:sempliciter 566:Categories 522:References 257:Opus Majus 189:states in 162:The maxim 99:April 2023 69:newspapers 362:Platonism 168:Aristotle 132:Aristotle 499:pp. 1–46 275:secrets. 83:scholar 205:Phaedo 187:Cicero 152:91b–c: 150:Phaedo 85:  78:  71:  64:  56:  418:p. 15 390:Notes 268:, et 126:is a 90:JSTOR 76:books 62:news 531:", 45:by 568:: 374:, 255:, 207:. 501:. 460:. 420:. 321:. 112:) 106:( 101:) 97:( 87:· 80:· 73:· 66:· 39:.

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"Amicus Plato, sed magis amica veritas"
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Latin phrase
Aristotle
Nicomachean Ethics
Aristotle
Nicomachean Ethics
Cicero
Tusculanae Disputationes
Berengar of Poitiers
bishop of Mende
Bernard of Clairvaux
Roger Bacon
primo Ethicorum
libro Secretorum
Secretum Secretorum
Henry Guerlac
Thomas Aquinas
Isaac Newton
1661 Cambridge student notebook
Miguel de Cervantes

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