Callicles: Biography and Contributions

Callicles is an ancient philosopher of Athenian politics who appears described in the Gorgias , one of the dialogues of Plato , where he is represented by a young student. With Thrasymachus , another character of the Greek philosopher mentioned in the book I of The Republic , Callicles denounces the virtue of justice as a natural brake on personal interest.

Both are considered by popular mythology as immoralists or amoralists. Callicles praises the ability of man who ignores conventional justice: believes that true justice is the triumph of this person. It affirms that the institutions and the moral codes were not established by the gods, but by men to satisfy their interests.

Gorgias, the book where Calicles appears

Apparently, Callicles is only a character invented by Plato, because there is no certainty that it really existed, unlike other characters mentioned by the Greek philosopher in his famous Platonic dialogues, such as Thrasymachus.

At Gorgias Callicles defended the natural right of the strongest or superior, and claimed that nature and law are two totally opposite things, but should not be.

Biography

This character that appears as a protagonist in the Gorgias of Plato navigates between myth and reality. Its period of life is between 430 and 405 a. C. He could probably be a real historical person, but there is no evidence of this, except for his appearance in the Platonic dialogue.

As a character, Callicles achieved autonomy from his own author and transcended his time. The ideas he was trying to destroy were precisely what contributed to his formidable rebirth. His influence on modern political philosophy is highly valued.

There has been a debate regarding its existence in real life. Except in Gorgias , in no other historical text is it referred to.

In case it has existed, it seems strange that there has not been a historical record about someone with his overwhelming personality, or at least some trace of life.

Everything that is known about him is described in the Gorgias , who describes him as an Athenian aristocrat with great political ambitions, in addition to enjoying extensive personal relationships.

On the other hand, the other character with equal significance in the Platonic dialogues (Thrasymachus) was a real person. He stood out as a diplomat and speaker, and his fame spread throughout Greece, although about his real opinions is also only known a little. On the other hand, from Callicles, absolutely nothing is known, apart from the work of Plato.

Who is really Callicles?

This figure is part of the Greek philosophical mythology. However, some more contemporary thinkers point out that there are elements to think that it is something more than a Greek literary invention.

Either way, the Gorgias he describes it repeatedly as the antithesis of Socrates, who opens the debate by asking about how much they both have in common. In their speeches, each defends their different ways of life.

The mystery surrounding the life of Callicles opens space for doubt. His relationship with Plato raises some hypotheses. It is believed that the Greek philosopher felt a secret sympathy for Callicles. It could have been a portrait of Plato's self that he rejected.

Then there is another ethical question that some philosophers ask themselves: is it correct to identify Plato with a character that he himself abhorred?

Hypothesis about Callicles

Apart from this hypothesis, there are three other hypotheses about Callicles that have more historical character:

1- He is a historical and real person, both his name and his personality. The problem is that, outside of Gorgias , there are no references or proof that it existed.

2- The whole character of Callicles is an invention of Plato. The fact is that his doctrine goes beyond Gorgias , And other well-known thinkers such as Pindar, Euripides and Thucydides, have shared them.

3- The only thing that Plato invented of Callicles was his name; everything else (the character as such and his story) is real. So who is hiding behind their mysterious and invented name? Some historians associate it with Caricles, which is part of the group of the Thirty Tyrants. Others link it with Alcibíades.

Although between both characters there are similarities with Callicles, there are also marked differences. Therefore, they are discarded.

A final approximation is with Critias who, according to the Scottish classical philosopher William Guthrie, fits"exactly the role of Callicles".

Critias

Critias was friend and disciple (bad friend and poor disciple, actually) of Socrates, like Callicles. Another indication of their relationship is that Critias offers Socrates the same advice that Callicles gives him in the Gorgias .

The studies on both characters focus their analysis on their common features: their personality, political convictions and literary production.

Contributions

-Calicles makes a distinction between nature (physis) and conventional law (nomos). He argues with eloquence that the stronger naturally should take advantage of his condition to dominate, contrary to the artificial laws created by man to protect the weakest.

- Defend the natural law of the strongest against the artificial laws created that serve to protect the weak. According to this theory about the force that turns into law, the person does not use his strength to benefit society but for his own benefit.

- According to Callicles, the law represents the greatest injustice against nature, because it tends to equal man. In practice, it creates the dictatorship of the weakest, because it does not subject the stronger to it, but vice versa.

- Considers that the superior and powerful is equivalent to the best, but co-operates with Socrates in that most people believe that justice is shared equally for everyone, including equality of opportunity, punishment and security, among other aspects .

- The immoralist challenge of Callicles involves four main components, which are: the criticism of conventional justice, the explanation of"justice according to nature", the theory of virtues and the hedonistic conception of the good.

References

1. Callicles and Thrasymachus (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy). Consulted from plato.stanford.edu
2. Callicles. Retrieved on April 20, 2018 from rep.routledge.com
3. Plato: The Republic. Consulted of um.es
4. Callicles. Consulted by britannica.com
5. Who is Callicles? Consulted by biographies.net
6. Plato's Gorgias: Callicles and Socrates Debate. Consulted of sparknotes.com
7. Bravo, Francisco (2013): Who is and what the Callicles of Plato teaches. Consulted of periodicos.unb.br
8. Callicles. Consulted on es.wikipedia.org