Quintuple gradation in the Constituents of the Good. 1. Measure. 2. Symmetry. 3. Intelligence. 4. Practical Arts and Right Opinions. 5. True and Pure Pleasures.
We thus see (says Sokrates in conclusion), in reference to the debate with Philêbus, that Pleasure stands neither first nor second in the scale of approximation to Good. First comes Measure — the Moderate — the Seasonable — and all those eternal Forms and Ideas which are analogous to these.[86] Secondly, come the Symmetrical — the Beautiful — the Perfect — the Sufficient — and other such like Forms and Ideas.[87] Thirdly, come Reason and Intelligence. Fourthly, the various sciences, cognitions, arts, and right opinions — acquirements embodied in the mind itself. Fifthly, those pleasures which we have discriminated as pure pleasures without admixture of pain; belonging to the mind itself but consequent on the sensations of sight, hearing, smell.[88]
[86] Plato, Philêbus, p. 66 A. ὡς ἡδονὴ κτῆμα οὐκ ἔστι πρῶτον οὐδ’ αὖ δεύτερον, ἀλλὰ πρῶτον μέν πῃ περὶ μέτρον καὶ τὸ μέτριον καὶ καίριον καὶ πάντα ὁπόσα χρὴ τοιαῦτα νομίζειν τὴν ἀΐδιον ᾑρῆσθαι φύσιν.
[87] Plato, Philêbus, p. 66 B. δεύτερον μὴν περὶ τὸ σύμμετρον καὶ καλὸν καὶ τὸ τέλεον καὶ ἱκανὸν, καὶ πάνθ’ ὁπόσα τῆς γενεᾶς αὖ ταύτης ἐστίν.
[88] Plato, Philêbus, p. 66 C.
It is not necessary to trace the descending scale farther. It has been shown, against Philêbus — That though neither Intelligence separately, nor Pleasure separately, is an adequate embodiment of Good, which requires both of them conjointly — yet Intelligence is more akin to Good, and stands nearer to it in nature, than Pleasure.
Dionysius of Halikarnassus, while blaming the highflown metaphor and poetry of the Phædrus and other Platonic dialogues, speaks with great admiration of Plato in his appropriate walk of the Sokratic dialogues; and selects specially the Philêbus, as his example of these latter. I confess that this selection surprises me: for the Philêbus, while it explicitly renounces the peculiar Sokratic vein, and becomes didactic — cannot be said to possess high merit as a didactic composition. It is neither clear, nor orderly, nor comparable in animation to the expository books of the Republic.[89] Every commentator of Plato, from Galen downwards, has complained of the obscurity of the Philêbus.
[89] Dionys. Hal. De Adm. Vi Dic. ap. Demosth. p. 1025.
Schleiermacher (Einleit. p. 136) admits the comparatively tiresome character and negligent execution of the Philêbus.