Τώρα αρχίζω να παίρνω χαμπάρι τι απίστευτες δυνατότητες μπορεί να προσφέρει η τεχνητή νοημοσύνη.
Είδα μία φράση, στα Αγγλικά, να αποδίδεται στον Πλάτωνα… που έμοιαζε όμορφη… αλλά αμφέβαλα αν ο Πλάτωνας είχε γράψει κάτι τέτοιο…
…τουλάχιστον σε αυτή τη μορφή.
Ρώτησα λοιπόν τον Grok εάν αυτή η φράση υπάρχει στα συγγράμματα του Πλάτωνα: στους διαλόγους και γενικά στα έργα του…
και στο δευτερόλεπτο απάντησε ακαριαία ανασκοπώντας όλα τα έργα του Πλάτωνα:
απέκλεισε ότι υπάρχει τέτοια φράση αλλά βρήκε άλλες που πιθανόν έχουν συγγενές νόημα!
Επίσης μετέφρασε το αρχαίο κείμενο σε ωραιότατα αγγλικά και νέα ελληνικά!
Εάν έκανα την ερώτηση αυτή σε ανθρώπους ειδικούς, θα χρειαζόταν ομάδα φιλολόγων να δουλέψει για εβδομάδες μέχρι να βγάλει άκρη και να δώσει σίγουρη απάντηση!
Και δεν έψαξε απλώς να βρει την φράση κάνοντας μια δουλειά που κάνει κάθε ψαχτήρι αλλά έκανε και κριτική ανάλυση και νοηματοδότηση σε δύσκολα κείμενα στα αρχαία ελληνικά και ανακάλυψε που θα μπορούσαν να υπάρχει συγγενές νόημα!
… δηλαδή έκανε δουλειά πραγματικά νοητική και όχι τεχνοκρατική!
ΕΡΩΤΗΣΗ
Can provide me the source of this quote?
It is Plato’s alleged quote, “We are twice armed if we fight with faith”
ΑΠΑΝΤΗΣΗ
The quote “We are twice armed if we fight with faith,” often attributed to Plato, appears to be apocryphal, as there is no direct evidence of it in his surviving works.
After investigating Plato’s texts and secondary sources, I cannot locate this exact quote in dialogues such as The Republic, Laws, Phaedo, or others.
Below, I’ll address the potential origins, provide context, and examine relevant ancient Greek text that might align thematically, since the precise quote doesn’t appear in Plato’s corpus.
Source Investigation
Plato’s works frequently discuss justice, courage, and the role of belief in action, particularly in dialogues like The Republic (where he explores the ideal state and virtues) or Laches (which examines courage). However, the specific phrasing “twice armed” and “fight with faith” is not found in standard translations (e.g., Jowett, Grube, or Waterfield) or the original Greek texts.
The quote’s modern, pithy style suggests it may be a later invention or a loose paraphrase rather than a verbatim statement from Plato.
A search for the quote on the web and X reveals it circulating in quote collections (e.g., Goodreads, BrainyQuote) and social media posts, often attributed to Plato without a specific dialogue or line number.
For instance, X posts from users sharing inspirational quotes repeat this line, but none provide a textual source.
Scholarly sources, such as the Perseus Digital Library or commentaries on Plato, do not reference this quote, reinforcing the likelihood that it’s misattributed.
The sentiment of the quote—emphasizing the strength derived from belief or conviction—vaguely resembles Plato’s discussions of courage and the soul’s conviction in Laches or The Republic.
For example, in Laches 190e-191e, Plato (through Socrates) explores courage as a combination of knowledge and steadfastness, which could loosely connect to “faith” in a philosophical sense.
Similarly, in The Republic Book 4 (429b-430b), Plato discusses the virtue of courage in the guardians, describing it as a preservation of belief about what is to be feared, instilled by education.
However, these passages do not use the imagery of being “twice armed” or explicitly mention “faith” in this context.
Relevant Ancient Greek Text
Since the exact quote isn’t found, I’ll provide a passage from The Republic Book 4 (429c-430b), where Plato discusses courage (andreia), which is the closest thematic parallel to the idea of strength through conviction:
Ancient Greek (from The Republic 4, 429c-d):
Τὴν δὲ ἀνδρείαν τίνα τίθεσαι; ἔγωγε, ἦ δ’ ὅς, ταύτην, ἣν περὶ τῶν δεινῶν καὶ μὴ δεινῶν δόξαν κατέχουσαν διὰ πάντων διασῴζει, οὔτε ὑπὸ φόβων οὔτε ὑπὸ ἡδονῶν οὔτε ὑπὸ ἄλλου πάθους ἀπορρεῖν ἐῶσα.
Transliteration:
Tēn de andreian tina tithesai? Egōge, ē d’ hos, tautēn, hēn peri tōn deinōn kai mē deinōn doxan katechousan dia pantōn diasōzei, oute hypo phobōn oute hypo hēdonōn oute hypo allou pathous aporrein eōsa.
Translation (Modern English):
And what do you call courage? I said: That which preserves, through all circumstances, the belief about what is and isn’t to be feared, not allowing it to be washed away by fears, pleasures, or any other passion.
Modern Greek Translation:
Και πώς ορίζεις την ανδρεία; Εγώ, είπε, την θεωρώ ως αυτήν που διατηρεί σε κάθε περίσταση την πεποίθηση για το τι πρέπει και τι δεν πρέπει να φοβόμαστε, χωρίς να αφήνει αυτή την πεποίθηση να παρασυρθεί από φόβους, ηδονές ή οποιοδήποτε άλλο πάθος.
This passage connects to the quote’s theme of inner conviction (“faith”) strengthening one’s resolve, akin to being “armed.”
However, it lacks the specific phrasing of “twice armed” or “fight with faith,” and Plato’s focus is on philosophical courage rather than martial imagery.
Why the Quote May Be Misattributed
The quote’s concise, motivational tone and use of “faith” feel anachronistic for Plato, who typically frames conviction in terms of knowledge (epistēmē) or belief (doxa) rather than faith in a modern religious or emotional sense.
The phrase “twice armed” resembles later rhetorical flourishes, possibly from 19th- or 20th-century literature or speeches, misattributed to Plato for added authority.
Similar misattributions occur with other philosophers, like Aristotle’s alleged quote about apathy and tolerance (as discussed previously).
Conclusion
The quote “We are twice armed if we fight with faith” cannot be sourced to Plato’s surviving works and is likely a modern fabrication or misattribution. The closest thematic parallel is in The Republic Book 4 (429c-430b), where Plato discusses courage as preserving belief against external pressures, as shown in the provided Greek text and translations.
If you’d like me to explore other Platonic dialogues (e.g., Laches or Apology) for related themes or search X for further instances of this quote, let me know!