From the book
Lysis
Plato · Diotimos Editions · 2026
Browse this book’s lexicon →Orientation
At a Glance
- The wordAntilogikos means practised in contradiction; one who argues against a claim.
- In LysisThe imagined ἀντιλογικοί are called “all-wise” and pictured as eagerly leaping on the assertion that opposites are friends.
- Reading contextThe word should not by itself identify a particular historical group or demonstrate that every act of contradiction is merely dishonest.
- A place to readThe Greek example means “The all-wise men, the masters of contradiction.”
- English renderings
- Practised in contradiction; one who argues against a claim
Meaning
Practised in contradiction; one who argues against a claim.
Grammatical category: adjective; substantival plural.
Use in the book
The imagined ἀντιλογικοί are called “all-wise” and pictured as eagerly leaping on the assertion that opposites are friends. Their objection asks whether enmity is not the opposite of friendship.
The description has a teasing dramatic tone, but the objection is taken seriously and used to reject the unrestricted proposition. The word should not by itself identify a particular historical group or demonstrate that every act of contradiction is merely dishonest.