Best natures and the formation of learners

Use in the book

The Athenian describes the best natures as rare in origin and maximally beneficial when they do appear (989b). Their excellence is not reduced to rapid intellectual performance. A soul must receive the characteristics of a slow nature and its contrary moderately and gently. The compressed expression is best retained as a balanced receptiveness to contrasting dispositions; the text does not supply a technical psychological classification with fixed names and measured proportions.

Such a soul admires courage and is persuadable toward temperance. Its capacity to learn, memory, and delight in learning are then added as especially important (989b–c2). This returns to the quickness and memory rejected as sufficient titles to wisdom at 976b–c2. There is no contradiction if those abilities are treated here as qualifications for education. Being able to learn and remember is different from having learned the right things, understood their relations, and acquired the required moral orientation.

Nature also does not make nourishment and education dispensable. The rare learners must receive the upbringing they need. Only then can they properly restrain the greater and worse part of the civic population by intelligent action and speech about gods, sacrifices, and purifications. Their claim to rule depends upon true honor of virtue, not manipulation through appearances (989c–d). This passage is selective and hierarchical: its “best” is the Athenian's normative category, not a claim that the studies are equally available to all without differences in aptitude.

The astronomical description sharpens the restriction: no nature will easily become adequate to contemplate the seven circuits without a share in a wonderful nature (990a–b). The ending again joins naturally possessed virtue with the full blessed subject of learning (992c–d). A reader should therefore avoid both reducing the account to hereditary privilege and turning it into a modern promise that technique alone will produce the same wisdom in everyone. The text requires a conjunction of disposition, moral responsiveness, education, and sustained practice.

Places to read

1. 989bἐν ταῖς ἀρίσταις φύσεσιν — Even the best natures have lacked the relevant piety through ignorance
2. 989bμετρίως ἀποδεχομένη ψυχὴ καὶ πρᾴως — Moderate and gentle reception characterizes the suitable soul
3. 989bεὔκολος; πρὸς τὸ σωφρονεῖν εὐπειθής — Good nature and persuadability toward temperance
4. 989cδυναμένη μανθάνειν καὶ μνήμων οὖσα — Capacity for learning and memory
5. 989cφιλομαθὴς ὥστ’ εἶναι — Delight makes the soul a lover of learning
6. 989cτροφῆς καὶ παιδείας τυχόντα ἧς δεῖ — The natures must also obtain the required nourishment and education
7. 990bμὴ θαυμαστῆς μετέχουσα φύσεως — The exceptional nature required for contemplation

Translation in this edition

The English keeps “nature” across this passage, rather than replacing it everywhere with “talent.” It renders eukolos “good-natured,” mnēmōn “having a good memory,” and philomathēs “a lover of learning.” Those choices preserve the movement from disposition to enjoyment, instruction, and civic usefulness.

Positive regard for courage — ἄγασθαι (agasthai)

ἄγασθαι (agasthai)

Positive regard for courage. The suitable nature admires courage as well as being persuadable toward temperance; intellectual aptitude is not its sole criterion. Attested: ἀγαμένη (989b). Best natures and the formation of learners.

Value of rare natures — ὄφελος (ophelos)

ὄφελος (ophelos)

Value of rare natures. The best natures are difficult to produce but of the greatest benefit when properly formed. Attested: ὄφελος (989b). Best natures and the formation of learners.

Manner of reception — πρᾷος (praios)

πρᾷος (praios)

Manner of reception. The adverb gently qualifies the suitable soul's response to opposed dispositions and complements moderate balance. Attested: πρᾴως (989b). Best natures and the formation of learners.

Temperamental suitability — εὔκολος (eukolos)

εὔκολος (eukolos)

Temperamental suitability. The soul's balanced and gentle receptivity makes it good-natured, a qualification for education rather than completed wisdom. Attested: εὔκολος (989b). Best natures and the formation of learners.

Educated civic restraint — κατέχειν (katechein)

κατέχειν (katechein)

Educated civic restraint. Properly nourished and educated best natures can restrain the more numerous and worse people through intelligent conduct and speech. Attested: κατέχειν (989c). Best natures and the formation of learners.

Delight in the right studies — φιλομαθής (philomathēs)

φιλομαθής (philomathēs)

Delight in the right studies. The suitable soul enjoys learning, joining intellectual capacity and memory to an active desire to study. Attested: φιλομαθὴς (989c). Best natures and the formation of learners.

Balanced reception — μετρίως (metriōs)

μετρίως (metriōs)

Balanced reception. The suitable soul receives slow and contrary natural characteristics moderately; the text does not spell out a technical personality taxonomy. Attested: μετρίως (989b). Best natures and the formation of learners.

Formation of the learner — τροφή (trophē)

τροφή (trophē)

Formation of the learner. The rare natures need appropriate nourishment and education before they can govern intelligently. Attested: τροφῆς (989c). Best natures and the formation of learners.

Responsiveness to temperance — εὐπειθής (eupeithēs)

εὐπειθής (eupeithēs)

Responsiveness to temperance. The good learner is persuadable toward being temperate, giving moral direction to teachability. Attested: εὐπειθής (989b). Best natures and the formation of learners.

Memory as qualification — μνήμων (mnēmōn)

μνήμων (mnēmōn)

Memory as qualification. A good memory supports learning in the best natures; it is necessary capacity, not a sufficient title to wisdom by itself. Attested: μνήμων (989c). Best natures and the formation of learners.

Authority of the best part — κύριος (kyrios)

κύριος (kyrios)

Authority of the best part. The educated best nature or part is called most sovereign by nature and maximally capable of learning; the claim belongs to a selective civic hierarchy. Attested: κυριώτατον (989d). Best natures and the formation of learners.