Building equipment and what suits the people

Use in the book

The passage moves from dwellings to all building and the production of equipment, then specifies smithing and the furnishing of carpentry, modeling, plaiting, and other instruments (975b–c). The inclusive language gives this category considerable scope. Architecture or a spectacular manufactured object cannot escape the governing question merely by being more elaborate than the first example.

The verdict is qualified rather than indiscriminately destructive. This production has what suits the people, but is not spoken of for virtue. Suitability names its practical relation to collective needs; virtue names the further standard it fails to satisfy. The speech does not claim that equipment cannot be used virtuously, or that a builder cannot possess virtues from another source. It denies that this expertise, as such, gives the qualification being sought.

The word organon returns immediately in the imitative arts, where performers use instruments and bodies (975d). An instrument can serve productive work or imitation; its possession does not settle the character of the activity. Likewise, “what suits” returns in the account of a quick-witted person who recalls a fitting response and acts promptly (976c). Fitness to a local need is admirable enough to explain a reputation for intelligence, but it still falls short of demonstrating comprehensive wisdom.

The list later supplies part of the evidence for arithmetic's ubiquity. Even when all these pursuits are allowed the name of craft, their operations cannot survive the removal of arithmetic (977d–e). Their practical usefulness is retained and explained through a more fundamental dependence.

Places to read

1. 975bἡ τῶν οἰκήσεών γε συνυφή — Dwellings are described through a joining or weaving together
2. 975b–cσύμπασα οἰκοδομία καὶ σκευῶν πάντων ἀπεργαστική — Building and the production of equipment are comprehensively included
3. 975cπλαστικῶν καὶ πλεκτικῶν — Modeling and plaiting belong to the specified instrument-producing activities
4. 975cσυμπάντων ὀργάνων παρασκευή — The list opens out to the furnishing of all instruments
5. 975cδήμῳ τὸ πρόσφορον ἔχουσα — Practical suitability is related to the people
6. 975cἀλλ’ οὐκ ἐπ’ ἀρετῇ λεγομένη — The denial concerns the further attribution of virtue

Translation in this edition

“Weaving together of dwellings” preserves the unusual synuphē rather than silently replacing it with a narrower building technique. “Equipment” and “instruments” keep skeuē and organa distinct. “Modeling” represents the plastic craft and should not be taken as the use of modern synthetic plastic.

Productive expertise — οἰκοδομία (oikodomia)

οἰκοδομία (oikodomia)

Productive expertise. All building is included among useful productive activities that do not, as such, confer the virtue and wisdom sought. Attested: οἰκοδομία (975b). Building equipment and what suits the people.

Carpentry instruments — τεκτονικός (tektonikos)

τεκτονικός (tektonikos)

Carpentry instruments. The genitive plural identifies the carpentry-related class within the furnishing of tools. It is an attested adjectival form, not an occurrence of a separately named carpenter. Attested: τεκτονικῶν (975b–c). Building equipment and what suits the people.

Structures joined together — οἴκησις (oikēsis)

οἴκησις (oikēsis)

Structures joined together. Dwellings are the objects of the weaving-together image in the catalogue of productive expertise. Attested: οἰκήσεών (975b). Building equipment and what suits the people.

Useful manufactured things — σκεῦος (skeuos)

σκεῦος (skeuos)

Useful manufactured things. All equipment is included in the productive art, whose practical fitness for the people is distinguished from virtue. Attested: σκευῶν (975b). Building equipment and what suits the people.

Provision of instruments — παρασκευή (paraskeuē)

παρασκευή (paraskeuē)

Provision of instruments. The preparation or supplying of instruments completes the list of useful productive activities. Attested: παρασκευή (975c). Building equipment and what suits the people.

Productive tool — ὄργανον (organon)

ὄργανον (organon)

Productive tool. The preparation of all instruments broadens the building-and-equipment catalogue beyond its named examples. Attested: ὀργάνων (975c). Building equipment and what suits the people.

Modeling instruments — πλαστικός (plastikos)

πλαστικός (plastikos)

Modeling instruments. The adjective belongs to the craft of molding or modeling within the catalogue of furnished instruments; it is unrelated to modern synthetic plastic. Attested: πλαστικῶν (975c). Building equipment and what suits the people.

Recipients of utility — δῆμος (dēmos)

δῆμος (dēmos)

Recipients of utility. The people are those for whom manufactured equipment is serviceable. The local phrase supplies no detailed constitutional classification. Attested: δήμῳ (975c). Building equipment and what suits the people.

Plaiting instruments — πλεκτικός (plektikos)

πλεκτικός (plektikos)

Plaiting instruments. The adjective identifies another tool-producing activity in the comprehensive catalogue of useful equipment. Attested: πλεκτικῶν (975c). Building equipment and what suits the people.

Manufacture of equipment — ἀπεργαστικός (apergastikos)

ἀπεργαστικός (apergastikos)

Manufacture of equipment. The feminine substantivized adjective names the art that produces every kind of equipment; it is grouped with building and smithing. Attested: ἀπεργαστική (975b–c). Building equipment and what suits the people.

Metalworking example — χαλκεία (chalkeia)

χαλκεία (chalkeia)

Metalworking example. Smithing specifies one of the equipment-producing activities; its inclusion does not identify a particular metal object or manufacturing method. Attested: χαλκεία (975b–c). Building equipment and what suits the people.

Suited to the people — πρόσφορος (prosphoros)

πρόσφορος (prosphoros)

Suited to the people. Equipment has what is suitable for the people, a practical concession distinguished from its not being credited with virtue. Attested: πρόσφορον (975c). Building equipment and what suits the people.

Image of construction — συνυφή (synuphē)

συνυφή (synuphē)

Image of construction. The joining of dwellings is described as a weaving together before the text broadens to all building. Attested: συνυφὴ (975b). Building equipment and what suits the people.

What suits the people without the virtue claim (contextual phrase)

δήμῳ τὸ πρόσφορον ἔχουσα, ἀλλ’ οὐκ ἐπ’ ἀρετῇ λεγομένη (975c)

The productive art possesses what is serviceable to the people, but its reputation does not rest on virtue. The dative identifies the recipients of its practical suitability. The sentence does not assert that every builder lacks personal virtues or that equipment can never be used well. Building equipment and what suits the people.