Medicine, music, and gymnastics as fields of expertise

Use in the book

When Theages says the desired wisdom rules human beings, Socrates immediately divides that broad description into familiar cases (123e). Medicine rules the sick; music directs singers in choruses; gymnastics directs those exercising. Theages excludes each. The series shows that “human beings” does not yet distinguish political ambition from recognized specialized activities involving people.

The examples also complicate a simple opposition between rule of things and rule of persons. Piloting and charioteering had offered ships and horses. The present fields already involve human recipients, but their expertise is specified through the activity or condition of those people. A physician's relevant group is not a permanent human class but those who are sick; singers and exercisers are identified by what they are doing.

Theages next answers “those in the city” (124a). Socrates points out that the sick are in the city too. Merely changing the description from people to city-dwellers does not remove the overlap. Theages must say he means these and the others as well. Thus the medical example is reused as a test of logical inclusion: an answer can be broader without yet being uniquely identifying.

These examples should not be taken as a developed theory of the coercive authority of doctors, chorus leaders, or trainers. The common verb is “rule,” but the passage does not investigate each practice's legal powers or relationships of consent. Their argumentative role is classification by field. Importing a full Platonic doctrine of medicine's ethical superiority would exceed what this dialogue says.

Gymnastic activity later receives a separate treatment in Charmides' story (128e). He reasons that exercise can benefit him even without victory, whereas Socrates reports a daimonic warning against his intended training. That narrative tests the adequacy of an expected benefit in a particular case; it does not revoke the earlier recognition of gymnastics as a distinct skill. The two passages share bodily training while posing different questions, one taxonomic and the other about warning and outcome.

Places to read

1. 123eτῶν καμνόντων; Ἰατρικὴ — The sick identify medicine's field
2. 123eτῶν ᾀδόντων … ἐν τοῖς χοροῖς; Μουσικὴ — Choral singers identify music's field
3. 123eτῶν γυμναζομένων; Γυμναστικὴ — Those exercising identify the trainer's field
4. 124aἐν τῇ πόλει εἰσὶν καὶ οἱ κάμνοντες — The medical group is included among those in the city
5. 128eγυμνασάμενός γε — Charmides expects benefit from the period spent exercising

Translation in this edition

“Music” at 123e translates Burnet's printed μουσικὴ, a correction against μουσικῆς in B, T, and W. The nominative supplies the name of the relevant wisdom. The broader associations of mousikē do not justify translating this specifically choral example as every liberal or literary subject.

Being sick — κάμνειν (kamnein)

κάμνειν (kamnein)

Being sick. A condition that identifies medicine's relevant human group. Attested: καμνόντων (123e). Medicine, music, and gymnastics as fields of expertise.

Choruses — χορός (choros)

χορός (choros)

Choruses. The organized singing groups in the musical example. Attested: χοροῖς (123e). Medicine, music, and gymnastics as fields of expertise.

Exercising — γυμνάζεσθαι (gymnazesthai)

γυμνάζεσθαι (gymnazesthai)

Exercising. The activity identifying the trainer's group. Attested: γυμναζομένων (123e). Medicine, music, and gymnastics as fields of expertise.

Gymnastics — γυμναστική (gymnastikē)

γυμναστική (gymnastikē)

Gymnastics. Expert bodily training as one field governing people. Attested: Γυμναστικὴ (123e). Medicine, music, and gymnastics as fields of expertise.

Medicine — ἰατρική (iatrikē)

ἰατρική (iatrikē)

Medicine. The expertise directing the sick, excluded by Theages as his specific goal. Attested: Ἰατρικὴ (123e). Medicine, music, and gymnastics as fields of expertise.

Music — μουσική (mousikē)

μουσική (mousikē)

Music. The competence directing choral singers, not the whole desired political field. Attested: Μουσικὴ (123e). Medicine, music, and gymnastics as fields of expertise.

Singing — ᾄδειν (aidein)

ᾄδειν (aidein)

Singing. The activity identifying those directed by musical expertise. Attested: ᾀδόντων (123e). Medicine, music, and gymnastics as fields of expertise.