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Hortatory Address to the Greeks

Justin Martyr

Chapter 23

About this work

Author: Justin Martyr

Chapter XXIII.—Plato’s self-contradiction.

But, perhaps, some who are unwilling to abandon

‹ Chapter 22 Chapter 24 ›

the

doctrines

of

polytheism

,

will

say

that

to

these

fashioned

gods

the

maker

said

,

“

Since

ye

have

been

produced

,

ye

are

not

immortal

,

nor

at

all

,

imperishable

;

yet

shall

ye

not

perish

nor

succumb

to

the

fatality

of

death

,

because

you

have

obtained

my

will

,

which

is

a

still

greater

and

mightier

bond

.

”

Here

Plato

,

through

fear

of

the

adherents

of

polytheism

,

introduces

his

“

maker

”

uttering

words

which

contradict

himself

.

For

having

formerly

stated

that

he

said

that

everything

which

is

produced

is

perishable

,

he

now

introduces

him

saying

the

very

opposite

;

and

he

does

not

see

that

it

is

thus

absolutely

impossible

for

him

to

escape

the

charge

of

falsehood

.

For

he

either

at

first

uttered

what

is

false

when

he

said

that

everything

which

is

produced

is

perishable

,

or

now

,

when

he

propounds

the

very

opposite

to

what

he

had

formerly

said

.

For

if

,

according

to

his

former

definition

,

it

is

absolutely

necessary

that

every

created

thing

be

perishable

,

how

can

he

consistently

make

that

possible

which

is

absolutely

impossible

?

So

that

Plato

seems

to

grant

an

empty

and

impossible

prerogative

to

his

“

maker

,

”

when

he

propounds

that

those

who

were

once

perishable

because

made

from

matter

should

again

,

by

his

intervention

,

become

imperishable

and

enduring

.

For

it

is

quite

natural

that

the

power

of

matter

,

which

,

according

to

Plato’s

opinion

,

is

uncreated

,

and

contemporary

and

coæval

with

the

maker

,

should

resist

his

will

.

For

he

who

has

not

created

has

no

power

,

in

respect

of

that

which

is

uncreated

,

so

that

it

is

not

possible

that

it

(

matter

)

,

being

free

,

can

be

controlled

by

any

external

necessity

.

Wherefore

Plato

himself

,

in

consideration

of

this

,

has

written

thus

:

“

It

is

necessary

to

affirm

that

God

cannot

suffer

violence

.

”

Notes

49
That is, “my will to the contrary.” See Plato, Tim., p. 41 [cap 13].