Callicles was an ancient Athenian political philosopher who is described in the Gorgias, one of Plato's dialogues, where he is represented by a young student. Along with Thrasymachus, another character of the Greek philosopher mentioned in Book I of The Republic, Callicles denounced the virtue of justice as a natural brake on personal interest.
Both are considered by popular mythology as immoralist or amoralist. Callicles praises the skill of the man who ignores conventional justice: he believes that true justice is the triumph of this person. It affirms that the institutions and the moral codes were not established by the gods, but by men to satisfy their interests.
Gorgias, the book in which Callicles is described
Apparently, Callicles is only a character invented by Plato, because it is not certain that he actually existed, unlike other characters mentioned by the Greek philosopher in his famous Platonic dialogues, such as Thrasymachus.
In the Gorgias Callicles he defended the natural right of the strongest or superior, and affirmed that nature and law are two totally opposite things, but they should not be.
Biography
This character who appears as the protagonist in Plato's Gorgias navigates between myth and reality. Its period of life is located between 430 and 405 a. C. He could probably be a real historical person, but there is no evidence for this, except for his appearance in the Platonic dialogue.
As a character, Callicles achieved autonomy from his own author and transcended his time. It was precisely the ideas he was trying to destroy that contributed to his formidable rebirth. His influence on modern political philosophy is highly valued.
There has been a debate regarding its existence in real life. Except in Gorgias, no other historical text makes reference to him.
In case it existed, it seems strange that there has not been a historical record about someone with his overwhelming personality, or at least some trace of life.
Everything that is known about him is described in the Gorgias, which describes him as an Athenian aristocrat with great political ambitions, as well as enjoying extensive personal relationships.
On the other hand, the other character with equal significance in the Platonic dialogues (Thrasymachus) was indeed a real person. He excelled as a diplomat and orator, and his fame spread throughout Greece, although only a little is known about his actual views as well. On the other hand, of Callicles absolutely nothing is known, apart from the work of Plato.
Who really is Callicles?
This figure is part of Greek philosophical mythology. However, some more contemporary thinkers point out that there are elements to think that it is something more than a Greek literary invention.
Either way, the Gorgias repeatedly describes him as the antithesis of Socrates, who opens the debate by inquiring about how much the two have in common. In their speeches, each one defends their different ways of life.
The mystery surrounding Callicles' life opens room for doubt. His relationship with Plato raises some hypotheses. It is believed that the Greek philosopher had a secret sympathy for Callicles. It could perhaps be a portrait of Plato's self that he rejected.
Then there is another question of an ethical nature that some philosophers ask themselves: is it correct to identify Plato with a character that he himself abominated?
Hypothesis on Callicles
Apart from this hypothesis, there are three other hypotheses about Callicles that have a more historical character:
1- He is a historical and real character, both his name and his personality. The problem is, outside of the Gorgias, there are no references or proof that it ever existed.
2- The entire character of Callicles is an invention of Plato. The fact is that his doctrine transcends the Gorgias, and other well-known thinkers such as Pindar, Euripides and Thucydides, have shared them.
3- The only thing that Plato invented about Callicles was his name; everything else (the character as such and his story) is real. So who is hiding behind his mysterious and invented name? Some historians associate it with Caricles, who is part of the group of the Thirty Tyrants. Others link him to Alcibiades.
Although between the two characters there are similarities with Callicles, there are also marked differences. Therefore, they are discarded.
A final approach is with Critias who, according to the Scottish classical philosopher William Guthrie, fits "exactly the role of Callicles."
Critias
Critias was friend and disciple (bad friend and bad disciple, really) of Socrates, like Callicles. Another indication of their relationship is that Critias offers Socrates the same advice that Callicles gives him in the Gorgias.
Studies on both characters focus their analysis on their common traits: their personality, political convictions and literary production.
Contributions
-Calicles makes a distinction between nature (physis) and conventional law (nomos). He eloquently argues that the naturally strongest should take advantage of their condition to dominate, contrary to artificial laws created by man to protect the weakest.
- Defend the natural law of the strongest against created artificial laws that serve to protect the weak. According to this theory about the force that turns into law, the person does not use her force to benefit society but for her own benefit.
- According to Callicles, the law represents the greatest injustice against nature, because it tends to equal man. In practice, it creates the dictatorship of the weakest, since it does not submit to the strongest, but vice versa.
- He considers that the superior and powerful is equivalent to the best, but he agrees with Socrates that most people believe that justice is to distribute equally to all, which includes equal opportunities, punishment and security, among other aspects.
- Callicles' immoral challenge involves four main components, which are: the critique of conventional justice, the explanation of "justice according to nature", the theory of virtues and the hedonistic conception of the good.
References
- Callicles and Thrasymachus (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy). Consulted from plato.stanford.edu
- Callicles. Retrieved April 20, 2018 from rep.routledge.com
- Plato: The Republic. Consulted of um.es
- Callicles. Consulted from britannica.com
- Who is Callicles? Consulted of biographies.net
- Plato's Gorgias: Callicles and Socrates Debate. Consulted of sparknotes.com
- Bravo, Francisco (2013): Who is and what Plato's Callicles teaches. Consulted of periodicos.unb.br
- Callicles. Consulted of es.wikipedia.org