Includes bibliographical references (p. [219]-228) and indexes.

Preliminary Materials / R.M. Van Den Berg -- Chapter One. Plato’s Cratylus And Aristotle’s De Interpretatione: Setting The Scene / R.M. Van Den Berg -- Chapter Two. The Middle Platonists: Constructing Platonic Doctrines / R.M. Van Den Berg -- Chapter Three. Porphyry’s Aristotelian Semantic Theory And Proclus’ Platonic Criticism Of It / R.M. Van Den Berg -- Chapter Four. Proclus’ Commentary On The Cratylus (I): The Issue Of The Correctness Of Names / R.M. Van Den Berg -- Chapter Five. Proclus’ Commentary On The Cratylus (II): Naming, Dialectic, And The Divine Intellect / R.M. Van Den Berg -- Chapter Six. Proclus’ Commentary On The Cratylus (III): Learning From Divine Names / R.M. Van Den Berg -- Chapter Seven. After Proclus / R.M. Van Den Berg -- Bibliography / R.M. Van Den Berg -- Indices / R.M. Van Den Berg.

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The Cratylus contains Plato’s important, yet ambiguous discussion of language. By studying the reception of this text in antiquity, this book explores the various ideas on language and its relation to philosophy in the Platonic tradition. This discussion provides the backdrop for a detailed analysis of the commentary on the dialogue by Proclus. His, often original, views on language are, it appears, the product of a critical reevaluation of those of his predecessors, whereas his interpretation of the Cratylus throws new light on that dialogue. This book will thus be of interest both to students of Plato and the Platonic tradition, as well as to those working on ancient theories of language.