Dear readers,
I need to make an important correction to several of my previous posts discussing Plato's Republic and the qualities of good character.
While reviewing the original Greek text, something kept bothering me about my use of "autos logos" when referring to the quality of reasonableness that Cephalus mentions in his conversation with Socrates. After closer examination of Republic 330a, I realized my error - the phrase "ho autos logos" (ὁ αὐτὸς λόγος) actually means "the same principle/argument" and refers to the comparison Cephalus is making between wealth/poverty and character traits, not to the character trait itself.
In this passage, Cephalus tells the story of Themistocles and the man from Seriphos, then states that "the same principle applies" to those who bear old age with difficulty: neither would a reasonable person easily bear old age with poverty, nor would an unreasonable person who becomes wealthy ever be content.
The correct term Cephalus uses for the reasonable character trait is "epieikēs" (ἐπιεικής), when he explicitly contrasts "ho epieikēs" (the reasonable person) with "ho mē epieikēs" (the unreasonable person).
To clarify, the four character traits that foreshadow Plato's tetradic model are:
Eukoloi (εὔκολοι) - "easily satisfied" with moderation in desires
Epieikēs (ἐπιεικής) - "reasonable" or "decent" in judgment
Kosmioi (κόσμιοι) - "well-ordered" or "disciplined" in conduct
Just and pious - in fulfilling obligations to others
I wish I had caught this sooner, but I'm grateful that the inconsistency continued to nag at me until I resolved it. Philosophical precision matters, and getting the details right is important for proper understanding of these profound ideas.