James Adam, The Republic of Plato

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τὸ μὴ τὴν αὐτὴν κτλ. See cr. n. The omission of μή was perhaps due to the erroneous idea that διώκομεν below meant ‘to attack.’ In reality, it means ‘we are pursuing’ (the proposition that), i.e. ‘we are insisting that.’ The way for this somewhat strained use is prepared by διώκειν τὴν ἐναντίωσιν just above. Plato is in fact applying the expression τοῦ λεχθέντος τὴν ἐναντίωσιν to the special case before us. τὸ λεχθέν would in this case be that ‘different natures are to follow the same pursuits’ (453 E τὰς ἄλλας φύσεις τὰ αὐτά φαμεν νῦν δεῖν ἐπιτηδεῦσαι). Its ἐναντίωσις is that ‘different natures are not to have the same pursuits.’ For τὴν αὐτήν we must therefore read either <μὴ> τὴν αὐτήν or else τὴν ἄλλην (with Baiter). I prefer the former, both because it has some MS authority, and also because, if Plato had chosen to use ἄλλος, he would probably have written τὰς ἄλλας φύσεις as in 453 E. It is also true, as J. and C. observe, that “the opposition of μὴ τὴν αὐτήν, οὐ τῶν αὐτῶν is more like Plato than the conjectural reading τὴν ἄλλην.” Translate ‘we cling to the verbal point and insist that what is not the same nature ought not to have the same pursuits.’