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That is not the true way of pursuing the enquiry, Socrates, he said; for
wisdom is not like the other sciences, any more than they are like one another:
but you proceed as if they were alike. For tell me, he said, what result is there
of computation or geometry, in the same sense as a house is the result of
building, or a garment of weaving, or any other work of any other art? Can
you show me any such result of them? You cannot.
That is true, I said; but still each of these sciences has a subject which is
different from the science. I can show you that the art of computation has to
do with odd and even numbers in their numerical relations to themselves and
to each other. Is not that true?
Yes, he said.
And the odd and even numbers are not the same with the art of
computation?
They are not.
The art of weighing, again, has to do with lighter and heavier; but the art of
weighing is one thing, and the heavy and the light another. Do you admit that?
Yes.
Now, I want to know, what is that which is not wisdom, and of which
wisdom is the science?
You are just falling into the old error, Socrates, he said. You come asking in
what wisdom or temperance differs from the other sciences, and then you try
to discover some respect in which they are alike; but they are not, for all the
other sciences are of something else, and not of themselves; wisdom alone is
a science of other sciences, and of itself. And of this, as I believe, you are
very well aware: and that you are only doing what you denied that you were
doing just now, trying to refute me, instead of pursuing the argument.
And what if I am? How can you think that I have any other motive in
refuting you but what I should have in examining into myself? which motive
would be just a fear of my unconsciously fancying that I knew something of
which I was ignorant. And at this moment I pursue the argument chiefly for
my own sake, and perhaps in some degree also for the sake of my other
friends. For is not the discovery of things as they truly are, a good common to
all mankind?
Yes, certainly, Socrates, he said.
Then, I said, be cheerful, sweet sir, and give your opinion in answer to the
question which I asked, never minding whether Critias or Socrates is the
person refuted; attend only to the argument, and see what will come of the
51
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book The Complete Plato"
The Complete Plato
- Title
- The Complete Plato
- Author
- Plato
- Date
- ~347 B.C.
- Language
- English
- License
- PD
- Size
- 21.0 x 29.7 cm
- Pages
- 1612
- Keywords
- Philosophy, Antique, Philosophie, Antike, Dialogues, Metaphysik, Metaphysics, Ideologie, Ideology, Englisch
- Categories
- Geisteswissenschaften
- International