Page - 410 - in The Complete Plato

(aei ischon roun), and that is now beaten together into aischron. HERMOGENES: But what do you say of kalon? SOCRATES: That is more obscure; yet the form is only due to the quantity, and has been changed by altering omicron upsilon into omicron. HERMOGENES: What do you mean? SOCRATES: This name appears to denote mind. HERMOGENES: How so? SOCRATES: Let me ask you what is the cause why anything has a name; is not the principle which imposes the name the cause? HERMOGENES: Certainly. SOCRATES: And must not this be the mind of Gods, or of men, or of both? HERMOGENES: Yes. SOCRATES: Is not mind that which called (kalesan) things by their names, and is not mind the beautiful (kalon)? HERMOGENES: That is evident. SOCRATES: And are not the works of intelligence and mind worthy of praise, and are not other works worthy of blame? HERMOGENES: Certainly. SOCRATES: Physic does the work of a physician, and carpentering does the works of a carpenter? HERMOGENES: Exactly. SOCRATES: And the principle of beauty does the works of beauty? HERMOGENES: Of course. SOCRATES: And that principle we affirm to be mind? HERMOGENES: Very true. SOCRATES: Then mind is rightly called beauty because she does the works which we recognize and speak of as the beautiful? HERMOGENES: That is evident. SOCRATES: What more names remain to us? HERMOGENES: There are the words which are connected with agathon and kalon, such as sumpheron and lusiteloun, ophelimon, kerdaleon, and their opposites. 410