Page - 656 - in The Complete Plato

keeps in some other aviaries or graven on waxen blocks according to your foolish images, and which he may be said to know while he possesses them, even though he have them not at hand in his mind? And thus, in a perpetual circle, you will be compelled to go round and round, and you will make no progress.’ What are we to say in reply, Theaetetus? THEAETETUS: Indeed, Socrates, I do not know what we are to say. SOCRATES: Are not his reproaches just, and does not the argument truly show that we are wrong in seeking for false opinion until we know what knowledge is; that must be first ascertained; then, the nature of false opinion? THEAETETUS: I cannot but agree with you, Socrates, so far as we have yet gone. SOCRATES: Then, once more, what shall we say that knowledge is?—for we are not going to lose heart as yet. THEAETETUS: Certainly, I shall not lose heart, if you do not. SOCRATES: What definition will be most consistent with our former views? THEAETETUS: I cannot think of any but our old one, Socrates. SOCRATES: What was it? THEAETETUS: Knowledge was said by us to be true opinion; and true opinion is surely unerring, and the results which follow from it are all noble and good. SOCRATES: He who led the way into the river, Theaetetus, said ‘The experiment will show;’ and perhaps if we go forward in the search, we may stumble upon the thing which we are looking for; but if we stay where we are, nothing will come to light. THEAETETUS: Very true; let us go forward and try. SOCRATES: The trail soon comes to an end, for a whole profession is against us. THEAETETUS: How is that, and what profession do you mean? SOCRATES: The profession of the great wise ones who are called orators and lawyers; for these persuade men by their art and make them think whatever they like, but they do not teach them. Do you imagine that there are any teachers in the world so clever as to be able to convince others of the truth about acts of robbery or violence, of which they were not eye- witnesses, while a little water is flowing in the clepsydra? 656