Socrates Come then, what is “taking pains over oneself” — 128a for we may perchance be taking, unawares, no pains over ourselves, though we think we are — and when does a man actually do it? Does he take pains over himself at the same time as over his own things? Alcibiades I at least believe so. Socrates Well now, [hide]when does a man take pains over his feet? Is it when he takes pains over what belongs to his feet? Alcibiades I do not understand. Socrates Is there anything you can name as belonging to the hand? For instance, […]
Monthly Archives: September 2013
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Ah, my remarkable friend, listen to me and the Delphic motto, 124b “Know thyself”; for these people are our competitors, not those whom you think; and there is nothing that will give us ascendancy over them save only pains and skill. [hide]If you are found wanting in these, you will be found wanting also in achievement of renown among Greeks and barbarians both; and of this I observe you to be more enamored than anyone else ever was of anything. Alcibiades Well then, what are the pains that I must take, Socrates? Can you enlighten me? For I must say […]
[hide]Alcibiades But I am not sure I should be able, Socrates, to set it forth to you. Socrates Well, my good sir, imagine I am the people in Assembly; even there, you know, you will have to persuade each man singly, will you not? Alcibiades Yes. Socrates And the same man may well persuade one person singly, 114c and many together, about things that he knows, just as the schoolmaster, I suppose, persuades either one or many about letters? Alcibiades Yes. Socrates And again, will not the same man persuade either one or many about number? Alcibiades Yes. Socrates And […]
[hide]Alcibiades I think, Socrates, that the Athenians and the rest of the Greeks rarely deliberate as to which is the more just or unjust course: for they regard questions of this sort as obvious; and so they pass them over and consider which course will prove more expedient in the result. For the just and the expedient, I take it, are not the same, but many people have profited by great wrongs that they have committed, whilst others, I imagine, have had no advantage from doing what was right. Socrates What then? Granting that the just and the expedient 113e […]
Alcibiades But what if I cannot? Do you think I could not know about what is just and unjust in any other way? Socrates Yes, you might, supposing you discovered it. Alcibiades But do you not think I might discover it? Socrates Yes, quite so, if you inquired. Alcibiades And do you not think I might inquire? Socrates I do, if you thought you did not know. Alcibiades And was there not a time when I held that view? Socrates Well spoken. Then can you tell me at what time it was 110a that you thought you did not know […]
Socrates Now then: you intend, as I say, to come forward as adviser to the Athenians in no great space of time; well, suppose I were to take hold of you as you were about to ascend the platform, and were to ask you: “Alcibiades, on what subject do the Athenians propose to take advice, that should ? Is it something ?” What would be your reply? 106d Alcibiades I should say, I suppose, it was something about which I knew better than they. Socrates Then you are a good adviser on things about which you actually know. Alcibiades To […]