Classical literature; Logic -- Early works to 1800; Philosophy, Ancient; Socrates, 470 BC-399 BC; Sophists (Greek philosophy)
He had arrived at the conclusion that Cleinias must become a
philosopher. And philosophy is the possession of knowledge; and
knowledge must be of a kind which is profitable and may be used. What
knowledge is there which has such a nature? Not the knowledge which is
required in any particular art; nor again the art of the composer of
speeches, who knows how to write them, but cannot speak them, although
he too must be admitted to be a kind of enchanter of wild animals.
Neither is the knowledge which we are seeking the knowledge of the
general. For the general makes over his prey to the statesman, as the
huntsman does to the cook, or the taker of quails to the keeper of
quails; he has not the use of that which he acquires. The two enquirers,
Cleinias and Socrates, are described as wandering about in a wilderness,
vainly searching after the art of life and happiness. At last they fix
upon the kingly art, as having the desired sort of knowledge. But the
kingly art only gives men those goods which are neither good nor evil:
and if we say further that it makes us wise, in what does it make us
wise? Not in special arts, such as cobbling or carpentering, but only
in itself: or say again that it makes us good, there is no answer to
the question, 'good in what?' At length in despair Cleinias and Socrates
turn to the 'Dioscuri' and request their aid.
Euthydemus argues that Socrates knows something; and as he cannot
know and not know, he cannot know some things and not know others, and
therefore he knows all things: he and Dionysodorus and all other men
know all things. 'Do they know shoemaking, etc?' 'Yes.' The sceptical
Ctesippus would like to have some evidence of this extraordinary
statement: he will believe if Euthydemus will tell him how many teeth
Dionysodorus has, and if Dionysodorus will give him a like piece of
information about Euthydemus. Even Socrates is incredulous, and indulges
in a little raillery at the expense of the brothers. But he restrains
himself, remembering that if the men who are to be his teachers think
him stupid they will take no pains with him. Another fallacy is
produced which turns on the absoluteness of the verb 'to know.' And here
Dionysodorus is caught 'napping,' and is induced by Socrates to confess
that 'he does not know the good to be unjust.' Socrates appeals to his
brother Euthydemus; at the same time he acknowledges that he cannot,
like Heracles, fight against a Hydra, and even Heracles, on the approach
of a second monster, called upon his nephew Iolaus to help. Dionysodorus
rejoins that Iolaus was no more the nephew of Heracles than of Socrates.
For a nephew is a nephew, and a brother is a brother, and a father is
a father, not of one man only, but of all; nor of men only, but of dogs
and sea-monsters. Ctesippus makes merry with the consequences which
follow: 'Much good has your father got out of the wisdom of his
puppies.'
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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