but right and justice. ’Tis necessary for thee to {30} learn all things, both the abiding essence of persuasive truth, and men’s opinions in which rests no true belief. But nevertheless these things also thou shalt learn, since it is necessary to judge accurately the things that rest on opinion, passing all things carefully in review. CONCERNING TRUTH. Come now I will tell thee—and do thou hear my word and heed it—what are the only ways of {35} enquiry that lead to knowledge. The one way, assuming that being is and that it is impossible for it not to be, is the trustworthy path, for truth attends it. The other, that not-being is and that it necessarily is, I call a wholly incredible course, {40} since thou canst not recognise not-being (for this is impossible), nor couldst thou speak of it, for thought and being are the same thing. It makes no difference to me at what point I begin, for I shall always come back again to this. It is necessary both to say and to think that being is; for it is possible that being is, and it is impossible {45} that not-being is; this is what I bid thee ponder. I restrain thee from this first course of investigation; and from that course also along which mortals knowing nothing wander aimlessly, since helplessness directs the roaming thought in their bosoms, and they are borne on deaf and likewise {50} blind, amazed, headstrong races, they who consider being and not-being as the same and not the same; and that all things follow a back-turning course.[58] That things which are not are, shall never prevail, she said, but do thou restrain thy mind from this course of investigation. And let not long-practised habit compel thee {55} along this path, thine eye careless, thine ear and thy tongue overpowered by noise; but do thou weigh the much contested refutation of their words, which I have uttered. There is left but this single path to tell thee of: namely, that being is. And on this path there are many proofs that being is without beginning and {60} indestructible; it is universal, existing alone, immovable and without end; nor ever was it nor will it be, since it now _is_, all together, one, and continuous. For what generating of it wilt thou seek out? From what did it grow, and how? I will not permit thee to say or to think that it came from not-being; for it is impossible to think or to say that not-being {65} is. What thing would then have stirred it into activity that it should arise from not-being later rather than earlier? So it is necessary that being either is absolutely or is not. Nor will the force of the argument permit that anything spring from {70} being except being itself. Therefore justice does not slacken her fetters to permit generation or destruction, but holds being firm. (The decision as to these things comes in at this point.)