_Sokr._--Is not the case similar with men? Is it not the same art, which punishes men rightly, makes them better, and best distinguishes the good from the bad? whether applied to one, few, or many? _Erast._--It is so.[17] _Sokr._--The art or science, whereby men punish evil-doers rightly, is the judicial or justice: and it is by the same that they know the good apart from the bad, either one or many. If any man be a stranger to this art, so as not to know good men apart from bad, is he not also ignorant of himself, whether he be a good or a bad man? _Erast._--Yes: he is. _Sokr._--To be ignorant of yourself, is to be wanting in sobriety or temperance; to know yourself is to be sober or temperate. But this is the same art as that by which we punish rightly--or justice. Therefore justice and temperance are the same: and the Delphian rescript, _Know thyself_, does in fact enjoin the practice both of justice and of sobriety.[18] _Erast._--So it appears. _Sokr._--Now it is by this same art, when practised by a king, rightly punishing evil-doers, that cities are well governed; it is by the same art practised by a private citizen or house-master, that the house is well-governed: so that this art, justice or sobriety, is at the same time political, regal, economical; and the just and sober man is at once the true king, statesman, house-master.[19] _Erast._--I admit it. [Footnote 17: Plato, Erast. 137 C-D.] [Footnote 18: Plato, Erast. 138 A.] [Footnote 19: Plato, Erast. 138 C.] [Side-note: In this art the philosopher must not only be second-best, competent to talk--but he must be a fully qualified practitioner, competent to act.]