Compare Plato, Republic, v. p. 479, where he maintains that in every particular case, what is just, honourable, virtuous, &c., is also unjust, dishonourable, vicious, &c. Nothing remains unchanged, nor excludes the contrary, except the pure, self-existent, Idea or general Concept.--[Greek: au)to\-dikaiosu/nê], &c.] [Footnote 11: Plato, Alkib. i. 116 E.] [Footnote 12: The words [Greek: eu)= pra/ttein--eu)pragi/a] have a double sense, like our "doing well". Stallbaum, Proleg. p. 175; Steinhart, Einl. p. 149. We have, p. 116 B, the equivocation between [Greek: kalô=s pra/ttein] and [Greek: eu)= pra/ttein], also with [Greek: kakô=s pra/ttein], p. 134 A, 135 A; compare Heindorf ad Platon. Charmid. p. 172 A, p. 174 B; also Platon. Gorgias, p. 507 C, where similar equivocal meanings occur.] [Side-note: Humiliation of Alkibiades. Other Athenian statesmen are equally ignorant. But the real opponents, against whom Alkibiades is to measure himself, are, the kings of Sparta and Persia. Eulogistic description of those kings. To match them, Alkibiades must make himself as good as possible.] Alkibiades is thus reduced to a state of humiliating embarrassment, and stands convicted, by his own contradictions and confession, of ignorance in its worst form: that is, of being ignorant, and yet believing himself to know.[13] But other Athenian statesmen are no wiser. Even Perikles is proved to be equally deficient--by the fact that he has never been able to teach or improve any one else, not even his own sons and those whom he loved best.[14] "At any rate" (contends Alkibiades) "I am as good as my competitors, and can hold my ground against them." But Sokrates reminds him that the real competitors with whom he ought to compare himself, are foreigners, liable to become the enemies of Athens, and against whom he, if he pretends to lead Athens, must be able to contend. In an harangue of unusual length, Sokrates shows that the kings of Sparta and Persia are of nobler breed, as well as more highly and carefully trained, than the Athenian statesmen.[15] Alkibiades must be rescued from his present ignorance, and exalted, so as to be capable of competing with these kings: which object cannot be attained except through the auxiliary interposition of Sokrates. Not that Sokrates professes to be himself already on this elevation, and to stand in need of no farther improvement. But he can, nevertheless, help others to attain it for themselves, through the discipline and stimulus of his interrogatories.[16] [Footnote 13: Plato, Alkib. i. p. 118.] [Footnote 14: Plato, Alkib. i. p. 118-119.] [Footnote 15: Plato, Alkib. i. p. 120-124.] [Footnote 16: Plato, Alkib. i. p. 124.] [Side-note: But good--for what end, and under what circumstances? Abundant illustrative examples.]