None of these persons (concludes Sokrates) correspond to your description of the lover of gain. Where then can you find a lover of gain? On your explanation, no man is so.[3] _Comp._--I mean, Sokrates, that the lovers of gain are those, who, through greediness, long eagerly for things altogether petty and worthless; and thus display a love of gain.[4] _Sokr._--Not surely knowing them to be worthless--for this we have shown to be impossible--but ignorant that they are worthless, and believing them to be valuable. _Comp._--It appears so. _Sokr._--Now gain is the opposite of loss: and loss is evil and hurt to every one: therefore gain (as the opposite of loss) is good. _Comp._--Yes. _Sokr._--It appears then that the lovers of good are those whom you call lovers of gain? _Comp._--Yes: it appears so. _Sokr._--Do not you yourself love good--all good things? _Comp._--Certainly. _Sokr._--And I too, and every one else. All men love good things, and hate evil. Now we agreed that gain was a good: so that by this reasoning, it appears that all men are lovers of gain while by the former reasoning, we made out that none were so.[5] Which of the two shall we adopt, to avoid error. _Comp._--We shall commit no error, Sokrates, if we rightly conceive the lover of gain. He is one who busies himself upon, and seeks to gain from, things from which good men do not venture to gain. [Footnote 3: Plat. Hipparch. 226 D.] [Footnote 4: Plat. Hipparch. 226 D. [Greek: A)ll' e)gô\, ô)= Sô/krates, bou/lomai le/gein tou/tous philokerdei=s ei)=nai, oi(\ e(ka/stote u(po\ a)plêsti/as kai\ panu\ smikra\ kai\ o)li/gou a)/xia kai\ ou)deno\s gli/chontai u(perphuô=s kai\ philokerdou=sin.]] [Footnote 5: Plat. Hipparch. 227 C.] [Side-note: Apparent contradiction. Sokrates accuses the companion of trying to deceive him. Accusation is retorted upon Sokrates.]