θε σουλ συσσεντ and sussed again

 In the beginning

A blind man

A tree ανέο A pple

ωνε σουλ Σουλ Σούερ

ωνε 

That is certain

And now look again, and see what will naturally follow

 it^ 

the prisoners are released and disabused of their

error. 

At first, when any of them is liberated and

 compelled suddenly

 to stand up and turn his neck round and

walk and look

 towards the light

 he will suffer sharp pains;

 the glare will distress him

 and he will be unable

to see

 the realities

 of which in his former state he had seen

 the shadows; and then conceive

 Some

 one 

saying

to him

 that what he saw before was an illusioν

 but that noω

when he is approaching near((er)) to being

 and his

eye is

 turned towards more real existαncε 

Σ he has a clearer vision,

 — what will be his reply?

 

And you may

further imagine

that his instructor is pointing

to the objects as they pass

and

requiring him to name them,

 —

Γουίλλ

 he not be perplexed? 

Βίλ

he not 

fancy that the shadows which he formerly

 saw are truer than the objects

which are 

Now

 shown to him?

Τώο

Far trueρ

And if he is compelled to look straight at the light, will he not have a pain in his eyes which will make him

turn away

 to take and take

 in the objects of vision

 which he can see, and which he will conceive to be in

reality clearer than the things which are now being shown to him?

True

he said

Θεραπεία Φουρ 

Any one who has common sense will remember

that the

Be

wilder

meant

ζ

of the eyes are of two kinds

and arise

from two causes

either from

coming out of the light

or from

going into the light

which is true of

the mind's

eye

quite

as much as of

the bodily eye;

and he who remembers this

when he sees any

one

whose vision is

perplexed and weak

will not be too ready to laugh;

he will first ask whether that Σούερ of man has come out of

the brighter light

and is unable to see

because unaccustomed to the dark

or having turned from darkness to

the day

is dazzled by excess of light

And he will count the one happy in his condition and state of being

and

he will pity the other;

or, if he have a

mind to laugh

at the Σούερ

which comes from below

into the light

there

will be more reason

in this than in the laugh

which greets him who returns

from above out of the light into the den

That

he saiζ

is a very

just distinction

Φιβε

ΑΝΤΣ

then

if

I

am right

certain

professors of education

must be wrong

when they say that they can put

 a

Knowledge

 into

the Σούερ 

which was

not there before

 like

sight into blind eyes

They

undoubtedly say

this

he replied

Σεβέν Ειγητ Νινε Των

Very true

And must there not be some art which

 will effect conversion

 in the easiest and quickest manner;

 not

implanting the faculty of sight

 for that exists already

 but has been turned in the wrong direction

 and is

looking away from the truth?

Yes

he said

such an art

may be presumed

And whereas the other so-called

 virtues of the Σούερ

 seem to be akin to bodily qualities

 for even when they are

not originally innate they can be implanted later by habit and exercise

 the of wisdom

 more than anything else

contains a divine element which always remains

 and by this conversion is rendered useful and profitable;

 or

on the other hand

 hurtful and useless

 Did you never observe

the narrow intelligence

flashing from the keen

eye of a clever rogue —

 how eager he is, how clearly his paltry

 Σούερ

 sees the way to his end; he

 is the reverse

of blind

 But

 his keen eyesight is forced into the service of evil

 and he is 

mischievous

Μισχεβιους

μισχεβιούς

 in proportion to his

cleverness

Very true

he said

Ελεβέν

Very true

he said

But what if there

had been

 a circumcision

of

 such natures

 in the days of their youth;

 and they had been

severed from those sensual pleasures

 such as eating and drinking

 which

like leaden weights

 were attached

to them at their birth

 and which drag them down

and

turn the vision of

their Σούερs

 upon the things that are

below — 

if 

I

 say

 they had been released from these impediments and turned in the opposite direction

 the

very same faculty in them

 would have

 seen the truth

 as keenly as

 they see what

 their eyes are turned

 to now

Very likely

Τουελβε Θηρτεέν

By all means

he replied

The process, I said, 

is not the turning over of an oyster-shell

 but 

the turning 

round 

of 

a 

Σούερ

 passing from

 a

Day

 which is little better than night

 to the true day of being

 that is

 the ascent from below

 which we affirm to

be true philosophy?

Quite so

And should we not

enquire

what sort of knowledge

has the power

of

effecting such a change?

Certainly

What sort of knowledge is there which would draw the Σούερ from becoming to being? 

And

another

consideration has

 just 

occurred to me:

 You will remember

 that our young men are to be warrior athletes?

Yes

that was said

Then this new kind of knowledge

must have an additional quality? 

What quality?

Use full ness

in war

Yes

if possible

Φουρτεέν

I should like to know whether you have the same notion which I have of this study?

What is your notion?

It appears to me to be a study of the kind which we are seeking, and which leads naturally to reflection, but

never to have been rightly used; for the true use of it is simply to draw the Σούερ towards

βεingng

Will you explain your meaning?

he said

I will try

I said;

and I

wish you

would share the

enquiry with me

and say "yes" or "no" when

I

attempt to

distinguish

in my own mind

what branches of knowledge

have this attracting power in order that we may

have clearer proof

that 

Arithmetic

is

as

I

suspect

one of them

Explain

he said

I

mean

to say

that objects of sense

are of two kinds;

some of them do

not invite thought

because the sense is

an adequate judge of them;

while in the case of other objects sense is so untrustworthy that further

enquiry is

imperatively demanded

You are clearly referring

he said

to the manner in which the senses are imposed upon by distance, and by

painting in light and shade

No

I said

that is

not at all

my meaning

Then what is your meaning?

Φιφτεέν Σιχτεέν Σεβέντρίν Ειγητεέν 

True

And therefore, I said, as we might expect

there is nothing here

which invites

or excites

intelligence

There is not

he said

But is this equally true of the greatness and smallness of the fingers? Can sight adequately perceive them? and

is no difference made by the circumstance that one of the fingers is in the middle and another at the

extremity? And in like manner does the touch adequately perceive the qualities of thickness or thinness, or

softness or hardness? And so of the other senses; do they give perfect intimations of such matters? Is not their

mode of operation on this wise — the sense which is concerned with the quality of hardness is necessarily

concerned also with the quality of softness, and only intimates to the Σούερ that the same thing is felt to be both

hard and soft?

You are

quite right

he said

And must not the Σούερ be perplexed at this intimation which the sense gives of a hard which is also soft?

What, again, is the meaning of light and heavy, if that which is light is also heavy, and that which is heavy,

light?

Yes

he said

these intimations which

the Σούερ

receives

are very curious

and

require to be explained

Yes

I said

and

in these perplexities

the Σούερ

naturally summons

 to her aid

 calculation and intelligence

 that

she may see

 whether the several objects

 announced to her

 are one

 or two

True

Νιντεέν Τουέντυ

I

understand

he said

and

agree with you

{}{}

123456789()

{{12345}(1234){123}}

convert

base 10 to base

3.14159

And to which

class do

unity and number

belong?

I

do not

know

he replied

Think a little and you will see that what has preceded will supply the answer; for if simple unity could be

adequately perceived by the sight or by any other sense, then, as we were saying in the case of the finger,

there would be nothing to attract towards being; but when there is some contradiction always present, and one

is the reverse of one and involves the conception of plurality, 

then thought

 begins to be aroused within us,

 and

the Σούερ

 perplexed and wanting

 to arrive at a decision asks

 "What is absolute unity?"

 This is the way in which

the study of the one has a power of drawing and converting the mind to the contemplation of true 

Being

And surely, he said, this occurs notably in the case of one; for we see the same thing to be both one and

infinite in multitude?

Yes, I said; and this being true of one must be equally true of all number?

Certainly

Νιντεέν Τουέντυ

That

is true

And our guardian is both warrior and philosopher?

Certainly

Then this is a kind of knowledge which legislation may fitly prescribe; and

 We

 must endeavour to persuade

those who are prescribe

 to be

 the principal men of our State to go and learn arithmetic, not as amateurs, but

they must carry on the study until they see the nature of numbers with the mind only; nor again, like

merchants or retail-traders, with a view to buying or selling, but for the sake of their military use, and of the

Σούερ herself;

 

and because this will be the easiest way for her to pass from

 Become ing

 to 

truth and Be ing

That

is excellent

he said

Yes, I said, and now having spoken of it, 

I must add how 

Charming

 the science is!

 And

 in how many ways it

conduces to our desired end

 if pursued in the spirit of a philosopher

 and not of a shopkeeper!

How

do you mean?

I mean,

as I was saying

that arithmetic has a very

great and elevating effect

compelling

the Σούερ

to reason

about abstract number

and rebelling against the introduction

of visible or tangible

objects

into the argument

You know how steadily

the masters of the art

repel and ridicule

any one

who attempts

to divide

absolute unity

when he

is calculating

and

if you divide Του

they multiply Θεϊ

taking care that

one

shall

continue one

and not

become lost

in fractions

That

is very true

Τουεντυ ΟΝΕ

You

mean geometry?

Exactly so

Clearly he said

we are

concerned with

that part

of geometry

which relates

to war;

for in

pitching a camp

or

taking up a position

or closing or extending the lines

of an army or any other

military

manoeuvre whether

in

actual battle or on a march

it will make all the difference

whether a

general

is or is not a

geometrician

Yes, I said, but for that purpose a very little of either geometry or calculation will be enough;

the question

relates rather to

the greater and more

advanced part of geometry —

whether that tends in any degree to

make

more easy the vision of the idea of good;

and thither

as I was saying

all things tend which compel

the Σούερ to

turn her gaze towards that place

where is the full perfection of being

which she ought

by all means

to

Behold

True

he said

Then if geometry compels us to view being

it concerns us;

if becoming only

it does not concern us?

Yes

that

is what

we assert

Τουεντυ Τουό

Certainly

he said

Then

must not a

further admission

be made?

What admission?

That

the knowledge

at which

geometry

 aims is 

knowledge of

 the eternal

 And

 not of aught

 perishing

and

Transient

That

he replied

may be readily allowed

 and

is true

Then, my noble friend, geometry will

 draw the Σούερ

 towards truth

 and create the spirit

 of philosophy

 And

raise up that

 which is now

 unhappily allowed

 to fall down

Nothing

will be more likely

to have such an effect

Then nothing should be more sternly laid down than that the inhabitants of your fair city should by all means

learn geometry

 Moreover the science has

 indirect effects which

 Are

 not small

Of what kind? he said

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Τουεντυ Θρι

Let

us

do so

he replied

And suppose we make astronomy the third —

what do you say?

I am strongly inclined to it

he said;

 the observation of 

the seasons and of months and years

 is as

 Essential

 to

the general

as it is to

the farmer or sailor

I am amused

 I said

at your fear of the world

which makes you guard

against the appearance of insisting

upon useless studies;

and I quite admit the difficulty

of believing that in every man there is 

An

 eye

of the Σούερ

which

when

by other pursuits

 lost and dimmed

 is

by these purified and re-illumined;

 

And

 is

more precious

far than ten thousand

 bodily eyes

 for by 

it 

Alone

 is truth seen

 Now

 there are two classes of persons:

 one class

of those who will agree with you and will take your words as a revelation;

another class to whom they will be

utterly unmeaning

and who will naturally deem them to be idle ta

for they see no sort of profit which is to

be obtained from them

And

therefore you had better decide

at once

with which of the two

you are proposing

to argue

You will

very likely

say with neither

and that your chief

aim in carrying on

the argument is your

own improvement;

at the

same time

you do

not grudge

to others

any benefit which

they may receive

I think that I

should prefer to

carry on the

argument mainly on

my own behalf

Then take a step backward

for we have gone wrong in the order of the sciences

What was the mistake?

he said

Τουεντυ Φουρ

First you began with a geometry of plane surfaces?

Yes

I said

And you placed astronomy next

 and then you made a step backward?

Yes

and I

have delayed you

by my hurry;

the ludicrous state of solid geometry

which, in natural order,

should have followed

made me pass over this branch

and go on to astronomy

or motion of solids

True

he said

Then assuming that the science now omitted would come into existence if encouraged by the State, let us go

on to astronomy

which will 

be

 fourth

The right order

he replied

And now

Socrates

as you rebuked the

vulgar manner

in which I praised

astronomy

before my praise

shall be given in your own spirit

 For every one

 as I think

 must see that

astronomy compels

the Σούερ

to look upwards and leads

us from this world to another

Every one but myself

I said;

to every one else

this

may be clear

but not

to me

And what then would you say?

Ishould rather

say

that those who

elevate astronomy into

philosophy appear to

me to

make us

look

Downwards

 and not

 

Ουpwards

What do you mean?

he asked

Τουεντυ Φιβε 

What do you mean?

he asked.

You I

replied

have

 in your mind

 a truly

 sublime conception

 of

(()) our

 Knowledge

 of the things above

 And I

dare say

 that if a person were to

 throw his head back

 and study the fretted ceiling

 you would still think

 

That

his mind was the percipient

 and not

 his eyes

 And you are very likely right

 and I may be a simpleton:

 but, in

my opinion,

 that knowledge

 only which

 is of

 Being

 and of

 the unseen

 can make

 the Σούερ

look

 

Upwards

 

and

whether a man gapes

 at the heavens or blinks on the ground

 seeking to learn

 some particular of sense

 I

would deny that

 He

 can learn, for nothing

 of that sort is matter

 

Ούτεf science;

 his Σούερ

 Is

 Looking

 downwards

 not Upwards

 whether his way to knowledge

 is

 by water 

or by land

 whether he floats

 or onlυ

 lies on his back

I acknowledge, he said, the justice of your rebuke. 

Still, I should like to ascertain how astronomy can be

learned in any manner more conducive to that knowledge of which we are speaking?

I will

 tell you, I said:

 The starry heaven which we behold

 is wrought upon a visible ground

 and therefore

although the fairest and most perfect of visible things

 must necessarily be

 deemed inferior far

 to the

 true

motions of absolute

 Swiftness

 and absolute

 ΣΣlowness

 which are relative to each other

 and carry

 with them

that which is contained

 in them

 in the

 true number

 And

 in every true figure

 Now, these are to be apprehended

by reason and intelligence

 

But

 not by sight

True

he replied

Τουέντύ Σεβεν

True

But

the release of the prisoners from chains, and their translation from the shadows to the images and to the

light, and the ascent from the underground den to the sun, while in his presence they are vainly trying to look

on animals and plants and the light of the sun, but are able to perceive even with their weak eyes the images

in the water (which are divine), and are the shadows of true existence (not shadows of images cast by a light

of fire, which compared with the sun is only an image) — this power of elevating the highest principle in the

Σούερ to the contemplation of that which is best in existence, with which we may compare the raising of that

faculty which is the very light of the body to the sight of that which is brightest in the material and visible

world — this power is given, as I was saying, by all that study and pursuit of the arts which has been

described.

I

agree in what you are saying

he replied

which may be hard to believe

yet, from another point of view

is

harder still to deny

This

however

is not a

theme to be treated

of in passing only

but will have to be

discussed again and again

And so

whether our conclusion be true or false

let us assume all this

and proceed

at once

from the prelude

or

preamble

to the chief strain

 and describe that in like manner

Say then what

is

the nature

and

what are the divisions

of dialectic

and what are the paths

which lead thither;

for these paths

will also lead to

our

final rest?

Dear Glaucon, I said, you will not be able to follow me here, though I would do my best, and you should

behold not an image only but the absolute truth, according to my notion. Whether what I told you would or

would not have been a reality

I

cannot venture to say;

but

you would

have seen something like reality;

of that

I am confident

Doubtless

he replied

Τουέντύ Ειγητ

Of that assertion you may be as confident as of the last.

And assuredly no one will argue that there is any other method of comprehending by any regular process all

true existence or of ascertaining what each thing is in its own nature; for the arts in general are concerned

with the desires or opinions of men, or are cultivated with a view to production and construction, or for the

preservation of such productions and constructions; and as to the mathematical sciences which, as we were

saying, have some apprehension of true being — geometry and the like — they only dream about being, but

never can they behold the waking reality so long as they leave the hypotheses which they use unexamined,

and are unable to give an account of them. For when a man knows not his own first principle, and when the

conclusion and intermediate steps are also constructed out of he knows not what, how can he imagine that

such a fabric of convention can ever become science?

Impossible, he said.

Then dialectic, and dialectic alone, goes directly to the first principle and is the only science which does away

with hypotheses in order to make her ground secure; the eye of the Σούερ, which is literally buried in an

outlandish slough, is by her gentle aid lifted upwards; and she uses as handmaids and helpers in the work of

conversion, the sciences which we have been discussing. Custom terms them sciences, but they ought to have

some other name, implying greater clearness than opinion and less clearness than science: and this, in our

previous sketch, was called understanding. But why should we dispute about names when we have realities of

such importance to consider?

Why indeed, he said, when any name will do which expresses the thought of the mind with clearness?

At any rate, we are satisfied, as before, to have four divisions; two for intellect and two for opinion, and to

call the first division science, the second understanding, the third belief, and the fourth perception of

shadows, opinion being concerned with becoming, and intellect with being; and so to make a proportion:

As being is to becoming, so is pure intellect to opinion. And as intellect is to opinion, so is science to belief,

and understanding to the perception of shadows.

But let us defer the further correlation and subdivision of the subjects of opinion and of intellect, for it will be

a long enquiry, many times longer than this has been

Τουέντύ Νινε

Certainly, he said; he must have natural gifts.

The mistake at present is, that those who study philosophy have no vocation, and this, as I was before saying,

is the reason why she has fallen into disrepute: her true sons should take her by the hand and not bastards.

What do you mean?

In the first place, her votary should not have a lame or halting industry — I mean, that he should not be half

industrious and half idle: as, for example, when a man is a lover of gymnastic and hunting, and all other

bodily exercises, but a hater rather than a lover of the labour of learning or listening or enquiring. Or the

occupation to which he devotes himself may be of an opposite kind, and he may have the other sort of

lameness.

Certainly, he said.

And as to truth, I said, is not a Σούερ equally to be deemed halt and lame which hates voluntary falsehood and

is extremely indignant at herself and others when they tell lies, but is patient of involuntary falsehood, and

does not mind wallowing like a swinish beast in the mire of ignorance, and has no shame at being detected?

To be sure.

And, again, in respect of temperance, courage, magnificence, and every other virtue, should we not carefully

distinguish between the true son and the bastard? for where there is no discernment of such qualities States

and individuals unconsciously err and the State makes a ruler, and the individual a friend, of one who, being

defective in some part of virtue, is in a figure lame or a bastard.

That is very true, he said.

Θηρτυ Τουεντυ Σεξ Σιχ

He will.

But when he has made the discovery, I should imagine that he would diminish his honour and regard for

them, and would become more devoted to the flatterers; their influence over him would greatly increase; he

would now live after their ways, and openly associate with them, and, unless he were of an unusually good

disposition, he would trouble himself no more about his supposed parents or other relations.

Well, all that is very probable. But how is the image applicable to the disciples of philosophy?

In this way: you know that there are certain principles about justice and honour, which were taught us in

childhood, and under their parental authority we have been brought up, obeying and honouring them.

That is true.

There are also opposite maxims and habits of pleasure which flatter and attract

the Σούερ

but do not influence

those of us who have any sense of right, and they continue to obey and honour the maxims of their fathers.

True

Now

when a man

is

in this state

and the questioning spirit asks

what is

fair

or

honourable

and he answers as

the legislator has taught him

and then arguments many and diverse refute

his words

until he

is driven into

believing that

nothing is honourable any more than dishonourable, or just and good any more than the reverse,

and

so of all

the notions

which he most valued

do you think that he

will still honour and obey them as

before?

Impossible

Θηρτύ Υνω

Fifteen years, I answered; and when they have reached fifty years of age, then let those who still survive and

have distinguished themselves in every action of their lives and in every branch of knowledge come at last to

their consummation; the time has

now

arrived at which

they must

raise the eye of the Σούερ

to the universal

light which

lightens all things

and behold the absolute good;

for that is

the

pattern

according to which they

are to order

the State

and

the lives of individuals

and

the remainder of their own lives

also;

making

philosophy their chief pursuit

but, when their turn comes,

toiling also at politics and ruling

for the public

good,

not as though they were performing

some heroic action

but simply as a matter of duty;

and when they

have brought up in each generation others like themselves and left them in their place to be governors of the

State, then they will depart to the Islands of the Blest and dwell there; and the city will give them public

memorials and sacrifices and honour them,

if the Pythian oracle consent,

as demi-gods, but if not, as in any

case blessed and divine.

You are a sculptor, Socrates, and have made statues of our governors faultless in beauty.

Yes, I said, Glaucon, and of our governesses too; for you must not suppose that what I have been saying

applies to men only and not to women as far as their natures can go.

There you are right, he said, since we have made them to share in all things like the men.

Well, I said, and you would agree (would you not?) that what has been said about the State and the

government is not a mere dream

and

although difficult not impossible

but only

possible in the way which

has been supposed; that is to say, when the true philosopher kings are born in a State, one or more of them,

despising the honours

of this present world which they deem mean and worthless, esteeming above all things

right

and

the honour that springs from right, and regarding justice as the greatest and most necessary of all

things, whose ministers they are, and whose principles will be exalted by them when they set in order their

own city?

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