Timaeus — Plato

They undermine received opijiions and beliefs. 243 which flatter and attract the soul, but do not influence those Republic vii. of us who have any sense of right, and they continue to obey Socrates, and honour the maxims of their fathers. Glaucon. True.

Now, when a man is in this state, and the questioning Somen who spirit asks what is fair or honourable, and he answers as the ^^^!" *° , ^ ' analyse the legislator has taught him, and then arguments many and first principles diverse refute his words, until he is driven into believing ° n^o^aity ' " cease to rcthat nothing is honourable any more than dishonourable, or spectthem. 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. And when he ceases to think them honourable and natural 539 as heretofore, and he fails to discover the true, can he be expected to pursue any life other than that which flatters his desires ? He cannot. And from being a keeper of the law he is converted into a breaker of it? Unquestionably. Now all this is very natural in students of philosophy such as I have described, and also, as I was just now saying, most excusable.

Yes, he said ; and, I may add, pitiable. Therefore, that your feelings may not be moved to pity about our citizens who are now thirty years of age, every care must be taken in introducing them to dialectic. Certainly.

There is a danger lest they should taste the dear delight Young men too early; for youngsters, as you may have observed, when ^''^j"""^^*"^ they first get the taste in their mouths, argue for amusement, to pieces and and are always contradicting and refuting others in imitation ^j^"^'^'''"C -' 00 disgrace upon of those who refute them ; like puppy-dogs, they rejoice in themselves pulling and tearing at all who come near them. ^hfiosr'h Yes, he said, there is nothing which they like better.

And when they have made many conquests and received defeats at the hands of many, they violently and speedily get into a way of not believing anything which they believed before, and hence, not only they, but philosophy and all that

p. 244

The different pursuits of men at different ages.

Republic VII. Socrates, Glaucon. The dialectician and the eristic.

The study of philosophy to continue for five years; 30-35-

During fifteen years, 35-50, they are to hold office.

At the end of that time they are to live chiefly in the contemplation of the good, but occasionally to return to politics.

relates to it is apt to have a bad name with the rest of the world. Too true, he said. But when a man begins to get older, he will no longer be guilty of such insanity ; he will imitate the dialectician who is seeking for truth, and not the eristic, who is contradicting for the sake of amusement ; and the greater moderation of his character will increase instead of diminishing the honour of the pursuit. Very true, he said.

And did we not make special provision for this, when we said that the disciples of philosophy were to be orderly and steadfast, not, as now, any chance aspirant or intruder? Very true. Suppose, I said, the study of philosophy to take the place of gymnastics and to be continued dihgently and earnestly and exclusively for twice the number of years which were passed in bodily exercise — will that be enough? Would you say six or four years? he asked.

Say five years, I replied ; at the end of the time they must be sent down again into the den and compelled to hold any military or other office which young men are qualified to hold : in this way they will get their experience of life, and there will be an opportunity of trying whether, when they are drawn all manner of ways by temptation, they will stand firm or flinch. And how long is this stage of their lives to last?

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 soul 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