Cle. Then, Stranger, our former assertion will hold, for we were saying that laws generally should look to one thing only ; and this, as we admitted, was rightly said to be virtue.
Ath. Yes.
Cle. And we said that virtue was of four kinds ?
Ath. Quite true.
Cle. And that mind was the leader of the four, and that to her the three other virtues and all other things ought to have regard ?
Ath. You follow me capitally, Cleinias, and I would ask you to follow me to the end, for we have already said that the mind of the pilot, the mind of the physician and of the general look to that one thing to which they ought to look ; and now we may turn to mind political, of which, as of a human creature, we will ask a question : — O wonderful being, and to what are you looking ? The physician is able to tell his single aim in life, but you, the superior, as you declare yourself to be, of all intelligent beings, when you are asked are not able to tell. Can you, Megillus, and you, Cleinias, say distinctly what is the aim of mind political, in return for the many explanations of things which I have given you ?
Cle. We cannot, Stranger.
Ath. Well, but ought we not to desire to see it, and to see where it is to be found ?
Cle. For example, where ?
Ath. For example, we were saying that there are four kinds of virtue, and as there are four of them, each of them must be one.
Cle. Certainly.
Ath. And further, all four of them we call one ; for we say that courage is virtue, and that prudence is virtue, and the same of the two others, as if they were in reality not many but one, that is, virtue.
Cle. Quite so.
Ath. There is no difficulty in seeing in what way the two differ from one another, and have received two names, and so of the rest. But there is more difficulty in explaining why we call these two and the rest of them by the single name of virtue.
Cle. How do you mean ?
Ath. I have no difficulty in explaining what I mean. Let us distribute the subject questions and answers.
Cle. Once more, what do you mean ?
Ath. Ask me what is that one thing which call virtue, and then again speak of as two, one part being courage and the other wisdom. I will tell you how that occurs : — One of them has to do with fear ; in this the beasts also participate, and quite young children — I mean courage ; for a courageous temper is a gift of nature and not of reason. But without reason there never has been, or is, or will be a wise and understanding soul ; it is of a different nature.
Cle. That is true.
Ath. I have now told you in what way the two are different, and do you in return tell me in what way they are one and the same. Suppose that I ask you in what way the four are one, and when you have answered me, you will have a right to ask of me in return in what way they are four ; and then let us proceed to enquire whether in the case of things which have a name and also a definition to them, true knowledge consists in knowing the name only and not the definition. Can he who is good for anything be ignorant of all this without discredit where great and glorious truths are concerned ?
Cle. I suppose not.
Ath. And is there anything greater to the legislator and the guardian of the law, and to him who thinks that he excels all other men in virtue, and has won the palm of excellence, that these very qualities of which we are now speaking — courage, temperance, wisdom, justice ?
Cle. How can there be anything greater ?
Ath. And ought not the interpreters, the teachers the lawgivers, the guardians of the other citizens, to excel the rest of mankind, and perfectly to show him who desires to learn and know or whose evil actions require to be punished and reproved, what is the nature of virtue and vice ? Or shall some poet who has found his way into the city, or some chance person who pretends to be an instructor of youth, show himself to be better than him who has won the prize for every virtue ? And can we wonder that when the guardians are not adequate in speech or action, and have no adequate knowledge of virtue, the city being unguarded should experience the common fate of cities in our day ?
Cle. Wonder ! no.
Ath. Well, then, must we do as we said ? Or can we give our guardians a more precise knowledge of virtue in speech and action than the many have ? or is there any way in which our city can be made to resemble the head and senses of rational beings because possessing such a guardian power ?
Cle. What, Stranger, is the drift of your comparison ?
Ath. Do we not see that the city is the trunk, and are not the younger guardians, who are chosen for their natural gifts, placed in the head of the state, having their souls all full of eyes, with which they look about the whole city ? They keep watch and hand over their perceptions to the memory, and inform the elders of all that happens in the city ; and those whom we compared to the mind, because they have many wise thoughts — that is to say, the old men — take counsel and making use of the younger men as their ministers, and advising with them — in this way both together truly preserve the whole state : — Shall this or some other be the order of our state ? Are all our citizens to be equal in acquirements, or shall there be special persons among them who have received a more careful training and education ?
Cle. That they should be equal, my ; good, sir, is impossible.
Ath. Then we ought to proceed to some more exact training than any which has preceded.
Cle. Certainly.