Persons of the Dialogue : SOCRATES, a Companion.
(313a) Socrates : Tell me, what is law ?
Companion : To what kind of law does your question refer ?
Socrates : What ! Is there any difference between law and law, in this particular point of being law ? For just consider what is the actual question I am putting to you. It is as though I had asked, what is gold : if you had asked me in the same manner, to what kind of gold I refer, I think your question would have been incorrect. For I presume there is no difference between gold and gold, (313b) or between stone and stone, in point of being gold or stone ; and so neither does law differ at all from law, I suppose, but they are all the same thing. For each of them is law alike, not one more so, and another less. That is the particular point of my question — what is law as a whole ? So if you are ready, tell me.