library_books Bookstacks

Section 111

Alcibiades. For example, I learned to speak Greek from them, and I could not name my teacher, but I refer to the same people whom you say are not serious teachers.

Socrates. But, my noble friend, in this at least the many are good teachers, and they would justly be praised for their teaching.

Alcibiades. Why is that?

Socrates. Because they have regarding these things what good teachers ought to have.

Alcibiades. What do you mean by this?

Socrates. Do you not know that those who intend to teach anything must first know it themselves? Or is it not so?

Alcibiades. How could it not be?

Socrates. And must not those who know agree with each other and not differ?

Alcibiades. Yes.

Socrates. But in the things in which they differ, will you say that they know them?

Alcibiades. No, indeed.

Socrates. How then could they be teachers of these things?

Alcibiades. By no means.

Socrates. What then? Do the many seem to you to differ about what sort of thing a stone or wood is? And if you ask anyone, do they not agree on the same things, and do they not reach for the same things whenever they wish to take a stone or wood? And similarly with all such things; for I pretty much understand that to know how to speak Greek is what you mean by this, is it not?

Alcibiades. Yes.

Socrates. Do they not then, as we said, agree with each other and with themselves privately concerning these things, and publicly the cities do not dispute with one another, some saying these things and others saying different ones?

Alcibiades. No, they do not.

Socrates. Naturally, then, they would be good teachers of these things.

Alcibiades. Yes.

Socrates. If, therefore, we should wish to make someone know about them, we would rightly send him to the teaching of these many?

Alcibiades. Very much so.

Socrates. What if we wished to know not only what sort of things men or horses are, but also which of them are good runners and which are not, would the many still be capable of teaching this?

Alcibiades. No, indeed.

Socrates. And is it a sufficient proof to you that they do not know and are not genuine teachers of these things, since they do not agree with themselves about them?

Alcibiades. It is to me.

Socrates. What if we wished to know not only what sort of things men are, but what sort are healthy or diseased, would the many be capable teachers for us?

Alcibiades. No, indeed.

Socrates. And it would be a proof to you that they are poor teachers of these things, if you saw them differing?

Alcibiades. It would to me.