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Section 408

CLEITOPHON. And indeed concerning art it is in the same way; for whoever indeed does not know how to use his own lyre, it is clear that he does not know how to use his neighbor's either, nor whoever not the others', nor his own, nor any other of instruments nor of possessions. And indeed this argument ends beautifully for you, that whoever does not know how to use a soul, for him to keep his soul quiet and not to live is better than to live acting by himself; but if there should be some necessity to live, it is better for such a man to pass his life as a slave than as a free man, just as handing over the rudders of thought to another in a ship, to the one having learned the piloting of men, which indeed you, Socrates, often name statesmanship, saying this same thing is both judging and justice. To these arguments and very many others like them and very beautifully spoken, that virtue can be taught and one must most of all care for oneself, I have almost never spoken against them nor do I think I ever shall speak against them later, and I consider them most protreptic and most helpful, and literally as if waking us up sleeping. I indeed applied my mind as going to hear what comes after these things, questioning not you at first, Socrates, but those of your age and fellow-desirers or comrades, or however one must name such things in relation to you. For questioning first those of these thought to be most something by you, inquiring what would be the argument after these things, and stretching it out to them in a way according to you, Best men, I said, how on earth do we now accept Socrates' exhortation of us toward virtue? As this being the only thing, but it is not in the matter to go through it and grasp it completely, but this will be a work for us throughout our whole life, to exhort those not yet exhorted, and they again others? Or must we question Socrates and each other what is after this, having agreed this itself is to be done by a man, what is from here? How do we say one must begin concerning the learning of justice? Just as if someone exhorted us to make care of the body, seeing us taking no forethought like children that there is some gymnastics and medicine, and then reproached us, saying that it is shameful to make all care of wheat and barley and vines, and as many things as we labor through and acquire for the sake of the body, but of this itself to discover no art nor machine, how the body shall be as good as possible, and these things being so.