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Section 134

SOCRATES. "I say very jokingly," he replied, turning to his rival, "that to this man here, it is neither good nor honorable, but to you, Socrates, I say it is both good and honorable." "Then do you consider the love of gymnastics to mean loving a great deal of exercise?" I asked. At this, the athletic lover spoke up. "By Zeus, Socrates," he said, "you hit the nail on the head! As the proverb goes, 'a pig might know as much!' Any pig would know that loving a great deal of exercise is not what makes gymnastics good." "Well," I said to the intellectual, "since this man disagrees, what do you say? Should we have a moderate amount of exercise, or a great deal?" "I think a moderate amount," the intellectual conceded. "And what about food? Should we eat a great deal, or a moderate amount?" "A moderate amount," he agreed. "And is this true of all other physical things—that the moderate amount benefits the body, whereas the great or small amount harms it?" "Yes," he agreed, "the moderate amount is best." "Then what about the soul?" I asked. "Do you think a great deal of learning benefits the soul, or a moderate amount?" "A moderate amount," he said. "Then if a moderate amount of learning is what is beneficial, who is the right person to tell us what this moderate amount is? In the case of the body, we go to the trainer or doctor." "Yes, the doctor or trainer," he agreed. "And in the case of sowing seeds, who knows the moderate amount?" "The farmer." "And who knows the moderate amount of learning that benefits the soul?"