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Section 138

SOCRATES. "And what do we say about self-control? Is self-control the knowledge by which a person knows himself, or is it something else?" "It is the knowledge by which a person knows himself," he answered. "And is knowing oneself the same as knowing what one knows and what one does not know?" "Yes." "And isn't this what we just agreed upon? The person who knows how to punish others must first know himself, and he must be able to distinguish the good from the bad. And this requires the very same art." "It does," he agreed. "So justice, self-control, the art of a statesman, the art of a king, and the art of a household manager are all one and the same art. And this is the most beautiful and most important of all arts." "I agree." "Then if a philosopher is to be truly useful, he cannot be a mere spectator or a second-rate amateur in this art. He must be the master of it." "That seems to be the logical conclusion," he said. "So if someone claims that philosophy consists of learning many arts and being second-best in them, he is entirely wrong. True philosophy is not about dabbling in many things, but about mastering the single most important art—the art of justice and self-control, which allows a man to manage himself, his household, and his city."