Soc. Come then, what is taking pains over oneself
— for we may perchance be taking, unawares, no pains over ourselves, though we think we are—and when does a man actually do it? Does he take pains over himself at the same time as over his own things?
Alc. I at least believe so.
Soc. Well now, when does a man take pains over his feet? Is it when he takes pains over what belongs to his feet?
Alc. I do not understand.
Soc. Is there anything you can name as belonging to the hand? For instance, does a ring belong to any other part of a man but the finger?
Alc. No, indeed.
Soc. And so the shoe also belongs to the foot, in the same way?
Alc. Yes.
Soc. And likewise clothes and coverlets belong to the whole body?
Alc. Yes.
Soc. Now when we take pains over our shoes, we take pains over our feet?
Alc. I do not quite understand, Socrates.
Soc. Well, but, Alcibiades, you speak of taking proper pains over this or that matter, do you not?
Alc. I do.
Soc. And do you call it proper pains when someone makes a thing better?
Alc. Yes.
Soc. Then what art makes shoes better?
Alc. Shoe-making.
Soc. So by shoe-making we take pains over our shoes?
Alc. Yes.
Soc. And over our foot too by shoe-making? Or by that art whereby we make feet better?
Alc. By that art.
Soc. And is it not the same one for making our feet as for making the whole body better?
Alc. I think so.
Soc. And is not that gymnastic?
Alc. Certainly.
Soc. So by gymnastic we take pains over our foot, but by shoe-making over what belongs to our foot?
Alc. Quite so.
Soc. And by gymnastic over our hands, but by ring-engraving over what belongs to the hand?
Alc. Yes.
Soc. And by gymnastic over the body, but by weaving and the rest over what belongs to the body?
Alc. Absolutely so.
Soc. Then for taking pains over a thing itself and over what belongs to it we use different arts.
Alc. Apparently.
Soc. So when you take pains over your belongings you are not taking pains over yourself.
Alc. Not at all.
Soc. For the arts, it seems, that one used for taking pains over oneself and over one’s belongings would not be the same.
Alc. Apparently not.
Soc. Come then, whatever kind of art can we use for taking pains over ourselves?
Alc. I cannot say.
Soc. Well, so much at least has been admitted, that it is not one which would help us to make a single one of our possessions better, but one which would help to make ourselves so?
Alc. That is true.
Soc. Now, should we ever have known what art makes a shoe better, if we had not known a shoe?
Alc. Impossible.
Soc. Nor could we know what art makes rings better, if we had no cognizance of a ring.
Alc. True.
Soc. Well then, could we ever know what art makes the man himself better, if we were ignorant of what we are ourselves?