Soc. Well, take the orators, for example: they either know, or think they know, how to advise us on various occasions—some about war and peace, and others about building walls or fitting up harbors; and in a word, whatever the city does to another city or within herself, all comes about by the advice of the orators.
Alc. That is true.
Soc. Then observe the consequence.
Alc. If I am able.
Soc. Why, surely you call men either wise or unwise?
Alc. I do.
Soc. And the many unwise, and the few wise?
Alc. Precisely.
Soc. And in either case you name them in reference to something?
Alc. Yes.
Soc. Then do you call a man wise who knows how to give advice, without knowing whether and when it is better to act upon it?
Alc. No, indeed.
Soc. Nor, I conceive, a man who knows what war is in itself, without knowing when or for how long a time it is better to make war?
Alc. Agreed.
Soc. Nor, again, a man who knows how to kill another, or seize his property, or make him an exile from his native land, without knowing when or to whom it is better so to behave?
Alc. No, to be sure.
Soc. Then it is a man who knows something of this sort, and is assisted by knowledge of what is best,—and this is surely the same as knowledge of the useful, is it not?
Alc. Yes.
Soc. And we shall call him wise, and a competent adviser both of the city and of his own self; but a man not so qualified we shall call the opposite of these. How do you think?
Alc. I agree.
Soc. And what of a man who knows how to ride or shoot, or else to box or wrestle or contend in any other sport, or do anything that we know by rule of art? What do you call him who knows what is better done by rule of that particular art? Do you not say that he who goes by the rules of riding is a good rider?
Alc. I do.
Soc. And the rules of boxing, I suppose, make a good boxer, and those of flute-playing a good flute-player, and so, on the same lines, Footnote 1ἀνὰ λόγον occurs, with the genitive, in Plat. Tim. 29c; the normal Platonic phrase for our passage is ὡσαύτως. I presume, with the rest; or is there any difference?
Alc. No, it is as you say.
Soc. Then do you think it inevitable that he who has some knowledge about these things should also be a wise man, or shall we say he comes far short of it?
Alc. Far short of it, I declare.
Soc. Then what sort of state do you suppose it would be, where the people were good bowmen and flute-players, together with athletes and artists in general, and mingled with these the men whom we have just mentioned as knowing war in itself and slaughter in itself, and orator-windbags too with their political bluster, but all of them lacked this knowledge of the best, and none knew when or upon whom it was better to employ their respective arts?