Of people who know, it would seem, how to control the confection of tasty dishes?
Com.Yes.
Soc.And it is the cooks, they say, who know?
Com.Yes, it is they who know.
Soc.Very well; and now, whose are the treatises and accepted rules about the government of a state? Of the people who know how to control states, are they not?
Com.I agree.
Soc.And is it anyone else than statesmen and royal persons Footnote 1Cf. Euthyd. 291 C, Politicus 266-7, where Plato identifies the statesman’s and the king’s art. who know?
Com.It is they, to be sure.
Soc.Then what people call laws
are treatises of state,— writings of kings and good men.
That is true.
Soc.And must it not be that those who know will not write differently at different times on the same matters?
Com.They will not.
Soc.Nor will they ever change one set of accepted rules for another in respect of the same matters.
Com.No, indeed.
Soc.So if we see some persons anywhere doing this, shall we say that those who do so have knowledge, or have none?
Com.That they have no knowledge.
Soc.And again, whatever is right, we shall say is lawful for each person, whether in medicine or in cookery or in gardening?
Com.Yes.
Soc.And whatever is not right we shall decline to call lawful?
Com.We shall decline.
Soc.Then it becomes unlawful.
Com.It must.
Soc.And again, in writings about what is just and unjust, and generally about the government of a state and the proper way of governing it, that which is right is the king’s law, but not so that which is not right, though it seems to be law to those who do not know; for it is unlawful.
Com.Yes.
Soc.Then we rightly admitted that law is discovery of reality.
Com.So it appears.
Soc.Now let us observe this further point about it. Who has knowledge of distributing Footnote 2The words διανέμειν and νομεύς in this passage introduce the primitive meaning of νόμος — distribution or apportionment of each person’s status, property, rights, etc. seed over land?
Com.A farmer.
Soc.And does he distribute the suitable seed to each sort of land?
Com.Yes.
Soc.Then the farmer is a good apportioner of it, and his laws and distributions are right in this matter?
Com.Yes.
Soc.And who is a good apportioner of notes struck for a tune, skilled in distributing suitable notes, and who is it whose laws are right here?
Com.The flute-player and the harp-player.
Soc.Then he who is the best lawyer in these matters is the best flute-player.
Com.Yes.
Soc.And who is most skilled in distributing food to human bodies? Is it not he who assigns suitable food?
Com.Yes.
Soc.Then his distributions and laws are best, and whoever is the best lawyer in this matter is also the best apportioner.
Com.Certainly.
Soc.Who is he?