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ideas；　the　bodies　of　the　materialists；　which　by　them　are　

maintained　to

be　the　very　truth；　they　break　up　into　little　bits　by　their

arguments；　and　affirm　them　to　be；　not　essence；　but　generation　and

motion。　Between　the　two　armies；　Theaetetus；　there　is　always　

an　endless

conflict　raging　concerning　these　matters。

　　Theaet。　True。

　　Str。　Let　us　ask　each　party　in　turn；　to　give　an　account　of　

that　which

they　call　essence。

　　Theaet。　How　shall　we　get　it　out　of　them？

　　Str。　With　those　who　make　being　to　consist　in　ideas；　there　will　be

less　difficulty；　for　they　are　civil　people　enough；　but　there　will　be

very　great　difficulty；　or　rather　an　absolute　impossibility；　

in　getting

an　opinion　out　of　those　who　drag　everything　down　to　matter。　Shall　I

tell　you　what　we　must　do？

　　Theaet。　What？

　　Str。　Let　us；　if　we　can；　really　improve　them；　but　if　this　is　not

possible；　let　us　imagine　them　to　be　better　than　they　are；　and　more

willing　to　answer　in　accordance　with　the　rules　of　argument；　and　then

their　opinion　will　be　more　worth　having；　for　that　which　better　men

acknowledge　has　more　weight　than　that　which　is　acknowledged　by

inferior　men。　Moreover　we　are　no　respecters　of　persons；　but　seekers

after　time。

　　Theaet。　Very　good。

　　Str。　Then　now；　on　the　supposition　that　they　are　improved；　

let　us　ask

them　to　state　their　views；　and　do　you　interpret　them。

　　Theaet。　Agreed。

　　Str。　Let　them　say　whether　they　would　admit　that　there　is　such　a

thing　as　a　mortal　animal。

　　Theaet。　Of　course　they　would。

　　Str。　And　do　they　not　acknowledge　this　to　be　a　body　having　a　soul？

　　Theaet。　Certainly　they　do。

　　Str。　Meaning　to　say　the　soul　is　something　which　exists？

　　Theaet。　True。

　　Str。　And　do　they　not　say　that　one　soul　is　just；　and　another

unjust；　and　that　one　soul　is　wise；　and　another　foolish？

　　Theaet。　Certainly。

　　Str。　And　that　the　just　and　wise　soul　becomes　just　and　wise　by　the

possession　of　justice　and　wisdom；　and　the　opposite　under　opposite

circumstances？

　　Theaet。　Yes；　they　do。

　　Str。　But　surely　that　which　may　be　present　or　may　be　absent　will　be

admitted　by　them　to　exist？

　　Theaet。　Certainly。

　　Str。　And；　allowing　that　justice；　wisdom；　the　other　virtues；　and

their　opposites　exist；　as　well　as　a　soul　in　which　they　

inhere；　do　they

affirm　any　of　them　to　be　visible　and　tangible；　or　are　they　all

invisible？

　　Theaet。　They　would　say　that　hardly　any　of　them　are　visible。

　　Str。　And　would　they　say　that　they　are　corporeal？

　　Theaet。　They　would　distinguish：　the　soul　would　be　said　by　them　to

have　a　body；　but　as　to　the　other　qualities　of　justice；　

wisdom；　and　the

like；　about　which　you　asked；　they　would　not　venture　either　to　deny

their　existence；　or　to　maintain　that　they　were　all　corporeal。

　　Str。　Verily；　Theaetetus；　I　perceive　a　great　improvement　in　

them；　the

real　aborigines；　children　of　the　dragon's　teeth；　would　have　been

deterred　by　no　shame　at　all；　but　would　have　obstinately　asserted

that　nothing　is　which　they　are　not　able　to　squeeze　in　their　hands。

　　Theaet。　That　is　pretty　much　their　notion。

　　Str。　Let　us　push　the　question；　for　if　they　will　admit　that　

any；　even

the　smallest　particle　of　being；　is　incorporeal；　it　is　enough；　they

must　then　say　what　that　nature　is　which　is　common　to　both　the

corporeal　and　incorporeal；　and　which　they　have　in　their　mind's　eye

when　they　say　of　both　of　them　that　they　〃are。〃　Perhaps　they　may　be

in　a　difficulty；　and　if　this　is　the　case；　there　is　a　possibility

that　they　may　accept　a　notion　of　ours　respecting　the　nature　of

being；　having　nothing　of　their　own　to　offer。

　　Theaet。　What　is　the　notion？　Tell　me；　and　we　shall　soon　see。

　　Str。　My　notion　would　be；　that　anything　which　possesses　any　sort　of

power　to　affect　another；　or　to　be　affected　by　another；　if　only　for　a

single　moment；　however　trifling　the　cause　and　however　slight　the

effect；　has　real　existence；　and　I　hold　that　the　definition　

of　being　is

simply　power　of

　　Theaet。　They　accept　your　suggestion；　having　nothing　better　of

their　own　to　offer。

　　Str。　Very　good；　perhaps　we；　as　well　as　they；　may　one　day　change

our　minds；　but；　for　the　present；　this　may　be　regarded　as　the

understanding　which　is　established　with　them。

　　Theaet。　Agreed。

　　Str。　Let　us　now　go　to　the　friends　of　ideas；　of　their　opinions；

too；　you　shall　be　the　interpreter。

　　Theaet。　I　will。

　　Str。　To　them　we　say…You　would　distinguish　essence　from　generation？

　　Theaet。　〃Yes；〃　they　reply。

　　Str。　And　you　would　allow　that　we　participate　in　

generation；　with　the

body；　and　through　perception；　but　we　participate　with　the　

soul　through

in　true　essence；　and　essence　you　would　affirm　to　be　always　the　same

and　immutable；　whereas　generation　or　becoming　varies？

　　Theaet。　Yes；　that　is　what　we　should　affirm。

　　Str。　Well；　fair　sirs；　we　say　to　them；　what　is　this　participation；

which　you　assert　of　both？　Do　you　agree　with　our　recent　definition？

　　Theaet。　What　definition？

　　Str。　We　said　that　being　was　an　active　or　passive　energy；　

arising　out

of　a　certain　power　which　proceeds　from　elements　meeting　with　one

another。　Perhaps　your　cars；　Theaetetus；　may　fail　to　catch　their

answer；　which　I　recognize　because　I　have　been　accustomed　to　hear　it。

　　Theaet。　And　what　is　their　answer？

　　Str。　They　deny　the　truth　of　what　we　were　just　now；　saying　to　the

aborigines　about　existence。

　　Theaet。　What　was　that？

　　Str。　Any　power　of　doing　or　suffering　in　a　degree　however　slight

was　held　by　us　to　be　a　sufficient　definition　of　being？

　　Theaet。　True。

　　Str。　They　deny　this；　and　say　that　the　power　of　doing　or　

suffering　is

confined　to　becoming；　and　that　neither　power　is　applicable　to　being。

　　Theaet。　And　is　there　not　some　truth　in　what　they　say？

　　Str。　Yes；　but　our　reply　will　be　that　we　want　to　ascertain　from

them　more　distinctly；　whether　they　further　admit　that　the　soul

knows；　and　that　being　or　essence　is　known。

　　Theaet。　There　can　be　no　doubt　that　they　say　so。

　　Str。　And　is　knowing　and　being　known；　doing　or　suffering；　

or　both；　or

is　the　one　doing　and　the　other　suffering；　or　has　neither　any　share

in　either？

　　Theaet。　Clearly；　neither　has　any　share　in　either；　for　if　they　say

anything　else；　they　will　contradict　themselves。

　　Str。　I　understand；　but　they　will　allow　that　if　to　know　is　active；

then；　of　course；　to　be　known　is　passive。　And　on　this　view　

being；　in　so

far　as　it　is　known；　is　acted　upon　by　knowledge；　and　is　therefore　in

motion；　for　that　which　is　in　a　state　of　rest　cannot　be　acted　upon；

as　we　affirm。

　　Theaet。　True。

　　Str。　And；　O　heavens；　can　we　ever　be　made　to　believe　that　motion

and　life　and　soul　and　mind　are　not　present　with　perfect　being？　Can

we　imagine　that；　being　is　devoid　of　life　and　mind；　and　

exists　in　awful

unmeaningness　an　everlasting　fixture？

　　Theaet。　That　would　be　a　dreadful　thing　to　admit；　Stranger。

　　Str。　But　shall　we　say　that　has　mind　and　not　life？

　　Theaet。　How　is　that　possible？

　　Str。　Or　shall　we　say　that　both　inhere　in　perfect　being；　but　that

it　has　no　soul　which　contains　them？

　　Theaet。　And　in　what　other　way　can　it　contain　them？

　　Str。　Or　that　being　has　mind　and　life　and　soul；　but　although

endowed　with　soul　remains　absolutely　unmoved？

　　　Theaet。　All　three　suppositions　appear　to　me　to　be　irrational。

　　Str。　Under　being；　then；　we　must　include　motion；　and　that　which　is

moved。

　　Theaet。　Certainly。

　　Str。　Then；　Theaetetus；　our　inference　is；　that　if　there　is　

no　motion；

neither　is　there　any　mind　anywhere；　or　about　anything　or　belonging

to　any　one。

　　Theaet。　Quite　true。

　　Str。　And　yet　this　equally　follows；　if　we　grant　that　all　things　are

in　motion…upon　this　view　too　mind　has　no　existence。

　　Theaet。　How　so？

　　Str。　Do　you　think　that　sameness　of　condition　and　mode　and　subject

could　ever　exist　without　a　principle　of　rest？

　　Theaet。　Certainly　not。

　　Str。　Can　you　see　how　without　them　mind　could　exist；　or　come　into

existence　anywhere？

　　Theaet。　No。

　　Str。　And　surely　contend　we　must　in　every　possible　way　against　him

who　would　annihilate　knowledge　and　reason　and　mind；　and　yet　ventures

to　speak　confidently　about　anything。

　　Theaet。　Yes；　with　all　our　might。

　　Str。　Then　the　philosopher；　who　has　the　truest　reverence　for　these

qualities；　cannot　possibly　accept　the　notion　of　those　who　

say　that　the

whole　is　at　rest；　either　as　unity　or　in　many　forms：　and　he　will　be

utterly　deaf　to　those　who　assert　universal　motion。　As　children　say

entreatingly　〃Give　us　both。〃　so　he　will　include　both　the　moveable

and　immoveable　in　his　definition　of　being　and　all。

　　Theaet。　Most　true。

　　Str。　And　now；　do　we　seem　to　have　gained　a　fair　notion　of　being？

　　Theaet。　Yes　truly。

　　Str。　Alas；　Theaetetus；　methinks　that　we　are　now　only　beginning　to

see　the　real　difficulty　of　the　enquiry　into　the　nature　of　it。

　　Theaet。　What　do　you　mean？

　　Str。　O　my　friend；　do　you　not　see　that　nothing　can　exceed　out

ignorance；　and　yet　we　fancy　that　we　are　saying　something　good？

　　Theaet。　I　certainly　thought　that　we　were；　and　I　do　not　at　all

understand　how　we　never　found　out　our　desperate　case。

　　Str。　Reflect：　after　having　made；　these　admissions；　may　we　not　be

justly　asked；　the　same　questions　which　we　ourselves　were　asking　of

those　who　said　that　all　was　hot　and　cold？

　　Theaet。　What　were　they？　Will　you　recall　them　to　my　mind？

　　Str。　To　be　sure；　I　will　remind　you　of　them；　by　putting　the　same

questions；　to　you　which　I　did　to　them；　and　then　we　shall　get　on。

　　Theaet。　True。

　　Str。　Would　you　not　say　that　rest　and　motion　are　in　the　most　entire

opposition　to　one　another？

　　Theaet。　Of　course。

　　Str。　And　yet　you　would　say　that　both　and　either　of　them　

equally　are？

　　Theaet。　I　should。

　　Str。　And　when　you　admit　that　both　or　either　of　them　are；　

do　you　mean

to　say　that　both　or　either；　of　them　are　in　motion？

　　Theaet。　Certainly　not。

　　Str。　Or　do　you　wish　to　imply　that　they　are　both　at　rest；　when　you

say　that　they　are？

　　Theaet。　Of　course　not。

　　Str。　Then　you　conceive　of　being　as　some　third　and　distinct　nature；

under　which　rest　and　motion　are　alike　included；　and；　observing　that

they　both　participate　in　being；　you　declare　that　they　are。

　　Theaet。　Truly　we　seem　to　hav