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ButImustalsoremindyou，thatthepowerofdialecticalonecanrevealthis，andonlytoonewhoisadiscipleoftheprevioussciences。
Ofthatassertionyoumaybeasconfidentasofthelast。
Andassuredlynoonewillarguethatthereisanyothermethodofcomprehendingbyanyregularprocessalltrueexistenceorofascertainingwhateachthingisinitsownnature；fortheartsingeneralareconcernedwiththedesiresoropinionsofmen，orarecultivatedwithaviewtoproductionandconstruction，orforthepreservationofsuchproductionsandconstructions；andastothemathematicalscienceswhich，asweweresaying，havesomeapprehensionoftruebeing——geometryandthelike——theyonlydreamaboutbeing，butnevercantheybeholdthewakingrealitysolongastheyleavethehypotheseswhichtheyuseunexamined，andareunabletogiveanaccountofthem。Forwhenamanknowsnothisownfirstprinciple，andwhentheconclusionandintermediatestepsarealsoconstructedoutofheknowsnotwhat，howcanheimaginethatsuchafabricofconventioncaneverbecomescience？
Impossible，hesaid。
Thendialectic，anddialecticalone，goesdirectlytothefirstprincipleandistheonlysciencewhichdoesawaywithhypothesesinordertomakehergroundsecure；theeyeofthesoul，whichisliterallyburiedinanoutlandishslough，isbyhergentleaidliftedupwards；andsheusesashandmaidsandhelpersintheworkofconversion，thescienceswhichwehavebeendiscussing。Customtermsthemsciences，buttheyoughttohavesomeothername，implyinggreaterclearnessthanopinionandlessclearnessthanscience：andthis，inourprevioussketch，wascalledunderstanding。Butwhyshouldwedisputeaboutnameswhenwehaverealitiesofsuchimportancetoconsider？
Whyindeed，hesaid，whenanynamewilldowhichexpressesthethoughtofthemindwithclearness？
Atanyrate，wearesatisfied，asbefore，tohavefourdivisions；
twoforintellectandtwoforopinion，andtocallthefirstdivisionscience，thesecondunderstanding，thethirdbelief，andthefourthperceptionofshadows，opinionbeingconcernedwithbecoming，andintellectwithbeing；andsotomakeaproportion：——
Asbeingistobecoming，soispureintellecttoopinion。
Andasintellectistoopinion，soissciencetobelief，andunderstandingtotheperceptionofshadows。
Butletusdeferthefurthercorrelationandsubdivisionofthesubjectsofopinionandofintellect，foritwillbealongenquiry，manytimeslongerthanthishasbeen。
AsfarasIunderstand，hesaid，Iagree。
Anddoyoualsoagree，Isaid，indescribingthedialecticianasonewhoattainsaconceptionoftheessenceofeachthing？Andhewhodoesnotpossessandisthereforeunabletoimpartthisconception，inwhateverdegreehefails，mayinthatdegreealsobesaidtofailinintelligence？Willyouadmitsomuch？
Yes，hesaid；howcanIdenyit？
Andyouwouldsaythesameoftheconceptionofthegood？
Untilthepersonisabletoabstractanddefinerationallytheideaofgood，andunlesshecanrunthegauntletofallobjections，andisreadytodisprovethem，notbyappealstoopinion，buttoabsolutetruth，neverfalteringatanystepoftheargument——unlesshecandoallthis，youwouldsaythatheknowsneithertheideaofgoodnoranyothergood；heapprehendsonlyashadow，ifanythingatall，whichisgivenbyopinionandnotbyscience；——dreamingandslumberinginthislife，beforeheiswellawakehere，hearrivesattheworldbelow，andhashisfinalquietus。
InallthatIshouldmostcertainlyagreewithyou。
AndsurelyyouwouldnothavethechildrenofyouridealState，whomyouarenurturingandeducating——iftheidealeverbecomesareality——youwouldnotallowthefuturerulerstobelikeposts，havingnoreasoninthem，andyettobesetinauthorityoverthehighestmatters？
Certainlynot。
Thenyouwillmakealawthattheyshallhavesuchaneducationaswillenablethemtoattainthegreatestskillinaskingandansweringquestions？
Yes，hesaid，youandItogetherwillmakeit。
Dialectic，then，asyouwillagree，isthecoping—stoneofthesciences，andissetoverthem；noothersciencecanbeplacedhigher——thenatureofknowledgecannofurthergo？
Iagree，hesaid。
Buttowhomwearetoassignthesestudies，andinwhatwaytheyaretobeassigned，arequestionswhichremaintobeconsidered？
Yes，clearly。
Youremember，Isaid，howtherulerswerechosenbefore？
Certainly，hesaid。
Thesamenaturesmuststillbechosen，andthepreferenceagaingiventothesurestandthebravest，and，ifpossible，tothefairest；
and，havingnobleandgeneroustempers，theyshouldalsohavethenaturalgiftswhichwillfacilitatetheireducation。
Andwhatarethese？
Suchgiftsaskeennessandreadypowersofacquisition；forthemindmoreoftenfaintsfromtheseverityofstudythanfromtheseverityofgymnastics：thetoilismoreentirelythemind’sown，andisnotsharedwiththebody。
Verytrue，hereplied。
Further，heofwhomweareinsearchshouldhaveagoodmemory，andbeanunweariedsolidmanwhoisaloveroflabourinanyline；orhewillneverbeabletoendurethegreatamountofbodilyexerciseandtogothroughalltheintellectualdisciplineandstudywhichwerequireofhim。
Certainly，hesaid；hemusthavenaturalgifts。
Themistakeatpresentis，thatthosewhostudyphilosophyhavenovocation，andthis，asIwasbeforesaying，isthereasonwhyshehasfallenintodisrepute：hertruesonsshouldtakeherbythehandandnotbastards。
Whatdoyoumean？
Inthefirstplace，hervotaryshouldnothavealameorhaltingindustry——Imean，thatheshouldnotbehalfindustriousandhalfidle：as，forexample，whenamanisaloverofgymnasticandhunting，andallotherbodilyexercises，butahaterratherthanaloverofthelabouroflearningorlisteningorenquiring。Ortheoccupationtowhichhedevoteshimselfmaybeofanoppositekind，andhemayhavetheothersortoflameness。
Certainly，hesaid。
Andastotruth，Isaid，isnotasoulequallytobedeemedhaltandlamewhichhatesvoluntaryfalsehoodandisextremelyindignantatherselfandotherswhentheytelllies，butispatientofinvoluntaryfalsehood，anddoesnotmindwallowinglikeaswinishbeastinthemireofignorance，andhasnoshameatbeingdetected？
Tobesure。
And，again，inrespectoftemperance，courage，magnificence，andeveryothervirtue，shouldwenotcarefullydistinguishbetweenthetruesonandthebastard？forwherethereisnodiscernmentofsuchqualitiesStatesandindividualsunconsciouslyerrandtheStatemakesaruler，andtheindividualafriend，ofonewho，beingdefectiveinsomepartofvirtue，isinafigurelameorabastard。
Thatisverytrue，hesaid。
Allthesethings，then，willhavetobecarefullyconsideredbyus；andifonlythosewhomweintroducetothisvastsystemofeducationandtrainingaresoundinbodyandmind，justiceherselfwillhavenothingtosayagainstus，andweshallbethesavioursoftheconstitutionandoftheState；but，ifourpupilsaremenofanotherstamp，thereversewillhappen，andweshallpourastillgreaterfloodofridiculeonphilosophythanshehastoendureatpresent。
Thatwouldnotbecreditable。
Certainlynot，Isaid；andyetperhaps，inthusturningjestintoearnestIamequallyridiculous。
Inwhatrespect？
Ihadforgotten，Isaid，thatwewerenotserious，andspokewithtoomuchexcitement。ForwhenIsawphilosophysoundeservedlytrampledunder
