Cle。Thereissomethingridiculous，Stranger，inourproposingsuchanalternativeasifwewerelegislators，simplyboundundersomegreatnecessitywhichcannotbedeferredtothemorrow。Butwe，asI
　　maybygraceofHeavenaffirm，like，gatherersofstonesorbeginnersofsomecompositework，maygatheraheapofmaterials，andoutofthis，atourleisure，selectwhatissuitableforourprojectedconstruction。Letusthensupposeourselvestobeatleisure，notofnecessitybuilding，butratherlikemenwhoarepartlyprovidingmaterials，andpartlyputtingthemtogether。Andwemaytrulysaythatsomeofourlaws，likestones，arealreadyfixedintheirplaces，andotherslieathand。
　　Ath。Certainly，inthatcase，Cleinias，ourviewoflawwillbemoreinaccordancewithnature。Forthereisanothermatteraffectinglegislators，whichImustearnestlyentreatyoutoconsider。
　　Cle。Whatisit？
　　Ath。Therearemanywritingstobefoundincities，andamongthemthere，arecomposedbylegislatorsaswellasbyotherpersons。
　　Cle。Tobesure。
　　Ath。Shallwegiveheedrathertothewritingsofthoseothers-poetsandthelike，whoeitherinmetreoroutofmetrehaverecordedtheiradviceabouttheconductoflife，andnottothewritingsoflegislators？orshallwegiveheedtothemaboveall？
　　Cle。Yes；tothemfaraboveallothers。
　　Ath。Andoughtthelegislatoraloneamongwriterstowithholdhisopinionaboutthebeautiful，thegood，andthejust，andnottoteachwhattheyare，andhowtheyaretobepursuedbythosewhointendtobehappy？
　　Cle。Certainlynot。
　　Ath。AndisitdisgracefulforHomerandTyrtaeusandotherpoetstolaydownevilpreceptsintheirwritingsrespectinglifeandthepursuitsofmen，butnotsodisgracefulforLycurgusandSolonandotherswhowerelegislatorsaswellaswriters？Isitnottruethatofallthewritingstobefoundincities，thosewhichrelatetolaws，whenyouunfoldandreadthem，oughttobebyfarthenoblestandthebest？andshouldnototherwritingseitheragreewiththem，oriftheydisagree，bedeemedridiculous？Weshouldconsiderwhetherthelawsofstatesoughtnottohavethecharacteroflovingandwiseparents，ratherthanoftyrantsandmasters，whocommandandthreaten，and，afterwritingtheirdecreesonwalls，gotheirways；andwhether，indiscoursingoflaws，weshouldnottakethegentlerviewofthemwhichmayormaynotbeattainable-atanyrate，wewillshowourreadinesstoentertainsuchaview，andbepreparedtoundergowhatevermaybetheresult。Andmaytheresultbegood，andifGodbegracious，itwillbegood!
　　Cle。Excellent；letusdoasyousay。
　　Ath。Thenwewillnowconsideraccurately，asweproposed，whatrelatestorobbersoftemples，andallkindsofthefts，andoffencesingeneral；andwemustnotbeannoyedif，inthecourseoflegislation，wehaveenactedsomethings，andhavenotmadeupourmindsaboutsomeothers；forasyetwearenotlegislators，butwemaysoonbe。Letus，ifyouplease，considerthesematters。
　　Cle。Byallmeans。
　　Ath。Concerningallthingshonourableandjust，letusthenendeavourtoascertainhowfarweareconsistentwithourselves，andhowfarweareinconsistent，andhowfarthemany，fromwhomatanyrateweshouldprofessadesiretodiffer，agreeanddisagreeamongthemselves。
　　Cle。Whataretheinconsistencieswhichyouobserveinus？
　　Ath。Iwillendeavourtoexplain。IfIamnotmistaken，weareallagreedthatjustice，andjustmenandthingsandactions，areallfair，and，ifapersonweretomaintainthatjustmen，evenwhentheyaredeformedinbody，arestillperfectlybeautifulinrespectoftheexcellentjusticeoftheirminds，noonewouldsaythattherewasanyinconsistencyinthis。
　　Cle。Theywouldbequiteright。
　　Ath。Perhaps；butletusconsiderfurther，thatifallthingswhicharejustarefairandhonourable，intheterm“all“wemustincludejustsufferingswhicharethecorrelativesofjustactions。
　　Cle。Andwhatistheinference？
　　Ath。Theinferenceis，thatajustactioninpartakingofthejustpartakesalsointhesamedegreeofthefairandhonourable。
　　Cle。Certainly。
　　Ath。Andmustnotasufferingwhichpartakesofthejustprinciplebeadmittedtobeinthesamedegreefairandhonourable，iftheargumentisconsistentlycarriedout？
　　Cle。True。
　　Ath。Butthenifweadmitsufferingtobejustandyetdishonourable，andtheterm“dishonourable“isappliedtojustice，willnotthejustandthehonourabledisagree？
　　Cle。Whatdoyoumean？
　　Ath。Athingnotdifficulttounderstand；thelawswhichhavebeenalreadyenactedwouldseemtoannounceprinciplesdirectlyopposedtowhatwearesaying。
　　Cle。Towhat？
　　Ath。Wehadenacted，ifIamnotmistaken，thattherobberoftemples，andhewhowastheenemyoflawandorder，mightjustlybeputtodeath，andwewereproceedingtomakediversotherenactmentsofasimilarnature。Butwestoppedshort，becausewesawthatthesesufferingsareinfiniteinnumberanddegree，andthattheyare，atonce，themostjustandalsothemostdishonourableofallsufferings。
　　Andifthisbetrue，arenotthejustandthehonourableatonetimeallthesame，andatanothertimeinthemostdiametricalopposition？
　　Cle。Suchappearstobethecase。
　　Ath。Inthisdiscordantandinconsistentfashiondoesthelanguageofthemanyrendasunderthehonourableandjust。
　　Cle。Verytrue，Stranger。
　　Ath。Thennow，Cleinias，letusseehowfarweourselvesareconsistentaboutthesematters。
　　Cle。Consistentinwhat？
　　Ath。IthinkthatIhaveclearlystatedintheformerpartofthediscussion，butifIdidnot，letmenowstate-
　　Cle。What？
　　Ath。Thatallbadmenarealwaysinvoluntarilybad；andfromthismustproceedtodrawafurtherinference。
　　Cle。Whatisit？
　　Ath。Thattheunjustmanmaybebad，butthatheisbadagainsthiswill。Nowthatanactionwhichisvoluntaryshouldbedoneinvoluntarilyisacontradiction；whereforehewhomaintainsthatinjusticeisinvoluntarywilldeemthattheunjustdoesinjusticeinvoluntarily。Itooadmitthatallmendoinjusticeinvoluntarily，andifanycontentiousordisputatiouspersonsaysthatmenareunjustagainsttheirwill，andyetthatmanydoinjusticewillingly，Idonotagreewithhim。But，then，howcanIavoidbeinginconsistentwithmyself，ifyou，Cleinias，andyou，Megillus，saytome-Well，Stranger，ifallthisbeasyousay，howaboutlegislatingforthecityoftheMagnetes-shallwelegislateornot-whatdoyouadvise？Certainlywewill，Ishouldreply。Thenwillyoudetermineforthemwhatarevoluntaryandwhatareinvoluntarycrimes，andshallwemakethepunishmentsgreaterofvoluntaryerrorsandcrimesandlessfortheinvoluntary？orshallwemakethepunishmentofalltobealike，undertheideathatthereisnosuchthingasvoluntarycrime？
　　Cle。Verygood，Stranger；andwhatshallwesayinanswertotheseobjections？
　　Ath。Thatisaveryfairquestion。Inthefirstplace，letus-
　　Cle。Dowhat？
　　Ath。Letusrememberwhathasbeenwellsaidbyusalready，thatourideasofjusticeareinthehighestdegreeconfusedandcontradictory。
　　Bearingthisinmind，letusproceedtoaskourselvesoncemorewhetherwehavediscoveredawayoutofthedifficulty。Haveweeverdeterminedinwhatrespectthesetwoclassesofactionsdifferfromoneanother？Forinallstatesandbyalllegislatorswhatsoever，twokindsofactionshavebeendistinguished-theone，voluntary，theother，involuntary；andtheyhavelegislatedaboutthemaccordingly。
　　Butshallthisnewwordofours，likeanoracleofGod，beonlyspoken，andgetawaywithoutgivinganyexplanationorverificationofitself？Howcanawordnotunderstoodbethebasisoflegislation？
　　Impossible。Beforeproceedingtolegislate，then，wemustprovethattheyaretwo，andwhatisthedifferencebetweenthem，thatwhenweimposethepenaltyuponeither，everyonemayunderstandourproposal，andbeableinsomewaytojudgewhetherthepenaltyisfitlyorunfitlyinflicted。
　　Cle。Iagreewithyou，Stranger；foroneoftwothingsiscertain：
　　eitherwemustnotsaythatallunjustactsareinvoluntary，orwemustshowthemeaningandtruthofthisstatement。
　　Ath。Ofthesetwoalternatives，theoneisquiteintolerable-nottospeakwhatIbelievetobethetruthwouldbetomeunlawfulandunholy。Butifactsofinjusticecannotbedividedintovoluntaryandinvoluntary，Imustendeavourtofindsomeotherdistinctionbetweenthem。
　　Cle。Verytrue，Stranger；therecannotbetwoopinionsamongusuponthatpoint。
　　Ath。Reflect，then；therearehurtsofvariouskindsdonebythecitizenstooneanotherintheintercourseoflife，affordingplentifulexamplesbothofthevoluntaryandinvoluntary。
　　Cle。Certainly。
　　Ath。Iwouldnothaveanyonesupposethatallthesehurtsareinjuries，andthattheseinjuriesareoftwokinds-one，voluntary，andtheother，involuntary；fortheinvoluntaryhurtsofallmenarequiteasmanyandasgreatasthevoluntary？AndpleasetoconsiderwhetherIamrightorquitewronginwhatIamgoingtosay；forI
　　deny，CleiniasandMegillus，thathewhoharmsanotherinvoluntarilydoeshimaninjuryinvoluntarily，norshouldIlegislateaboutsuchanactundertheideathatIamlegislatingforaninvoluntaryinjury。
　　ButIshouldrathersaythatsuchahurt，whethergreatorsmall，isnotaninjuryatall；and，ontheotherhand，ifIamright，whenabenefitiswronglyconferred，theauthorofthebenefitmayoftenbesaidtoinjure。ForImaintain，Omyfriends，thatthemeregivingortakingawayofanythingisnottobedescribedeitherasjustorunjust；butthelegislatorhastoconsiderwhethermankinddogoodorharmtooneanotheroutofajustprincipleandintention。Onthedistinctionbetweeninjusticeandhurthemustfixhiseye；andwhenthereishurt，hemust，asfarashecan，makethehurtgoodbylaw，andsavethatwhichisruined，andraiseupthatwhichisfallen，andmakethatwhichisdeadorwoundedwhole。Andwhencompensationhasbeengivenforinjustice，thelawmustalwaysseektowinoverthedoersandsufferersoftheseveralhurtsfromfeelingsofenmitytothoseoffriendship。
　　Cle。Verygood。