Cle。True。
　　Ath。Then，returningtothecouncil，Iwouldsayfurther，thatifweletitdowntobetheanchorofthestate，ourcity，havingeverythingwhichissuitabletoher，willpreserveallthatwewishtopreserve。
　　Cle。Whatdoyoumean？
　　Ath。Nowisthetimeformetospeakthetruthinallearnestness。
　　Cle。Wellsaid，andIhopethatyouwillfulfilyourintention。
　　Ath。Know，Cleinias，thateverything，inallthatitdoes，hasanaturalsaviour，asofananimalthesoulandtheheadarethechiefsaviours。
　　Cle。Oncemore，whatdoyoumean？
　　Ath。Thewell-beingofthosetwoisobviouslythepreservationofeverylivingthing。
　　Cle。Howisthat？
　　Ath。Thesoul，besidesotherthings，containsmind，andthehead，besidesotherthings，containssightandhearing；andthemind，minglingwiththenoblestofthesenses，andbecomingonewiththem，maybetrulycalledthesalvationofall。
　　Cle。Yes，Quiteso。
　　Ath。Yes，indeed；butwithwhatisthatintellectconcernedwhich，minglingwiththesenses，isthesalvationofshipsinstormsaswellasinfairweather？Inaship，whenthepilotandthesailorsunitetheirperceptionswiththepilotingmind，dotheynotsaveboththemselvesandtheircraft？
　　Cle。Verytrue。
　　Ath。Wedonotwantmanyillustrationsaboutsuchmatters：-Whataimwouldthegeneralofanarmy，orwhataimwouldaphysicianproposetohimself，ifhewereseekingtoattainsalvation？
　　Cle。Verygood。
　　Ath。Doesnotthegeneralaimatvictoryandsuperiorityinwar，anddonotthephysicianandhisassistantsaimatproducinghealthinthebody？
　　Cle。Certainly。
　　Ath。Andaphysicianwhoisignorantaboutthebody，thatistosay，whoknowsnotthatwhichwejustnowcalledhealth，orageneralwhoknowsnotvictory，oranyotherswhoareignorantoftheparticularsoftheartswhichwementioned，cannotbesaidtohaveunderstandingaboutanyofthesematters。
　　Cle。Theycannot。
　　Ath。Andwhatwouldyousayofthestate？Ifapersonprovestobeignorantoftheaimtowhichthestatesmanshouldlook，oughthe，inthefirstplace，tobecalledaruleratall；further，willheeverbeabletopreservethatofwhichhedoesnotevenknowtheaim？
　　Cle。Impossible。
　　Ath。Andtherefore，ifoursettlementofthecountryistobeperfect，weoughttohavesomeinstitution，which，asIwassaying，willtellwhatistheaimofthestate，andwillinformushowwearetoattainthis，andwhatlaworwhatmanwilladviseustothatend。Anystatewhichhasnosuchinstitutionislikelytobedevoidofmindandsense，andinallheractionswillproceedbymerechance。
　　Cle。Verytrue。
　　Ath。Inwhich，then，ofthepartsorinstitutionsofthestateisanysuchguardianpowertobefound？Canwesay？
　　Cle。Iamnotquitecertain，Stranger；butIhaveasuspicionthatyouarereferringtotheassemblywhichyoujustnowsaidwastomeetatnight。
　　Ath。Youunderstandmeperfectly，Cleinias；andwemustassume，astheargumentiniplies，thatthiscouncilpossessesallvirtue；andthebeginningofvirtueisnottomakemistakesbyguessingmanythings，buttolooksteadilyatonething，andonthistofixallouraims。
　　Cle。Quitetrue。
　　Ath。Thennowweshallseewhythereisnothingwonderfulinstatesgoingastray-thereasonisthattheirlegislatorshavesuchdifferentaims；noristhereanythingwonderfulinsomelayingdownastheirruleofjustice，thatcertainindividualsshouldbearruleinthestate，whethertheybegoodorbad，andothersthatthecitizensshouldberich，notcaringwhethertheyaretheslavesofothermenornot。Thetendencyofothers，again，istowardsfreedom；andsomelegislatewithaviewtotwothingsatonce-theywanttobeatthesametimefreeandthelordsofotherstates；butthewisestmen，astheydeemthemselvestobe，looktoalltheseandsimilaraims，andthereisnooneofthemwhichtheyexclusivelyhonour，andtowhichtheywouldhaveallthingslook。
　　Cle。Then，Stranger，ourformerassertionwillhold，forweweresayingthatlawsgenerallyshouldlooktoonethingonly；andthis，asweadmitted，wasrightlysaidtobevirtue。
　　Ath。Yes。
　　Cle。Andwesaidthatvirtuewasoffourkinds？
　　Ath。Quitetrue。
　　Cle。Andthatmindwastheleaderofthefour，andthattoherthethreeothervirtuesandallotherthingsoughttohaveregard？
　　Ath。Youfollowmecapitally，Cleinias，andIwouldaskyoutofollowmetotheend，forwehavealreadysaidthatthemindofthepilot，themindofthephysicianandofthegenerallooktothatonethingtowhichtheyoughttolook；andnowwemayturntomindpolitical，ofwhich，asofahumancreature，wewillaskaquestion：-O
　　wonderfulbeing，andtowhatareyoulooking？Thephysicianisabletotellhissingleaiminlife，butyou，thesuperior，asyoudeclareyourselftobe，ofallintelligentbeings，whenyouareaskedarenotabletotell。Canyou，Megillus，andyou，Cleinias，saydistinctlywhatistheaimofmindpolitical，inreturnforthemanyexplanationsofthingswhichIhavegivenyou？
　　Cle。Wecannot，Stranger。
　　Ath。Well，butoughtwenottodesiretoseeit，andtoseewhereitistobefound？
　　Cle。Forexample，where？
　　Ath。Forexample，weweresayingthattherearefourkindsofvirtue，andastherearefourofthem，eachofthemmustbeone。
　　Cle。Certainly。
　　Ath。Andfurther，allfourofthemwecallone；forwesaythatcourageisvirtue，andthatprudenceisvirtue，andthesameofthetwoothers，asiftheywereinrealitynotmanybutone，thatis，virtue。
　　Cle。Quiteso。
　　Ath。Thereisnodifficultyinseeinginwhatwaythetwodifferfromoneanother，andhavereceivedtwonames，andsooftherest。Butthereismoredifficultyinexplainingwhywecallthesetwoandtherestofthembythesinglenameofvirtue。
　　Cle。Howdoyoumean？
　　Ath。IhavenodifficultyinexplainingwhatImean。Letusdistributethesubjectquestionsandanswers。
　　Cle。Oncemore，whatdoyoumean？
　　Ath。Askmewhatisthatonethingwhichcallvirtue，andthenagainspeakofastwo，onepartbeingcourageandtheotherwisdom。Iwilltellyouhowthatoccurs：-Oneofthemhastodowithfear；inthisthebeastsalsoparticipate，andquiteyoungchildren-Imeancourage；
　　foracourageoustemperisagiftofnatureandnotofreason。Butwithoutreasonthereneverhasbeen，oris，orwillbeawiseandunderstandingsoul；itisofadifferentnature。
　　Cle。Thatistrue。
　　Ath。Ihavenowtoldyouinwhatwaythetwoaredifferent，anddoyouinreturntellmeinwhatwaytheyareoneandthesame。SupposethatIaskyouinwhatwaythefourareone，andwhenyouhaveansweredme，youwillhavearighttoaskofmeinreturninwhatwaytheyarefour；andthenletusproceedtoenquirewhetherinthecaseofthingswhichhaveanameandalsoadefinitiontothem，trueknowledgeconsistsinknowingthenameonlyandnotthedefinition。
　　Canhewhoisgoodforanythingbeignorantofallthiswithoutdiscreditwheregreatandglorioustruthsareconcerned？
　　Cle。Isupposenot。
　　Ath。Andisthereanythinggreatertothelegislatorandtheguardianofthelaw，andtohimwhothinksthatheexcelsallothermeninvirtue，andhaswonthepalmofexcellence，thattheseveryqualitiesofwhichwearenowspeaking-courage，temperance，wisdom，justice？
　　Cle。Howcantherebeanythinggreater？
　　Ath。Andoughtnottheinterpreters，theteachersthelawgivers，theguardiansoftheothercitizens，toexceltherestofmankind，andperfectlytoshowhimwhodesirestolearnandknoworwhoseevilactionsrequiretobepunishedandreproved，whatisthenatureofvirtueandvice？Orshallsomepoetwhohasfoundhiswayintothecity，orsomechancepersonwhopretendstobeaninstructorofyouth，showhimselftobebetterthanhimwhohaswontheprizeforeveryvirtue？Andcanwewonderthatwhentheguardiansarenotadequateinspeechoraction，andhavenoadequateknowledgeofvirtue，thecitybeingunguardedshouldexperiencethecommonfateofcitiesinourday？
　　Cle。Wonder!no。
　　Ath。Well，then，mustwedoaswesaid？Orcanwegiveourguardiansamorepreciseknowledgeofvirtueinspeechandactionthanthemanyhave？oristhereanywayinwhichourcitycanbemadetoresembletheheadandsensesofrationalbeingsbecausepossessingsuchaguardianpower？
　　Cle。What，Stranger，isthedriftofyourcomparison？
　　Ath。Dowenotseethatthecityisthetrunk，andarenottheyoungerguardians，whoarechosenfortheirnaturalgifts，placedintheheadofthestate，havingtheirsoulsallfullofeyes，withwhichtheylookaboutthewholecity？Theykeepwatchandhandovertheirperceptionstothememory，andinformtheeldersofallthathappensinthecity；andthosewhomwecomparedtothemind，becausetheyhavemanywisethoughts-thatistosay，theoldmen-takecounselandmakinguseoftheyoungermenastheirministers，andadvisingwiththem-inthiswaybothtogethertrulypreservethewholestate：-Shallthisorsomeotherbetheorderofourstate？Areallourcitizenstobeequalinacquirements，orshalltherebespecialpersonsamongthemwhohavereceivedamorecarefultrainingandeducation？