Sophist – Plato
STRANGER: And would they say that they are being, is incorporeal, it is enough; they must then corporeal?
say what that nature is which is common to both the corporeal and incorporeal, and which they THEAETETUS: They would distinguish: the soul have in their mind’s eye when they say of both would be said by them to have a body; but as to of them that they ‘are.’ Perhaps they may be the other qualities of justice, wisdom, and the in a difficulty; and if this is the case, there is a like, about which you asked, they would not ven-possibility that they may accept a notion of ours ture either to deny their existence, or to main-respecting the nature of being, having nothing tain that they were all corporeal.
of their own to offer.
STRANGER: Verily, Theaetetus, I perceive a great THEAETETUS: What is the notion? Tell me, and improvement in them; the real aborigines, chil-we shall soon see.
dren of the dragon’s teeth, would have been deterred by no shame at all, but would have ob-STRANGER: My notion would be, that anything stinately asserted that nothing is which they are which possesses any sort of power to affect annot able to squeeze in their hands.
other, or to be affected by another, if only for a single moment, however trifling the cause and THEAETETUS: That is pretty much their notion.
however slight the effect, has real existence; and I hold that the definition of being is simply STRANGER: Let us push the question; for if they power.
will admit that any, even the smallest particle of 130
Sophist – Plato
THEAETETUS: They accept your suggestion, ticipate in generation with the body, and through having nothing better of their own to offer.
perception, but we participate with the soul through thought in true essence; and essence you STRANGER: Very good; perhaps we, as well as would affirm to be always the same and immu-they, may one day change our minds; but, for table, whereas generation or becoming varies?
the present, this may be regarded as the understanding which is established with them.
THEAETETUS: Yes; that is what we should affirm.
THEAETETUS: Agreed.
STRANGER: Well, fair sirs, we say to them, what STRANGER: Let us now go to the friends of ideas; is this participation, which you assert of both?
of their opinions, too, you shall be the interpreter.
Do you agree with our recent definition?
THEAETETUS: I will.
THEAETETUS: What definition?
STRANGER: To them we say—You would distin-STRANGER: We said that being was an active or guish essence from generation?
passive energy, arising out of a certain power which proceeds from elements meeting with one THEAETETUS: ‘ Yes,’ they reply.
another. Perhaps your ears, Theaetetus, may fail to catch their answer, which I recognize because STRANGER: And you would allow that we parI have been accustomed to hear it.