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？