a　poor　creature　and　not　good　for　much；　you　would　die　if　he　were　disposed　to　claim　the　penalty　of　death。　And　yet；　Socrates；　what　is　the　value　of
  An　art　which　converts　a　man　of　sense　into　a　fool；
  who　is　helpless；　and　has　no　power　to　save　either　himself　or　others；　when　he　is　in　the　greatest　danger　and　is　going　to　be　despoiled　by　his　enemies　of　all　his　goods；　and　has　to　live；　simply　deprived　of　his　rights　of　citizenship？…he　being　a　man　who；　if　I　may　use　the　expression；　may　be　boxed　on　the　ears　with　impunity。　Then；　my　good　friend；　take　my　advice；　and　refute　no　more：
  Learn　the　philosophy　of　business；　and　acquire　the　reputation　　　　　　　　　of　wisdom。　　　　　But　leave　to　others　these　niceties；
  whether　they　are　to　be　described　as　follies　or　absurdities：
  For　they　will　only　　　　　Give　you　poverty　for　the　inmate　of　your　dwelling。
  Cease；　then；　emulating　these　paltry　splitters　of　words；　and　emulate　only　the　man　of　substance　and　honour；　who　is　well　to　do。　　　Soc。　If　my　soul；　Callicles；　were　made　of　gold；　should　I　not　rejoice　to　discover　one　of　those　stones　with　which　they　test　gold；　and　the　very　best　possible　one　to　which　I　might　bring　my　soul；　and　if　the　stone　and　I　agreed　in　approving　of　her　training；　then　I　should　know　that　I　was　in　a　satisfactory　state；　and　that　no　other　test　was　needed　by　me。　　　Cal。　What　is　your　meaning；　Socrates？　　　Soc。　I　will　tell　you；　I　think　that　I　have　found　in　you　the　desired　touchstone。　　　Cal。　Why？　　　Soc。　Because　I　am　sure　that　if　you　agree　with　me　in　any　of　the　opinions　which　my　soul　forms；　I　have　at　last　found　the　truth　indeed。　For　I　consider　that　if　a　man　is　to　make　a　complete　trial　of　the　good　or　evil　of　the　soul；　he　ought　to　have　three　qualities…knowledge；　good…will；　outspokenness；　which　are　all　possessed　by　you。　Many　whom　I　meet　are　unable　to　make　trial　of　me；　because　they　are　not　wise　as　you　are；　others　are　wise；　but　they　will　not　tell　me　the　truth；　because　they　have　not　the　same　interest　in　me　which　you　have；　and　these　two　strangers；　Gorgias　and　Polus；　are　undoubtedly　wise　men　and　my　very　good　friends；　but　they　are　not　outspoken　enough；　and　they　are　too　modest。　Why；　their　modesty　is　so　great　that　they　are　driven　to　contradict　themselves；　first　one　and　then　the　other　of　them；　in　the　face　of　a　large　company；　on　matters　of　the　highest　moment。　But　you　have　all　the　qualities　in　which　these　others　are　deficient；　having　received　an　excellent　education；　to　this　many　Athenians　can　testify。　And　are　my　friend。　Shall　I　tell　you　why　I　think　so？　I　know　that　you；　Callicles；　and　Tisander　of　Aphidnae；　and　Andron　the　son　of　Androtion；　and　Nausicydes　of　the　deme　of　Cholarges；　studied　together：　there　were　four　of　you；　and　I　once　heard　you　advising　with　one　another　as　to　the　extent　to　which　the　pursuit　of　philosophy　should　be　carried；　and；　as　I　know；　you　came　to　the　conclusion　that　the　study　should　not　be　pushed　too　much　into　detail。　You　were　cautioning　one　another　not　to　be　overwise；　you　were　afraid　that　too　much　wisdom　might　unconsciously　to　yourselves　be　the　ruin　of　you。　And　now　when　I　hear　you　giving　the　same　advice　to　me　which　you　then　gave　to　your　most　intimate　friends；　I　have　a　sufficient　evidence　of　your　real　goodwill　to　me。　And　of　the　frankness　of　your　nature　and　freedom　from　modesty　I　am　assured　by　yourself；　and　the　assurance　is　confirmed　by　your　last　speech。　Well　then；　the　inference　in　the　present　case　clearly　is；　that　if　you　agree　with　me　in　an　argument　about　any　point；　that　point　will　have　been　sufficiently　tested　by　us；　and　will　not　require　to　be　submitted　to　any　further　test。　For　you　could　not　have　agreed　with　me；　either　from　lack　of　knowledge　or　from　superfluity　of　modesty；　nor　yet　from　a　desire　to　deceive　me；　for　you　are　my　friend；　as　you　tell　me　yourself。　And　therefore　when　you　and　I　are　agreed；　the　result　will　be　the　attainment　of　perfect　truth。　Now　there　is　no　nobler　enquiry；　Callicles；　than　that　which　you　censure　me　for　making；…What　ought　the　character　of　a　man　to　be；　and　what　his　pursuits；　and　how　far　is　he　to　go；　both　in　maturer　years　and　in　youth？　For　be　assured　that　if　I　err　in　my　own　conduct　I　do　not　err　intentionally；　but　from　ignorance。　Do　not　then　desist　from　advising　me；　now　that　you　have　begun；　until　I　have　learned　clearly　what　this　is　which　I　am　to　practise；　and　how　I　may　acquire　it。　And　if　you　find　me　assenting　to　your　words；　and　hereafter　not　doing　that　to　which　I　assented；　call　me　〃dolt；〃　and　deem　me　unworthy　of　receiving　further　instruction。　Once　more；　then；　tell　me　what　you　and　Pindar　mean　by　natural　justice：　Do　you　not　mean　that　the　superior　should　take　the　property　of　the　inferior　by　force；　that　the　better　should　rule　the　worse；　the　noble　have　more　than　the　mean？　Am　I　not　right　in　my　recollection？　　　Cal。　Yes；　that　is　what　I　was　saying；　and　so　I　still　aver。　　　Soc。　And　do　you　mean　by　the　better　the　same　as　the　superior？　for　I　could　not　make　out　what　you　were　saying　at　the　time…whether　you　meant　by　the　superior　the　stronger；　and　that　the　weaker　must　obey　the　stronger；　as　you　seemed　to　imply　when　you　said　that　great　cities　attack　small　ones　in　accordance　with…natural　right；　because　they　are　superior　and　stronger；　as　though　the　superior　and　stronger　and　better　were　the　same；　or　whether　the　better　may　be　also　the　inferior　and　weaker；　and　the　superior　the　worse；　or　whether　better　is　to　be　defined　in　the　same　way　as　superior：　this　is　the　point　which　I　want　to　have　cleared　up。　Are　the　superior　and　better　and　stronger　the　same　or　different？　　　Cal。　I　say　unequivocally　that　they　are　the　same。　　　Soc。　Then　the　many　are　by　nature　to　the　one；　against　whom；　as　you　were　saying；　they　make　the　laws？　　　Cal。　Certainly。　　　Soc。　Then　the　laws　of　the　many　are　the　laws　of　the　superior？　　　Cal。　Very　true。　　　Soc。　Then　they　are　the　laws　of　the　better；　for　the　superior　class　are　far　better；　as　you　were　saying？　　　Cal。　Yes。　　　Soc。　And　since　they　are　superior；　the　laws　which　are　made　by　them　are　by　nature　good？　　　Cal。　Yes。　　　Soc。　And　are　not　the　many　of　opinion；　as　you　were　lately　saying；　that　justice　is　equality；　and　that　to　do　is　more　disgraceful　than　to　suffer　injustice？…is　that　so　or　not？　Answer；　Callicles；　and　let　no　modesty　be：　found　to　come　in　the　way；　do　the　many　think；　or　do　they　not　think　thus？…I　must　beg　of　you　to　answer；　in　order　that　if　you　agree　with　me　I　may　fortify　myself　by　the　assent　of　so　competent　an　authority。　　　Cal。　Yes；　the　opinion　of　the　many　is　what　you　say。　　　Soc。　Then　not　only　custom　but　nature　also　affirms　that　to　do　is　more　disgraceful　than　to　suffer　injustice；　and　that　justice　is　equality；　so　that　you　seem　to　have　been　wrong　in　your　former　assertion；　when　accusing　me　you　said　that　nature　and　custom　are　opposed；　and　that　I；　knowing　this；　was　dishonestly　playing　between　them；　appealing　to　custom　when　the　argument　is　about　nature；　and　to　nature　when　the　argument　is　about　custom？　　　Cal。　This　man　will　never　cease　talking　nonsense。　At　your　age；　Socrates；　are　you　not　ashamed　to　be　catching　at　words　and　chuckling　over　some　verbal　slip？　do　you　not　see…have　I　not　told　you　already；　that　by　superior　I　mean　better：　do　you　imagine　me　to　say；　that　if　a　rabble　of　slaves　and　nondescripts；　who　are　of　no　use　except　perhaps　for　their　physical　strength；　get　together　their　ipsissima　verba　are　laws？　　　Soc。　Ho！　my　philosopher；　is　that　your　line？　　　Cal。　Certainly。　　　Soc。　I　was　thinking；　Callicles；　that　something　of　the　kind　must　have　been　in　your　mind；　and　that　is　why　I　repeated　the　question…What　is　the　superior？　I　wanted　to　know　clearly　what　you　meant；　for　you　surely　do　not　think　that　two　men　are　better　than　one；　or　that　your　slaves　are　better　than　you　because　they　are　stronger？　Then　please　to　begin　again；　and　tell　me　who　the　better　are；　if　they　are　not　the　stronger；　and　I　will　ask　you；　great　Sir；　to　be　a　little　milder　in　your　instructions；　or　I　shall　have　to　run　away　from　you。　　　Cal。　You　are　ironical。　　　Soc。　No；　by　the　hero　Zethus；　Callicles；　by　whose　aid　you　were　just　now　saying　many　ironical　things　against　me；　I　am　not：…tell　me；　then；　whom　you　mean；　by　the　better？　　　Cal。　I　mean　the　more　excellent。　　　Soc。　Do　you　not　see　that　you　are　yourself　using　words　which　have　no　meaning　and　that　you　are　explaining　nothing？…will　you　tell　me　whether　you　mean　by　the　better　and　superior　the　wiser；　or　if　not；　whom？　　　Cal。　Most　assuredly；　I　do　mean　the　wiser。　　　Soc。　Then　according　to　you；　one　wise　man　may　often　be　superior　to　ten　thousand　fools；　and　he　ought　them；　and　they　ought　to　be　his　subjects；　and　he　ought　to　have　more　than　they　should。　This　is　what　I　believe　that　you　mean　（and　you　must　not　suppose　that　I　am　word…catching）；　if　you　allow　that　the　one　is　superior　to　the　ten　thousand？　　　Cal。　Yes；　that　is　what　I　mean；　and　that　is　what　I　conceive　to　be　natural　justice…that　the　better　and　wiser　should　rule　have　more　than　the　inferior。　　　Soc。　Stop　there；　and　let　me　ask　you　what　you　would　say　in　this　case：　Let　us　suppose　that　we　are　all　together　as　we　are　now；　there　are　several　of　us；　and　we　have　a　large　common　store　of　meats　and　drinks；　and　there　are　all　sorts　of　persons　in　our　company　having　various　degrees　of　strength　and　weakness；　and　one　of　us；　being　physician；　is　wiser　in　the　matter　of　food　than　all　the　rest；　and　he　is　probably　stronger　than　some　and　not　so　strong　as　others　of　us…will　he　not；　being　wiser；　be　also　better