28
SIMON As far as the other arts are concerned, if there should be some discord in them, one might pass it over, thinking it excusable, since they are subordinate and their knowledges are not exempt from change. But who could endure that philosophy should not be one, and in better tune with itself than a musical instrument? Well now, philosophy is not one, for I see that it is infinitely many; yet it cannot be many, for wisdom is one.
29
The same can be said, too, of the objective reality of rhetoric. When all do not express the same views about one subject, but there is a battle royal of contradictory declarations, that is the greatest proot that the subject of which there is not a single definite conception does not exist at all; for to enquire whether it is this rather than that, and never to agree that it is one, does away with the very existence of the subject that is questioned.
30
This is not the case, however, with Parasitic. Both among Greeks and among foreigners it is one and uniform and consistent, and nobody can say that it is practised in one way by this set of men and in another by that set. Nor are there, it seems, among parasites any sects like the Stoics or the Epicureans, holding different doctrines; no, there is concord among them all, and agreement in their works and in their end. So to my thinking Parasitic may well be, in this respect at least, actually wisdom.
31
TYCHIADES It seems to me that you have put al] this very well. But how do you prove that philosophy is inferior to your art in other ways?
31
SIMON Well, it must first be mentioned that no parasite ever fell in love with philosophy; but it is on record that philosophersin great number have been fond of Parasitic, and even to-day they love it!
31
TYCHIADES Why, what philosophers can you mention that have been eager to play parasite?
31
SIMON What philosophers, Tychiades? Though you know them yourself, you pretend not to, and try to pull the wool over my eyes, as if it brought them disgrace instead of honour!
