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THEAET. That, again, is likely, Socrates.
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SOC. Well then, what shall we say, Theaetetus, if anyone asks us, Is that which is assumed in common speech possible at all, and can any human being hold an opinion which is not, whether it be concerned with any of the things which are, or be entirely independent of them? We, I fancy, shall reply, Yes, when, in thinking, he thinks what is not true, shall we not?
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THEAET. Yes.
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SOC. And is the same sort of thing possible in any other field?
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THEAET. What sort of thing?
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SOC. For instance, that a man sees something, but sees nothing.
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THEAET. How can he?
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SOC. Yet surely if a man sees any one thing, he sees something that is. Or do you, perhaps, think one is among the things that are not?
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THEAET. No, I do not.
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SOC. Then he who sees any one thing, sees something that is.
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THEAET. That is clear.
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SOC. And therefore he who hears anything, hears some one thing and therefore hears what is.
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THEAET. Yes.
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SOC. And he who touches anything, touches some one thing, which is, since it is one?
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THEAET. That also is true.
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SOC. So, then, does not he who holds an opinion hold an opinion of some one thing?
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THEAET. He must do so.
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SOC. And does not he who holds an opinion of some one thing hold an opinion of something that is?
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THEAET. I agree.
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SOC. Then he who holds an opinion of what is not holds an opinion of nothing.
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THEAET. Evidently.
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SOC. Well then, he who holds an opinion of nothing, holds no opinion at all.
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THEAET. That is plain, apparently.
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SOC. Then it is impossible to hold an opinion of that which is not, either in relation to things that are, or independently of them.
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THEAET. Evidently.
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SOC. Then holding false opinion is something different from holding an opinion of that which is not?
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THEAET. So it seems.
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SOC. Then false opinion is not found to exist in us either by this method or by that which we followed a little while ago.
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THEAET. No, it certainly is not.
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SOC. But does not that which we call by that name arise after the following manner?