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Soc. You know that those who are going to teach anything should first know it themselves, do you not?
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Alc. Of course.
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Soc. And that those who know should agree with each other and not differ?
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Alc. Yes.
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Soc. But if they differ upon anything, will you say that they know it?
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Alc. No, indeed.
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Soc. Then how can they be teachers of it?
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Alc. By no means.
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Soc. Well now, do you find that the many differ about the nature of stone or wood? If you ask one of them, do they not agree on the same answer, and make for the same things when they want to get a piece of stone or wood? It is just the same, too, with everything of the sort: for I am pretty nearly right in understanding you to mean just this by knowing how to speak Greek, am I not?
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Alc. Yes.
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Soc. And on these matters, as we stated, they not only agree with each other and with themselves in private, but states also use in public the same terms about them to each other, without any dispute?
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Alc. They do.
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Soc. Then naturally they will be good teachers of these matters.
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Alc. Yes.
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Soc. And if we should wish to provide anyone with knowledge of them, we should be right in sending him to be taught by the many that you speak of?
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Alc. Certainly.
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Soc. But what if we wished to know not only what men were like or what horses were like, but which of them were good runners or not? Would the many still suffice to teach us this?
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Alc. No, indeed.
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Soc. And you have ample proof that they do not know this, and are not proficient teachers of it, in their not agreeing about it at all with themselves?
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Alc. I have.
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Soc. And what if we wished to know not only what men were like, but what healthy or diseased men were like? Would the many suffice to teach us?
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Alc. No, indeed.
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Soc. And you would have proof of their being bad teachers of that, if you saw them differing about it?
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Alc. I should.
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Soc. Well then, do you now find that the many agree with themselves or each other about just and unjust men or things?
112
Alc. Far from it, on my word, Socrates.
