concerned with him who is not a ruler。
Y。 Soc。 Very good。
Str。 Thus a very fair distinction has been attained between the
man who gives his own commands； and him who gives another's。 And now
let us see if the supreme power allows of any further division。
Y。 Soc。 By all means。
Str。 I think that it does； and please to assist me in making the
division。
Y。 Soc。 At what point？
Str。 May not all rulers be supposed to command for the sake of
producing something？
Y。 Soc。 Certainly。
Str。 Nor is there any difficulty in dividing the things produced
into two classes。
Y。 Soc。 How would you divide them？
Str。 Of the whole class some have life and some are without life。
Y。 Soc。 True。
Str。 And by the help of this distinction we may make； if we
please； a subdivision of the section of knowledge which commands。
Y。 Soc。 At what point？
Str。 One part may be set over the production of lifeless； the
other of living objects； and in this way the whole will be divided。
Y。 Soc。 Certainly。
Str。 That division； then； is complete； and now we may leave one
half； and take up the other； which may also be divided into two。
Y。 Soc。 Which of the two halves do you men？
Str。 Of course that which exercises command about animals。 For；
surely； the royal science is not like that of a master…workman； a
science presiding over lifeless objects；…the king has a nobler
function； which is the management and control of living beings。
Y。 Soc。 True。
Str。 And the breeding and tending of living beings may be observed
to be sometimes a tending of the individual； in other cases； a
common care of creatures in flocks？
Y。 Soc。 True。
Str。 But the statesman is not a tender of individuals…not like the
driver or groom of a single ox or horse； he is rather to be compared
with the keeper of a drove of horses or oxen。
Y。 Soc。 Yes； I see； thanks to you。
Str。 Shall we call this art of tending many animals together； the
art of managing a herd； or the art of collective management？
Y。 Soc。 No matter；…Whichever suggests itself to us in the course
of conversation。
Str。 Very good； Socrates； and； if you continue to be not too
particular about names； you will be all the richer in wisdom when
you are an old man。 And now； as you say； leaving the
discussion of the
name； …can you see a way in which a person； by showing the art of
herding to be of two kinds； may cause that which is now
sought amongst
twice the number of things； to be then sought amongst half that
number？
Y。 Soc。 I will try；…there appears to me to be one management of
men and another of beasts。
Str。 You have certainly divided them in a most straightforward and
manly style； but you have fallen into an error which
hereafter I think
that we had better avoid。
Y。 Soc。 What is the error？
Str。 I think that we had better not cut off a single small portion
which is not a species； from many larger portions； the part should
be a species。 To separate off at once the subject of
investigation； is
a most excellent plan； if only the separation be rightly
made； and you
were under the impression that you were right； because you saw that
you would come to man； and this led you to hasten the steps。 But you
should not chip off too small a piece； my friend； the safer way is
to cut through the middle； which is also the more likely way of
finding classes。 Attention to this principle makes all the
difference in a process of enquiry。
Y。 Soc。 What do you mean； Stranger？
Str。 I will endeavour to speak more plainly out of love to
your good
parts； Socrates； and； although I cannot at present entirely explain
myself； I will try； as we proceed； to make my meaning a little
clearer。
Y。 Soc。 What was the error of which； as you say； we were guilty in
our recent division？
Str。 The error was just as if some one who wanted to divide the
human race； were to divide them after the fashion which prevails in
this part of the world； here they cut off the Hellenes as
one species；
and all the other species of mankind； which are innumerable； and
have no ties or common language； they include under the
single name of
〃barbarians；〃 and because they have one name they are supposed to be
of one species also。 Or suppose that in dividing numbers you were to
cut off ten thousand from all the rest； and make of it one species；
comprehending the first under another separate name； you might say
that here too was a single class； because you had given it a single
name。 Whereas you would make a much better and more equal and
logical classification of numbers； if you divided them into odd and
even； or of the human species； if you divided them into male and
female； and only separated off Lydians or Phrygians； or any other
tribe； and arrayed them against the rest of the world； when you
could no longer make a division into parts which were also classes。
Y。 Soc。 Very true； but I wish that this distinction between a part
and a class could still be made somewhat plainer。
Str。 O Socrates； best of men； you are imposing upon me a very
difficult task。 We have already digressed further from our original
intention than we ought； and you would have us wander still further
away。 But we must now return to our subject； and hereafter；
when there
is a leisure hour； we will follow up the other track； at the
same time
I wish you to guard against imagining that you ever heard me declare…
Y。 Soc。 What？
Str。 That a class and a part are distinct。
Y。 Soc。 What did I hear； then？
Str。 That a class is necessarily a part； but there is no similar
necessity that a part should be a dass； that is the view which I
should always wish you to attribute to me； Socrates。
Y。 Soc。 So be it。
Str。 There is another thing which I should like to know。
Y。 Soc。 What is it？
Str。 The point at which we digressed； for； if I am not
mistaken； the
exact place was at the question； Where you would divide the
management
of herds。 To this you appeared rather too ready to answer that them
were two species of animals； man being one； and all brutes making up
the other。
Y。 Soc。 True。
Str。 I thought that in taking away a part you imagined that the
remainder formed a class； because you were able to call them by the
common name of brutes。
Y。 Soc。 That again is true。
Str。 Suppose now； O most courageous of dialecticians； that
some wise
and understanding creature； such as a crane is reputed to
be； were； in
imitation of you； to make a similar division； and set up cranes
against all other animals to their own special glorification； at the
same time jumbling together all the others； including man； under the
appellation of brutes；…here would be the sort of error which we must
try to avoid。
Y。 Soc。 How can we be safe？
Str。 If we do not divide the whole class of animals； we shall be
less likely to fall into that error。
Y。 Soc。 We had better not take the whole？
Str。 Yes； there lay the source of error in our former division。
Y。 Soc。 How？
Str。 You remember how that part of the art of knowledge which was
concerned with command； had to do with the rearing of living
creatures；…I mean； with animals in herds？
Y。 Soc。 Yes。
Str。 In that case； there was already implied a division of all
animals into tame and wild； those whose nature can be tamed
are called
tame； and those which cannot be tamed are called wild。
Y。 Soc。 True。
Str。 And the political science of which we are in search； is and
ever was concerned with tame animals； and is also confined to
gregarious animals。
Y。 Soc。 Yes。
Str。 But then ought not to divide； as we did； taking the
whole class
at once。 Neither let us be in too great haste to arrive
quickly at the
political science； for this mistake has already brought upon us the
misfortune of which the proverb speaks。
Y。 Soc。 What misfortune？
Str。 The misfortune of too much haste； which is too little speed。
Y。 Soc。 And all the better； Stranger；…we got what we deserved。
Str。 Very well： Let us then begin again； and endeavour to
divide the
collective rearing of animals； for probably the completion of the
argument will best show what you are so anxious to know。 Tell me；
then…
Y。 Soc。 What？
Str。 Have you ever heard； as you very likely may…for I do not
suppose that you ever actually visited them…of the preserves
of fishes
in the Nile； and in the ponds of the Great King； or you may have
seen similar preserves in wells at home？
Y。 Soc。 Yes； to be sure； I have seen them； and I have often heard
the others described。
Str。 And you may have heard also； and may have been…assured by
report； although you have not travelled in those regions； of
nurseries
of geese and cranes in the plains of Thessaly？
Y。 Soc。 Certainly。
Str。 I asked you； because here is a new division of the management
of herds； into the management of land and of water herds。
Y。 Soc。 There is。
Str。 And do you agree that we ought to divide the
collective rearing
of herds into two corresponding parts； the one the rearing