[558d]
would have a son bred
in his father's ways.” “Why not?”
“And he, too, would control by force all his appetites for
pleasure that are wasters and not winners of wealth, those which are
denominated unnecessary.” “Obviously.”
“And in order not to argue in the dark, shall we first define1 our distinction between necessary and unnecessary
appetites2?” “Let us do so.”
“Well, then, desires that we cannot divert or suppress may be
properly called necessary,
1 Cf. What Plato Said, p.485, on Laches 190 B, and p. 551, on Phaedr. 237 E.
2 Cf. 554 A, 571 B, Phaedo 64 D-E, Phileb. 62 E, Aristot.Eth. Nic. 1147 b 29. The Epicureans made much of this distinction. Cf. Cic.De fin. i. 13. 45, Tusc. v. 33, 93, Porphyry, De abst. i. 49. Ath. xii. 511 quotes this passage and says it anticipates the Epicureans.
Plato. Plato in Twelve Volumes, Vols. 5 & 6 translated by Paul Shorey. Cambridge, MA, Harvard University Press; London, William Heinemann Ltd. 1969.
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