[106a]
for now you will listen to me.Alcibiades
You seem to me far more extraordinary, Socrates, now that you have begun to speak, than before, when you followed me about in silence; though even then you looked strange enough. Well, as to my intending all this or not, you have apparently made your decision, and any denial of mine will not avail me to persuade you. Very good: but supposing I have intended ever so much what you say, how are you the sole means through which I can hope to attain it? Can you tell me? [106b] Socrates
Are you asking whether I can make a long speech, such as you are used to hearing? No, my gift is not of that sort. But I fancy I could prove to you that the case is so, if you will consent to do me just one little service.Alcibiades
Why, if you mean a service that is not troublesome, I consent.Socrates
Do you consider it troublesome to answer questions put to you?Alcibiades
No, I do not.Socrates
Then answer.Alcibiades
Ask.Socrates
Well, you have the intentions [106c] which I say you have, I suppose?Alcibiades
Be it so, if you like, in order that I may know what you will say next.Socrates
Now then: you intend, as I say, to come forward as adviser to the Athenians in no great space of time; well, suppose I were to take hold of you as you were about to ascend the platform, and were to ask you: “Alcibiades, on what subject do the Athenians propose to take advice, that you should stand up to advise them? Is it something about which you have better knowledge than they?” What would be your reply? [106d] Alcibiades
I should say, I suppose, it was something about which I knew better than they.Socrates
Then you are a good adviser on things about which you actually know.Alcibiades
To be sure.Socrates
And you know only the things you have learnt from others or discovered yourself?Alcibiades
What could I know besides?Socrates
And can it be that you would ever have learnt or discovered anything without being willing either to learn it or to inquire into it yourself?Alcibiades
No.Socrates
Well then, would you have been willing to inquire into or learn what you thought you knew?Alcibiades
No, indeed. [106e] Socrates
So there was a time when you did not think that you knew what you now actually know.Alcibiades
There must have been.Socrates
Well, but I know pretty nearly the things that you have learnt: tell me if anything has escaped me. You learnt, if I recollect, writing and harping and wrestling; as for fluting, you refused to learn it. These are the things that you know, unless perhaps there is something you have been learning unobserved by me; and this you were not, I believe, if you so much as stepped out of doors either by night or by day.Alcibiades
No, I have taken no other lessons than those.
You seem to me far more extraordinary, Socrates, now that you have begun to speak, than before, when you followed me about in silence; though even then you looked strange enough. Well, as to my intending all this or not, you have apparently made your decision, and any denial of mine will not avail me to persuade you. Very good: but supposing I have intended ever so much what you say, how are you the sole means through which I can hope to attain it? Can you tell me? [106b] Socrates
Are you asking whether I can make a long speech, such as you are used to hearing? No, my gift is not of that sort. But I fancy I could prove to you that the case is so, if you will consent to do me just one little service.Alcibiades
Why, if you mean a service that is not troublesome, I consent.Socrates
Do you consider it troublesome to answer questions put to you?Alcibiades
No, I do not.Socrates
Then answer.Alcibiades
Ask.Socrates
Well, you have the intentions [106c] which I say you have, I suppose?Alcibiades
Be it so, if you like, in order that I may know what you will say next.Socrates
Now then: you intend, as I say, to come forward as adviser to the Athenians in no great space of time; well, suppose I were to take hold of you as you were about to ascend the platform, and were to ask you: “Alcibiades, on what subject do the Athenians propose to take advice, that you should stand up to advise them? Is it something about which you have better knowledge than they?” What would be your reply? [106d] Alcibiades
I should say, I suppose, it was something about which I knew better than they.Socrates
Then you are a good adviser on things about which you actually know.Alcibiades
To be sure.Socrates
And you know only the things you have learnt from others or discovered yourself?Alcibiades
What could I know besides?Socrates
And can it be that you would ever have learnt or discovered anything without being willing either to learn it or to inquire into it yourself?Alcibiades
No.Socrates
Well then, would you have been willing to inquire into or learn what you thought you knew?Alcibiades
No, indeed. [106e] Socrates
So there was a time when you did not think that you knew what you now actually know.Alcibiades
There must have been.Socrates
Well, but I know pretty nearly the things that you have learnt: tell me if anything has escaped me. You learnt, if I recollect, writing and harping and wrestling; as for fluting, you refused to learn it. These are the things that you know, unless perhaps there is something you have been learning unobserved by me; and this you were not, I believe, if you so much as stepped out of doors either by night or by day.Alcibiades
No, I have taken no other lessons than those.
