Discourses - Book II   

confirm the rules; and then to use them when they are known is the act
of a wise and good man.
CHAPTER 12

Of disputation or discussion

What things a man must learn in order to be able to apply the art of
disputation, has been accurately shown by our philosophers; but with
respect to the proper use of the things, we are entirely without
practice. Only give to any of us, whom you please, an illiterate man
to discuss with,, and he cannot discover how to deal with the man. But
when he has moved the man a little, if he answers beside the
purpose, he does not know how to treat him, but he then either
abuses or ridicules him, and says, "He is an illiterate man; it is not
possible to do anything with him." Now a guide, when he has found a
man out of the road leads him into the right way: he does not ridicule
or abuse him and then leave him. Do you also show this illiterate
man the truth, and you will see that he follows. But so long as you do
not show him the truth, do not ridicule him, but rather feel your
own incapacity.
How then did Socrates act? He used to compel his adversary in
disputation to bear testimony to him, and he wanted no other
witness. Therefore he could say, "I care not for other witnesses,
but I am always satisfied with the evidence of my adversary, and I
do not ask the opinion of others, but only the opinion of him who is
disputing with me." For he used to make the conclusions drawn from
natural notions so plain that every man saw the contradiction and
withdrew from it: "Does the envious man rejoice?" "By no means, but he
is rather pained." Well, "Do you think that envy is pain over evils?
and what envy is there of evils?" Therefore he made his adversary
say that envy is pain over good things. "Well then, would any man envy
those who are nothing to him?" "By no means." Thus having completed
the notion and distinctly fixed it he would go away without saying
to his adversary, "Define to me envy"; and if the adversary had
defined envy, he did not say, "You have defined it badly, for the
terms of the definition do not correspond to the thing defined." These
are technical terms, and for this reason disagreeable and hardly
intelligible to illiterate men, which terms we cannot lay aside. But
that the illiterate man himself, who follows the appearances presented
to him, should be able to concede anything or reject it, we can
never by the use of these terms move him to do. Accordingly, being
conscious of our own inability, we do not attempt the thing; at
least such of us as have any caution do not. But the greater part
and the rash, when they enter into such disputations, confuse
themselves and confuse others; and finally abusing their adversaries
and abused by them, they walk away.
Now this was the first and chief peculiarity of Socrates, never to
be irritated in argument, never to utter anything abusive, anything
insulting, but to bear with abusive persons and to put an end to the
quarrel. If you would know what great power he had in this way, read