cratylus   

moment and always, they must be supposed to have their own proper and
permanent essence: they are not in relation to us, or influenced by
us, fluctuating according to our fancy, but they are independent, and
maintain to their own essence the relation prescribed by nature.
Her. I think, Socrates, that you have said the truth.
Soc. Does what I am saying apply only to the things themselves, or
equally to the actions which proceed from them? Are not actions also a
class of being?
Her. Yes, the actions are real as well as the things.
Soc. Then the actions also are done according to their proper nature,
and not according to our opinion of them? In cutting, for example, we
do not cut as we please, and with any chance instrument; but we cut
with the proper instrument only, and according to the natural process
of cutting; and the natural process is right and will succeed, but any
other will fail and be of no use at all.
Her. I should say that the natural way is the right way.
Soc. Again, in burning, not every way is the right way; but the right
way is the natural way, and the right instrument the natural
instrument.
Her. True.
Soc. And this holds good of all actions?
Her. Yes.
Soc. And speech is a kind of action?
Her. True.
Soc. And will a man speak correctly who speaks as he pleases? Will not
the successful speaker rather be he who speaks in the natural way of
speaking, and as things ought to be spoken, and with the natural
instrument? Any other mode of speaking will result in error and
failure.
Her. I quite agree with you.
Soc. And is not naming a part of speaking? for in giving names men
speak.
Her. That is true.
Soc. And if speaking is a sort of action and has a relation to acts,
is not naming also a sort of action?
Her. True.
Soc. And we saw that actions were not relative to ourselves, but had a
special nature of their own?
Her. Precisely.
Soc. Then the argument would lead us to infer that names ought to be
given according to a natural process, and with a proper instrument,
and not at our pleasure: in this and no other way shall we name with
success.
Her. I agree.
Soc. But again, that which has to be cut has to be cut with something?
Her. Yes.
Soc. And that which has to be woven or pierced has to be woven or
pierced with something?
Her. Certainly.
Soc. And that which has to be named has to be named with something?
Her. True.
Soc. What is that with which we pierce?
Her. An awl.
Soc. And with which we weave?
Her. A shuttle.
Soc. And with which we name?
Her. A name.
Soc. Very good: then a name is an instrument?
Her. Certainly.
Soc. Suppose that I ask, "What sort of instrument is a shuttle?" And
you answer, "A weaving instrument."
Her. Well.
Soc. And I ask again, "What do we do when we weave?"- The answer is,
that we separate or disengage the warp from the woof.