philebus   

existence, and also an infinite?

Pro. Certainly.

Soc. Let us assume these two principles, and also a third, which

is compounded out of them; but I fear that am ridiculously clumsy at

these processes of division and enumeration.

Pro. What do you mean, my good friend?

Soc. I say that a fourth class is still wanted.

Pro. What will that be?

Soc. Find the cause of the third or compound, and add this as a

fourth class to the three others.

Pro. And would you like to have a fifth dass or cause of

resolution as well as a cause of composition?

Soc. Not, I think, at present; but if I want a fifth at some

future time you shall allow me to have it.

Pro. Certainly.

Soc. Let us begin with the first three; and as we find two out of

the three greatly divided and dispersed, let us endeavour to reunite

them, and see how in each of them there is a one and many.

Pro. If you would explain to me a little more about them, perhaps

I might be able to follow you.

Soc. Well, the two classes are the same which I mentioned before,

one the finite, and the other the infinite; I will first show that the

infinite is in a certain sense many, and the finite may be hereafter

discussed.

Pro. I agree.

Soc. And now consider well; for the question to which I invite

your attention is difficult and controverted. When you speak of hotter

and colder, can you conceive any limit in those qualities? Does not

the more and less, which dwells in their very nature, prevent their

having any end? for if they had an end, the more and less would

themselves have an end.

Pro. That is most true.