philebus   

Pro. Very good.

Soc. Then now, like wrestlers, let us approach and grasp this new

argument.

Pro. Proceed.

Soc. We were maintaining a little while since, that when desires, as

they are termed, exist in us, then the body has separate feelings

apart from the soul-do you remember?

Pro. Yes, I remember that you said so.

Soc. And the soul was supposed to desire the opposite of the

bodily state, while the body was the source of any pleasure or pain

which was experienced.

Pro. True.

Soc. Then now you may infer what happens in such cases.

Pro. What am I to infer?

Soc. That in such cases pleasure and pains come simultaneously;

and there is a juxtaposition of the opposite sensations which

correspond to them, as has been already shown.

Pro. Clearly.

Soc. And there is another point to which we have agreed.

Pro. What is it?

Soc. That pleasure and pain both admit of more and less, and that

they are of the class of infinites.

Pro. Certainly, we said so.

Soc. But how can we rightly judge of them?

Pro. How can we?

Soc. It is our intention to judge of their comparative importance

and intensity, measuring pleasure against pain, and pain against pain,

and pleasure against pleasure?

Pro. Yes, such is our intention, and we shall judge of them

accordingly.

Soc. Well, take the case of sight. Does not the nearness or distance

of magnitudes obscure their true proportions, and make us opine