Variety of method in dialectic research — Diversity of Plato.
What the Sophistês and Politikus are for the enforcement of logical classification, the Parmenidês is for another part of the philosophising process — laborious evolution of all the consequences deducible from the affirmative as well as from the negative of every hypothesis bearing upon the problem. And we note the fact, that both in the Politikus and Parmenidês, Plato manifests the consciousness that readers will complain of him as prolix, tiresome, and wasting ingenuity upon unprofitable matters.[176] In the Parmenidês, he even goes the length of saying that the method ought only to be applied before a small and select audience; to most people it would be repulsive, since they cannot be made to comprehend the necessity for such circuitous preparation in order to reach truth.[177]
[176] Plato, Politikus, p. 283 B. πρὸς δὴ τὸ νόσημα τὸ τοιοῦτον, and the long series of questions and answers which follows to show that the prolixity is unavoidable, pp. 285 C, 286 B-E.
[177] Plato, Parmenid. p. 136 D-E.
CHAPTER XXX.
POLITIKUS.
The Politikus by itself, apart from the Sophistês.
I have examined in the preceding sections both that which the Sophistês and Politikus present in common — (viz. a lesson, as well as a partial theory, of the logical processes called Definition and Division) — and that which Sophistês presents apart from the Politikus. I now advert to two matters which we find in the Politikus, but not in the Sophistês. Both of them will be found to illustrate the Platonic mode of philosophising.
Views of Plato on mensuration. Objects measured against each other. Objects compared with a common standard. In each Art, the purpose to be attained is the standard.