[76] Plato, Philêbus, p. 61 E.
[77] Plato, Philêbus, p. 62 A. Ἔστω δή τις ἡμῖν φρονῶν ἄνθρωπος αὐτῆς περὶ δικαιοσύνης, ὅ, τι ἔστι, καὶ λόγον ἔχων ἑπόμενον τῷ νοεῖν, καὶ δὴ καὶ περὶ τῶν ἄλλων ἁπάντων τῶν ὄντων ὡσαύτως διανοούμενος;
[78] Plato, Philêbus, p. 62 A. Ἆρ’ οὖν οὗτος ἱκανῶς ἐπιστήμης ἕξει κύκλου μὲν καὶ σφαίρας αὐτῆς τῆς θείας τὸν λόγον ἔχων, τὴν δὲ ἀνθρωπίνην ταύτην σφαῖραν καὶ τοὺς κύκλους τούτους ἀγνοῶν, &c.
We must include all Cognitions, not merely the truest, but the others also. Life cannot be carried on without both.
That would be a ludicrous position indeed (remarks Protarchus), to have his mind full of the divine Ideas or cognitions only.
What! (replies Sokrates) must he have cognition not only of the true line and circle, but also of the false, the variable, the uncertain?
Certainly (says Protarchus), we all must have this farther cognition, if we are to find our way from hence to our own homes.[79]
[79] Plato, Philêbus, p. 62 B. Ἀναγκαῖον γάρ, εἰ μέλλει τις ἡμῶν καὶ τὴν ὁδὸν ἑκάστοτε ἐξευρήσειν οἴκαδε.
Must we then admit (says Sokrates) those cognitions also in music, which we declared to be full of conjecture and imitation, without any pure truth or certainty?
We must admit them (says Protarchus), if life is to be worth anything at all. No harm can come from admitting all the other cognitions, provided a man possesses the first and most perfect.