Socrates: Those who know, must of necessity hold the same opinion with each other, on matters which they know: always and everywhere?
Pupil: Yes—always and everywhere.
Socrates: Physicians write respecting matters of health what they account to be true, and these writings of theirs are the medical laws?
Pupil: Certainly they are.
Socrates: The like is true respecting the laws of farming, the laws of gardening, the laws of cookery. All these are the writings of persons, knowing in each of the respective pursuits?
Pupil: Yes.
Socrates: In like manner, what are the laws respecting the government of a city? Are they not the writings of those who know how to govern—kings, statesmen, and men of superior excellence?
Pupil: Truly so.
Socrates: Knowing men like these will not write differently from each other about the same things, nor change what they have once written. If, then, we see some doing this, are we to declare them knowing or ignorant?
Pupil: Ignorant, undoubtedly.