quickness or hardness is termed
violence or madness; too great slowness or gentleness is called
cowardice or sluggishness; and we may observe, that for the most part
these qualities, and the temperance and manliness of the opposite
characters, are arrayed as enemies on opposite sides, and do not mingle
with one another in their respective actions; and if we pursue the
enquiry, we shall find that men who have these different qualities of
mind differ from one another.

YOUNG SOCRATES: In what respect?

STRANGER: In respect of all the qualities which I mentioned, and very
likely of many others. According to their respective affinities to
either class of actions they distribute praise and blame,--praise to
the actions which are akin to their own, blame to those of the opposite
party--and out of this many quarrels and occasions of quarrel arise
among them.

YOUNG SOCRATES: True.

STRANGER: The difference between the two classes is often a trivial
concern; but in a state, and when affecting really important matters,
becomes of all disorders the most hateful.

YOUNG SOCRATES: To what do you refer?

STRANGER: To nothing short of the whole regulation of human life. For
the orderly class are always ready to lead a peaceful life, quietly
doing their own business; this is their manner of behaving with all
men at home, and they are equally ready to find some way of keeping the
peace with foreign States. And on account of this fondness of theirs for
peace, which is often out of season where their influence prevails, they
become by degrees unwarlike, and bring up their young men to be like
themselves; they are at the mercy of their enemies; whence in a
few years they and their children and the whole city often pass
imperceptibly from the condition of freemen into that of slaves.

YOUNG SOCRATES: What a cruel fate!

STRANGER: And now think of what happens with the more courageous
natures. Are they not always inciting their country to go to war, owing
to their excessive love of the military life? they raise up enemies
against themselves many and mighty, and either utterly ruin their
native-land or enslave and subject it to its foes?

YOUNG SOCRATES: That, again, is true.

STRANGER: Must we not admit, then, that where these two classes exist,
they always feel the greatest antipathy and antagonism towards one
another?

YOUNG SOCRATES: We cannot deny it.

STRANGER: And returning to the enquiry with which we began, have we