sures?" "According to what you say," replied Euthydemus, "a man
given to voluptuousness is unfit for any virtue." "And what difference
is there," said Socrates, "between an irrational animal and a voluptuous
man, who has no regard to what is best, but blindly pursues what is most
delightful? It belongs to the temperate only to inquire what things are
best and what not, and then, after having found out the difference by
experience and reasoning, to embrace the good and avoid the bad, which
renders them at once most happy, most virtuous, and most prudent."

This was the sum of this conference with Euthydemus. Now Socrates said
that conferences were so called because the custom was to meet and confer
together, in order to distinguish things according to their different
species, and he advised the frequent holding of these conferences,
because it is an exercise that improves and makes men truly great,
teaches them to become excellent politicians, and ripens the judgment and
understanding.

CHAPTER VI. SOCRATES' FRIENDS ATTAIN, BY FREQUENTING HIS CONVERSATION,
AN EXCELLENT WAY OF REASONING.--THE METHOD HE OBSERVED IN ARGUING SHOWN
IN SEVERAL INSTANCES.--OF THE DIFFERENT SORTS OF GOVERNMENT.--HOW
SOCRATES DEFENDED HIS OPINIONS.

I will show, in the next place, how Socrates' friends learnt to reason so
well by frequenting his conversation. He held that they who perfectly
understand the nature of things can explain themselves very well
concerning them, but that a man who has not that knowledge often deceives
himself and others likewise. He therefore perpetually conferred with his
friends without ever being weary of that exercise. It would be very
difficult to relate how he defined every particular thing. I will
therefore mention only what I think sufficient to show what method he
observed in reasoning. And, in the first place, let us see how he argues
concerning piety.

"Tell me," said he to Euthydemus, "what piety is?" "It is a very
excellent thing," answered Euthydemus. "And who is a pious man?" said
Socrates. "A man who serves the gods." "Is it lawful," added Socrates,
"to serve the gods in what manner we please?" "By no means," said
Euthydemus; "there are laws made for that purpose, which must be kept."
"He, then, who keeps these laws will know how he ought to serve the
gods?" "I think so." "And is it not true," continued Socrates, "that he
who knows one way of serving the gods believes there is no