-existenceofideas, andthereforeofthesoul, isatvariancewiththis.(CompareaparalleldifficultyinTheaet.) Foraharmonyisaneffect, whereasthesoulisnotaneffect, butacause; aharmonyfollows, butthesoulleads; aharmonyadmitsofdegrees, , uponthesuppositionthatthesoulisaharmony, whyisonesoulbetterthananother? Aretheymoreorlessharmonized, oristhereoneharmonywithinanother? Butthesouldoesnotadmitofdegrees, , thesoulisoftenengagedinresistingtheaffectionsofthebody, asHomerdescribesOdysseus ‘rebukinghisheart.’ Couldhehavewrittenthisundertheideathatthesoulisaharmonyofthebody? Nayrather, arewenotcontradictingHomerandourselvesinaffirminganythingofthesort?

ThegoddessHarmonia, asSocratesplayfullytermstheargumentofSimmias, hasbeenhappilydisposedof; , which, asheremarks, involvesthewholequestionofnaturalgrowthorcausation; : hehadenquiredintothegrowthanddecayofanimals, andtheoriginofthought, untilatlasthebegantodoubttheself-evidentfactthatgrowthistheresultofeatinganddrinking; , andtoknowthattenistwomorethaneight, ? Ortwobecompoundedintoone? .(CompareRepublic; Charm.)