Andthus, Glaucon, aftertheargumenthas

goneawearyway, thetrueandthefalsephilosophershaveatlengthappearedinview.

Idonotthink, hesaid, thatthewaycouldhavebeenshortened.

Isupposenot, Isaid; andyetIbelievethatwemighthavehadabetterviewofbothofthemifthediscussioncouldhavebeenconfinedtothisonesubjectandiftherewerenotmanyotherquestionsawaitingus, whichhewhodesirestoseeinwhatrespectthelifeofthejustdiffersfromthatoftheunjustmustconsider.

Andwhatisthenextquestion? heasked.

Surely, Isaid, , andthosewhowanderintheregionofthemanyandvariablearenotphilosophers, ImustaskyouwhichofthetwoclassesshouldbetherulersofourState?

Andhowcanwerightlyanswerthatquestion?

WhicheverofthetwoarebestabletoguardthelawsandinstitutionsofourState—letthembeourguardians.

Verygood.

Neither, Isaid, cantherebeanyquestionthattheguardianwhoistokeepanythingshouldhaveeyesratherthannoeyes?

Therecanbenoquestionofthat.

Andarenotthosewhoareverilyandindeedwantingintheknowledgeofthetruebeingofeachthing, andwhohaveintheirsoulsnoclearpattern, andareunableaswithapainter’seyetolookattheabsolutetruthandtothatoriginaltorepair, andhavingperfectvisionoftheotherworldtoorderthelawsaboutbeauty, goodness, justiceinthis, ifnotalreadyordered, andtoguardandpreservetheorderofthem—arenotsuchpersons, Iask, simplyblind? Truly, hereplied, theyaremuchinthatcondition.

Andshalltheybeourguardianswhenthereareotherswho, besidesbeingtheirequalsinexperienceandfallingshortoftheminnoparticularofvirtue, alsoknowtheverytruthofeachthing?