Therecanbenoreason, hesaid, forrejectingthosewhohavethisgreatestofallgreatqualities; theymustalwayshavethefirstplaceunlesstheyfailinsomeotherrespect.

Supposethen, Isaid, thatwedeterminehowfartheycanunitethisandtheotherexcellences.

Byallmeans.

Inthefirstplace, aswebeganbyobserving, , and, whenwehavedoneso, then, ifIamnotmistaken, weshallalsoacknowledgethatsuchanunionofqualitiesispossible, andthatthoseinwhomtheyareunited, andthoseonly, shouldberulersintheState.

Whatdoyoumean?

Letussupposethatphilosophicalmindsalwaysloveknowledgeofasortwhichshowsthemtheeternalnaturenotvaryingfromgenerationandcorruption.

Agreed.

Andfurther, Isaid, letusagreethattheyareloversofalltruebeing; thereisnopartwhethergreaterorless, ormoreorlesshonourable, whichtheyarewillingtorenounce; aswesaidbeforeoftheloverandthemanofambition.

True.

Andiftheyaretobewhatweweredescribing, istherenotanotherqualitywhichtheyshouldalsopossess?

Whatquality?

Truthfulness: theywillneverintentionallyreceiveintotheirmindfalsehood, whichistheirdetestation, andtheywilllovethetruth.

Yes, thatmaybesafelyaffirmedofthem.

‘Maybe,’ myfriend, Ireplied, isnottheword; sayrather ‘mustbeaffirmed:’ forhewhosenatureisamorousofanythingcannothelplovingallthatbelongsorisakintotheobjectofhisaffections.

Right, hesaid.

Andisthereanythingmoreakintowisdomthantruth?

Howcantherebe?

Canthesamenaturebealoverofwisdomandaloveroffalsehood?

Never.

Thetrueloveroflearningthenmustfromhisearliestyouth, asfarasinhimlies, desirealltruth?

Assuredly.