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To him who is not a dialectician life is but a sleepy dream; and

many a man is in his grave before his is well waked up. And would

you have the future rulers of your ideal State intelligent

beings, or stupid as posts? 'Certainly not the latter.' Then you

must train them in dialectic, which will teach them to ask and

answer questions, and is the coping-stone of the sciences.

I dare say that you have not forgotten how our rulers were

chosen; and the process of selection may be carried a step

further:-As before, they must be constant and valiant,

good-looking, and of noble manners, but now they must also have

natural ability which education will improve; that is to say,

they must be quick at learning, capable of mental toil,

retentive, solid, diligent natures, who combine intellectual with

moral virtues; not lame and one-sided, diligent in bodily

exercise and indolent in mind, or conversely; not a maimed soul,

which hates falsehood and yet unintentionally is always wallowing

in the mire of ignorance; not a bastard or feeble person, but

sound in wind and limb, and in perfect condition for the great

gymnastic trial of the mind. Justice herself can find no fault

with natures such as these; and they will be the saviours of our

State; disciples of another sort would only make philosophy more

ridiculous than she is at present.