Page:History of Greece Vol VIII.djvu/482

 460 HISTORY OF GREECE. arithmetical figures, made sometimes a greater sum, sometimes a less. A person who knows his letters, or an arithmetician, may doubtless write bad orthography or cast-up incorrectly, by design, but can also perform the operations correctly, if he chooses ; while one ignorant of writing or of arithmetic, cannot do it correctly, even though he should be anxious to do so. The former, there- fore, comes nearer to the good orthographer or arithmetician than the latter. So, if a man knows what is just, honorable, and good, but commits acts of a contrary character, he is juster, or comes nearer to being a just man, than one who does not know what just acts are, and does not distinguish them from unjust ; for this latter cannot conduct himself justly, even if he desires it ever so much. 1 The opinion here maintained illustrates forcibly the general doctrine of Sokrates. I have already observed that the funda- mental idea which governed his train of reasoning, was, the analogy of each man's social life and duty to a special profession or trade. Now what is principally inquired after in regard to these special men, is their professional capacity ; without this, no person would ever think of employing them, let their dispositions be ever so good ; with it, good dispositions and diligence are presumed, unless there be positive grounds for suspecting the contrary. But why do we indulge such presumption ? Because their pecuniary interest, their professional credit, and their place among competitors, are staked upon success, so that we reckon upon their best efforts. But in regard to that manifold and indefinite series of acts which constitute the sum total of social duty, a man has no such special interest to guide and impel him, nor can we presume in him those dispositions which will insure his doing right, wherever he knows what right is. Mankind are 1 Xonoph. Mem. iii, 9, 6; iv, 2, 19-22. dinacoTspov 6e TOV e^iffTufj,evov ret diKOLa TOV (JLTJ ETriarafiEvov. To call him the juster man of the two, when neither are just, can hardly be meant : I translate it according to what Becms to me the meaning intended. So ypa/z^anKwrff*.; in the sentence before, means, comes nearer to a good orthographer. The Greek derivative adjectives in -tube are very difficult to render precisely. Compare Plato, Hippias Minor, c. 15, p. 372, D, where the same opinion is maintained. Hippias tells Sokrates, in that dialogue (c. 11, p. 369, B), that he fixes his mind on a part of the truth, and omits to notice the rest.