admit that a man can be temperate or wise who does not And does not he who does his duty act temperately or know himself; and I am not ashamed to confess that I was wisely?
in error. For self-knowledge would certainly be maintained Yes, he acts wisely.
by me to be the very essence of knowledge, and in this I But must the physician necessarily know when his treat-agree with him who dedicated the inscription, ‘Know thy-ment is likely to prove beneficial, and when not? or must self!’ at Delphi. That word, if I am not mistaken, is put the craftsman necessarily know when he is likely to be ben-there as a sort of salutation which the god addresses to efited, and when not to be benefited, by the work which he those who enter the temple; as much as to say that the is doing?
ordinary salutation of ‘Hail!’ is not right, and that the ex-I suppose not.
hortation ‘Be temperate!’ would be a far better way of sa-Then, I said, he may sometimes do good or harm, and luting one another. The notion of him who dedicated the not know what he is himself doing, and yet, in doing good, inscription was, as I believe, that the god speaks to those as you say, he has done temperately or wisely. Was not that who enter his temple, not as men speak; but, when a wor-your statement?
shipper enters, the first word which he hears is ‘Be temper-Yes.
ate!’ This, however, like a prophet he expresses in a sort of Then, as would seem, in doing good, he may act wisely riddle, for ‘Know thyself!’ and ‘Be temperate!’ are the same, or temperately, and be wise or temperate, but not know his as I maintain, and as the letters imply, and yet they may be own wisdom or temperance?
easily misunderstood; and succeeding sages who added But that, Socrates, he said, is impossible; and therefore if
‘Never too much,’ or, ‘Give a pledge, and evil is nigh at this is, as you imply, the necessary consequence of any of hand,’ would appear to have so misunderstood them; for my previous admissions, I will withdraw them, rather than they imagined that ‘Know thyself!’ was a piece of advice 16
“Charmides” – Plato
which the god gave, and not his salutation of the worship-Is not medicine, I said, the science of health?
pers at their first coming in; and they dedicated their own True.
inscription under the idea that they too would give equally And suppose, I said, that I were asked by you what is the useful pieces of advice. Shall I tell you, Socrates, why I say use or effect of medicine, which is this science of health, I all this? My object is to leave the previous discussion (in should answer that medicine is of very great use in produc-which I know not whether you or I are more right, but, at ing health, which, as you will admit, is an excellent effect.
any rate, no clear result was attained), and to raise a new Granted.
one in which I will attempt to prove, if you deny, that tem-And if you were to ask me, what is the result or effect of perance is self-knowledge.
architecture, which is the science of building, I should say Yes, I said, Critias; but you come to me as though I pro-houses, and so of other arts, which all have their different fessed to know about the questions which I ask, and as results. Now I want you, Critias, to answer a similar ques-though I could, if I only would, agree with you. Whereas tion about temperance, or wisdom, which, according to the fact is that I enquire with you into the truth of that you, is the science of itself. Admitting this view, I ask of which is advanced from time to time, just because I do not you, what good work, worthy of the name wise, does tem-know; and when I have enquired, I will say whether I agree perance or wisdom, which is the science of itself, effect?
with you or not. Please then to allow me time to reflect.