Sophist – Plato
STRANGER: Next, we will suppose the art of sell-THEAETETUS: To be sure.
ing to be divided into two parts.
STRANGER: And you are aware that this ex-THEAETETUS: How?
change of the merchant is of two kinds: it is partly concerned with food for the use of the body, and STRANGER: There is one part which is distin-partly with the food of the soul which is bartered guished as the sale of a man’s own productions; and received in exchange for money.
another, which is the exchange of the works of others.
THEAETETUS: What do you mean?
THEAETETUS: Certainly.
STRANGER: You want to know what is the meaning of food for the soul; the other kind you surely STRANGER: And is not that part of exchange understand.
which takes place in the city, being about half of the whole, termed retailing?
THEAETETUS: Yes.
THEAETETUS: Yes.
STRANGER: Take music in general and painting and marionette playing and many other things, STRANGER: And that which exchanges the goods which are purchased in one city, and carried away of one city for those of another by selling and and sold in another—wares of the soul which are buying is the exchange of the merchant?
hawked about either for the sake of instruction 85
Sophist – Plato
or amusement;—may not he who takes them STRANGER: The latter should have two names,—
about and sells them be quite as truly called a one descriptive of the sale of the knowledge of merchant as he who sells meats and drinks?
virtue, and the other of the sale of other kinds of knowledge.
THEAETETUS: To be sure he may.
THEAETETUS: Of course.
STRANGER: And would you not call by the same name him who buys up knowledge and goes STRANGER: The name of art-seller corresponds about from city to city exchanging his wares for well enough to the latter; but you must try and money?
tell me the name of the other.
THEAETETUS: Certainly I should.
THEAETETUS: He must be the Sophist, whom we are seeking; no other name can possibly be STRANGER: Of this merchandise of the soul, may right.
not one part be fairly termed the art of display?
And there is another part which is certainly not STRANGER: No other; and so this trader in vir-less ridiculous, but being a trade in learning must tue again turns out to be our friend the Sophist, be called by some name germane to the matter?
whose art may now be traced from the art of acquisition through exchange, trade, merchan-THEAETETUS: Certainly.
dise, to a merchandise of the soul which is concerned with speech and the knowledge of virtue.