Platos Gorgias
POLUS: Yes, I should.
POLUS: Very true.
SOCRATES: And you would call sounds and music beau-SOCRATES: And of two deformed things, that which ex-tiful for the same reason?
ceeds in deformity or disgrace, exceeds either in pain or evilmust it not be so?
POLUS: I should.
POLUS: Yes.
SOCRATES: Laws and institutions also have no beauty in them except in so far as they are useful or pleasant or both?
SOCRATES: But then again, what was the observation which you just now made, about doing and suffering wrong?
POLUS: I think not.
Did you not say, that suffering wrong was more evil, and doing wrong more disgraceful?
SOCRATES: And may not the same be said of the beauty of knowledge?
POLUS: I did.
POLUS: To be sure, Socrates; and I very much approve of SOCRATES: Then, if doing wrong is more disgraceful than your measuring beauty by the standard of pleasure and utility.
suffering, the more disgraceful must be more painful and must exceed in pain or in evil or both: does not that also SOCRATES: And deformity or disgrace may be equally follow?
measured by the opposite standard of pain and evil?
POLUS: Of course.
POLUS: Certainly.
SOCRATES: First, then, let us consider whether the doing SOCRATES: Then when of two beautiful things one ex-of injustice exceeds the suffering in the consequent pain: ceeds in beauty, the measure of the excess is to be taken in Do the injurers suffer more than the injured?
one or both of these; that is to say, in pleasure or utility or both?
POLUS: No, Socrates; certainly not.