[526c]
“And,
further, as I believe, studies that demand more toil in the learning and
practice than this we shall not discover easily nor find many of them.1”
“You will not, in fact.” “Then, for all these
reasons, we must not neglect this study, but must use it in the education of the
best endowed natures.” “I agree,” he
said.“Assuming this one point to be
established,” I said, “let us in the second place consider
whether the study that comes next2 is suited to our
purpose.” “What is that? Do you mean geometry,” he
said. “Precisely that,” said I. “So much of
it,” he said,
1 The translation is, I think, right. Cf. A.J.P. xiii. p. 365, and Adam ad loc.
2 Cf. Burnet, Early Greek Philosophy, p. 111: “Even Plato puts arithmetic before geometry in the Republic in deference to tradition.” For the three branches of higher learning, arithmetic, geometry, and astronomy, Cf. Laws 811 E-818 A, Isoc.Antid. 261-267, Panath. 26, Bus. 226; Max, Tyr. 37 7.
Plato. Plato in Twelve Volumes, Vols. 5 & 6 translated by Paul Shorey. Cambridge, MA, Harvard University Press; London, William Heinemann Ltd. 1969.
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