292–293
Stranger
Str. Then is this our understanding, that the distinction between forms of government ought not to be found in the words few or many, or voluntary or unwilling, or wealth or poverty, but some science must be the distinguishing feature, if we are to be consistent with our previous statement?
15
Younger Socrates
Y. Soc. Yes, indeed; it cannot be otherwise.
Stranger
Str. Necessarily, then, our present duty is to inquire in which, if any, of these forms of government is engendered the science of ruling men, which is about the greatest of sciences and the most difficult to acquire. We must discover that in order to see what men are to be distinguished from the wise king—men, I mean, who pretend to be, and make many believe that they are, statesmen, but are really not such at all.
Younger Socrates
Y. Soc. Yes, we must do this; that is implied in what was said before.
Stranger
Str. Does it seem at all possible that a multitude in a state could acquire this science?
Younger Socrates
Y. Soc. By no means.
20
Stranger
Str. But in a state of one thousand men could perhaps a hundred or as many as fifty acquire it adequately?
Younger Socrates
Y. Soc. No, in that case this would be the easiest of all the arts; for we know that a city of a thousand men could never produce that number of finished draught-players in comparison with those in other Greek cities, still less so many kings. For the man who possesses the kingly science, whether he rule or not, must be called kingly, as our previous argument showed.
