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Stranger
Str. And we conclude that whatever the number of other things is, just that is the number of the things in relation to which being is not; for not being those things, it is itself one, and again, those other things are not unlimited in number.
Theaetetus
Theaet. That is not far from the truth.
Stranger
Str. Then we must not be disturbed by this either, since by their nature the classes have participation in one another. But if anyone refuses to accept our present results, let him reckon with our previous arguments and then proceed to reckon with the next step. i.e., if he will not accept our proof that being is not, etc., he must disprove our arguuents respecting the participation of idea in one another, and then proceed to draw his inference.
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Theaetetus
Theaet. That is very fair.
Stranger
Str. Then here is a point to consider.
Theaetetus
Theaet. What is it?
Stranger
Str. When we say not-being, we speak, I think, not of something that is the opposite of being, but only of something different.
Theaetetus
Theaet. What do you mean?
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Stranger
Str. For instance, when we speak of a thing as not great, do we seem to you to mean by the expression what is small any more than what is of middle size?
Theaetetus
Theaet. No, of course not.
Stranger
Str. Then when we are told that the negative signifies the opposite, we shall not admit it; we shall admit only that the particle not The two particles οὐ and μή in Greek. indicates something different from the words to which it is prefixed, or rather from the things denoted by the words that follow the negative.
Theaetetus
Theaet. Certainly.
