287
Stranger
Str. The art of the king, then, has been separated from most of the kindred arts, or rather from all the arts that have to do with herds. There remain, however, the arts that have to do with the state itself. These are both causes and contingent causes, and our first duty is to separate them from one another.
Younger Socrates
Y. Soc. Quite right.
Stranger
Str. It is not easy to divide them into halves, you know. But I think the reason will nevertheless be clear as we go on.
5
Younger Socrates
Y. Soc. Then we had better divide in another way.
Stranger
Str. Let us divide them, then, like an animal that is sacrificed, by joints, since we cannot bisect them; for we must always divide into a number of parts as near two as possible.
Younger Socrates
Y. Soc. How shall we do it in the present instance?
Stranger
Str. Just as in the previous case, you know, we classed all the arts which furnished tools for weaving as contingent causes.
Younger Socrates
Y. Soc. Yes.
10
Stranger
Str. So now we must do the same thing, but it is even more imperative. For all the arts which furnish any implement, great or small, for the state, must be classed as contingent causes; for without them neither state nor statesmanship could ever exist, and yet I do not suppose we shall reckon any of them as the work of the kingly art.
Younger Socrates
Y. Soc. No.
