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into their own, whether by force or persuiision, they compliment with the name of sailor, pilot, able sea- man, and abuse the other sort of man, whom they call a good-for-nothing ; but that the true pilot must pay attention to the year and seasons and sky and stars and winds, and whatever else belongs to his art, if he intends to be really qualified for the command of a ship, and that he must and will be the steerer, whether other people like or not — the possibility of this union of authority with the steerer's art has never seriously entered into their thoughts or been made part of their calling. Now in vessels which are in a state of mutiny and by sailors who are mutineers, how will the true pilot be regarded? Will he not be called by them a prater, a star-gazer, a good-for- nothing ?
Of course, said Adeimantus.
Then you will hardly need, I said, to hear the in- terpretation of the figure, which describes the true philosopher in his relation to the State ; for you un- derstand already.
Certainly.
Then suppose you now take this parable to the gen- tleman who is surprised at finding that philosophers have no honor in their cities ; explain it to him, and try to convince him that their having honor would be far more extraordinary.
I will.
Say to him, that, in deeming the best votaries of philosophy to be useless to the rest of the world, he is right ; but also tell him to attribute their uselessness to the fault of those who Λνίΐΐ not use them, and not to themselves. The pilot should not humbly beg the sailors to be commanded by him, — that is not the or-
