Then Socrates, after pausing for a long time and examining something with himself, said, “Cebes, you are seeking not an insignificant matter: for it is entirely necessary to examine thoroughly the cause concerning generation and destruction. I, then, will describe to you my experiences, at any rate, with regard to them if you want; whenever something of the things whichever I speak seems useful to you, you will use it towards your persuasion concerning the things which you are then saying.”

But indeed, I want for my part, Cebes said.

Listen in this way, since me being about to say. For I, he said, Cebes, when being young, so wonderfully set my heart upon that wisdom which they now call an inquiry about nature. For it was seeming to me to be magnificent, to know the causes of each thing, through what each thing comes to be and through what it perishes and through what it exists. And very often, I was turning myself upward, downward, when examining at first the things such as this: When heat and coldness takes on some putrefaction, as some men were saying, do the living things at that time, in fact, grow? And whether the blood is the thing by which we think, or the air or the fire? Or nothing of these things, on the one hand; the brain, on the other hand, is the one furnishing the perceptions of hearing and seeing and smelling, and from these things memory and judgment come to be, and from memory and judgment, after having taken being at rest, knowledge comes to be with these things? And again, after examining the destructions of these things and the experiences concerning the heaven and earth, after completing in this way, I seemed to myself to be without natural talent toward that inquiry in this way in any matter. And I will speak to you a sufficient proof: for I, with respect to the things which even previously I was clearly knowing, as I was seeming to myself and to the others, then under that inquiry, I was very much blinded in this way, with the result that I unlearned even these things which, at some time before, I was thinking that I knew, concerning both many other things and especially on account of what does a man grow. For I was thinking at some time before that this thing is clear to all, namely that a man grows on account of eating and drinking; for when from the foods, flesh is added to the flesh, on the one hand, bones to the bones, on the other hand, and in this way, according to the same speech, the things of them belonging to each group are added also to the others, then in fact, the body, although being small, later has become big, and in this way, the small man becomes big. I was then thinking in this way; do I not seem to you reasonably?

To me, at any rate, said Cebes.

Consider then, also these things still. For I was thinking that it sufficiently seemed to me, whenever some large man, standing beside a small man, seemed to be bigger by the head, and a horse bigger than a horse; and still clearer than these, ten was seeming to be to be more than eight on account of two being added to them, and two-cubit length was seeming to be greater than one-cubit length on account of exceeding it by half.

But now then, Cebes said, how does it seem to you about them?

I am far from, I suppose, he said, by Zeus, thinking that it is possible for me to know the cause concerning some of these things, I who, at any rate, do not accept for myself neither that when someone adds one to one, either the one to which it was added has become two, or the one added, or the one added and the one to which it was added became two on account of the addition of one to another; for I wonder whether when, on the one hand, each of them was separate from one other, then each thing was one and were not two; when, on the other hand, they approached one another, this thing then became cause of becoming two for them— the coming-together of being placed close to one another. Nor, at any rate, do I accept that if someone divides one, I am able to still be persuaded that this thing has in turn become cause of having become two— the division; for it becomes opposite than a cause of becoming two at that time. For then, on the one hand, the cause is that they were being brought together near one another and one was being added to another; now, on the other hand, the cause is that one is led away and separated from another.
Nor, at any rate, do I still persuade myself that I know on account of what a unit comes to be, nor any other thing by means of one argument, on account of what it comes to be or perishes or exists, according to that manner of the method, but I myself concoct at random some other way, but I in no way accept that way.

But after hearing at some time Anaxagoras reading from some book, he said, and saying that mind, then, is the one ordering and the cause of all things, I was delighted by that cause and it seemed to me to be good in some way for the mind being a cause of all things, and I believed that, if this thing holds in this way, the mind, at any rate, by arranging all things, arranges and places each thing in that way whatever sort it is best; if then someone should want to find out the cause about each thing, why it comes to be or perishes or exists, it is necessary for him to find out this about it— in what sort of way it is best for it either to exist or experience whatever other thing or do; and in fact, from that speech, it beseems a man to examine no other thing about that very thing and about the others other than the best. And I believed that it is necessary for that same man to also know the inferior; for it is the same knowledge about them. In fact, after considering these things, I was thinking that I have discovered for myself a teacher of the cause concerning the things being in accordance with mind, Anaxagoras, and that he will show to me first, on the one hand, whether the earth is flat or round; after, on the other hand, he shows, he will explain the cause and the necessity, by speaking about the better thing and that it was better for it to be that sort of thing. And if he should say that it is in middle, he will explain how it was better for it to be in middle; and if he should show forth these things to me, I was ready to no longer look for another form of cause. I was ready to learn in like manner especially about the sun in this way, and the moon and the other stars, both about speed in relation to one another and turnings and the other incidents, how at some time, with respect to these things, it is better for each both to do and to experience the things which they experience. For I would not ever be thinking that him, although saying, at any rate, that they have been arranged by mind, brought some other cause to them than that it is best for them to hold in this way just as they hold; since assigning to each of them the cause and the best thing for each according to a way common to all, I was thinking that he will also explain the good thing common to all; and I would not have sold my hopes for riches, but after acquiring the books, I was reading very attentively, as quickly as I was able, in order that I might know as quickly as possible the best and the worse.

In fact, companion, I was taking flight and gone from wonderful hope since, after proceeding and reading, I see that a man not at all uses the mind, on the one hand, nor does he ascribe some causes into arranging the matters; he allege as the cause airs, on the other hand, and ethers and waters and many other strange things. And he seemed to me to have experienced a most similar thing just as if someone, although saying that Socrates does all things as many as he does by mind, and thereupon attempting to say the causes of each things which I do, should say first, on the one hand, that I am now sitting here on account of these things, namely that my body is composed from bones and sinews, and the bones, on the one hand, are hard and have joints apart from one another, the sinews, on the other hand, are the sorts of things which tighten and loosen, since covering all over the bones with the fleshes and skin, which hold them together; then, when the bones being raised in their own joints, the sinews, by becoming loose and drawing tight, perhaps make me able to now bend my limbs, and on account of that cause, I am sitting here, bent; and in turn, he would say other causes of the sort concerning the conversing to you all, by attributing as the cause both sounds and airs and hearings and other infinite things of the sort, since neglecting to say the causes as they truly are, namely that, after it seemed to Athenians to be better to vote in condemnation of me, on account of these things, in fact, it has in turn seemed better also to me to sit here, and more just for me, since remaining, to suffer the penalty whichever they order. Since, by the dog, as I think, these sinews and bones would long ago be being either around Megara or Boeotians, since being carried by judgment of the best, if I were not thinking that it is more just and noble to suffer a penalty for the city, whichever it stations, instead of taking flight and fleeing. But it is very strange to call these sorts of things as causes, on the one hand; if, on the other hand, someone should say that without having these sorts of things, both bones and sinews and so many other things as many as I have, I would not be able to do the things seeming to me, he would say true things; however, if he should say that I do the things which I do on account of these things, and while doing these things by mind, but not by the choice of the best, heedlessness of the speech would be much and great. For not being able to distinguish that the cause, in reality, somehow is one thing, on the one hand; that thing without which the cause would not ever be a cause is another thing, on the other hand. In fact, by groping it just as in darkness, the many men seem to me to address it as cause, since using a name belonging to another. Wherefore then, also some man imposing a whirlwind to the earth makes the earth remain, in fact, under the heaven; another puts a solid base under the air as just by means of a wide wooden vessel; but the capacity of them being put as best as they are able— to be placed now in this way, this they neither seek nor think that it has some divine power, but they believe that they would at some time find out an Atlas stronger than this one, and more immortal and holding together quite all things more, and how truly do they not at all think that the good and the necessary binds and holds them together. I certainty would most pleasantly become a pupil of whoever of that sort of cause in what sort of way it ever holds; but since I was deprived of this and neither was I able to discover it myself nor learn from another man, do you want that I should make a display for you, he said, the next best way toward the searching of the cause, which I am labored at, Cebes?

Certainly, he said, how marvelously do I want.

In the following passage, Socrates narrated his experience with natural philosophy and specifically mentioned the teaching of Anaxagoras.

Note: The Greek text below is from:

Plato. Platonis Opera, ed. John Burnet. Oxford University Press. 1903.

Credits to the Perseus Digital Library for digitalizing the work.

[95e8] ὁ οὖν Σωκράτης συχνὸν χρόνον ἐπισχὼν καὶ πρὸς ἑαυτόν τι σκεψάμενος, οὐ φαῦλον πρᾶγμα, ἔφη, ὦ Κέβης, ζητεῖς: ὅλως γὰρ δεῖ περὶ γενέσεως καὶ φθορᾶς τὴν αἰτίαν [96a] διαπραγματεύσασθαι. ἐγὼ οὖν σοι δίειμι περὶ αὐτῶν, ἐὰν βούλῃ, τά γε ἐμὰ πάθη: ἔπειτα ἄν τί σοι χρήσιμον φαίνηται ὧν ἂν λέγω, πρὸς τὴν πειθὼ περὶ ὧν δὴ λέγεις χρήσῃ.

ἀλλὰ μήν, ἔφη ὁ Κέβης, βούλομαί γε.

ἄκουε τοίνυν ὡς ἐροῦντος. ἐγὼ γάρ, ἔφη, ὦ Κέβης, νέος ὢν θαυμαστῶς ὡς ἐπεθύμησα ταύτης τῆς σοφίας ἣν δὴ καλοῦσι περὶ φύσεως ἱστορίαν: ὑπερήφανος γάρ μοι ἐδόκει εἶναι, εἰδέναι τὰς αἰτίας ἑκάστου, διὰ τί γίγνεται ἕκαστον καὶ διὰ τί ἀπόλλυται καὶ διὰ τί ἔστι. καὶ πολλάκις [96b] ἐμαυτὸν ἄνω κάτω μετέβαλλον σκοπῶν πρῶτον τὰ τοιάδε: ἆρ᾽ ἐπειδὰν τὸ θερμὸν καὶ τὸ ψυχρὸν σηπεδόνα τινὰ λάβῃ, ὥς τινες ἔλεγον, τότε δὴ τὰ ζῷα συντρέφεται; καὶ πότερον τὸ αἷμά ἐστιν ᾧ φρονοῦμεν, ἢ ὁ ἀὴρ ἢ τὸ πῦρ; ἢ τούτων μὲν οὐδέν, ὁ δ᾽ ἐγκέφαλός ἐστιν ὁ τὰς αἰσθήσεις παρέχων τοῦ ἀκούειν καὶ ὁρᾶν καὶ ὀσφραίνεσθαι, ἐκ τούτων δὲ γίγνοιτο μνήμη καὶ δόξα, ἐκ δὲ μνήμης καὶ δόξης λαβούσης τὸ ἠρεμεῖν, κατὰ ταῦτα γίγνεσθαι ἐπιστήμην; καὶ αὖ τούτων τὰς φθορὰς σκοπῶν, καὶ τὰ περὶ [96c] τὸν οὐρανόν τε καὶ τὴν γῆν πάθη, τελευτῶν οὕτως ἐμαυτῷ ἔδοξα πρὸς ταύτην τὴν σκέψιν ἀφυὴς εἶναι ὡς οὐδὲν χρῆμα. τεκμήριον δέ σοι ἐρῶ ἱκανόν: ἐγὼ γὰρ ἃ καὶ πρότερον σαφῶς ἠπιστάμην, ὥς γε ἐμαυτῷ καὶ τοῖς ἄλλοις ἐδόκουν, τότε ὑπὸ ταύτης τῆς σκέψεως οὕτω σφόδρα ἐτυφλώθην, ὥστε ἀπέμαθον καὶ ταῦτα ἃ πρὸ τοῦ ᾤμην εἰδέναι, περὶ ἄλλων τε πολλῶν καὶ διὰ τί ἄνθρωπος αὐξάνεται. τοῦτο γὰρ ᾤμην πρὸ τοῦ παντὶ δῆλον εἶναι, ὅτι διὰ τὸ ἐσθίειν καὶ πίνειν: ἐπειδὰν γὰρ ἐκ τῶν σιτίων ταῖς [96d] μὲν σαρξὶ σάρκες προσγένωνται, τοῖς δὲ ὀστοῖς ὀστᾶ, καὶ οὕτω κατὰ τὸν αὐτὸν λόγον καὶ τοῖς ἄλλοις τὰ αὐτῶν οἰκεῖα ἑκάστοις προσγένηται, τότε δὴ τὸν ὀλίγον ὄγκον ὄντα ὕστερον πολὺν γεγονέναι, καὶ οὕτω γίγνεσθαι τὸν σμικρὸν ἄνθρωπον μέγαν. οὕτως τότε ᾤμην: οὐ δοκῶ σοι μετρίως;

ἔμοιγε, ἔφη ὁ Κέβης.

σκέψαι δὴ καὶ τάδε ἔτι. ᾤμην γὰρ ἱκανῶς μοι δοκεῖν, ὁπότε τις φαίνοιτο ἄνθρωπος παραστὰς μέγας σμικρῷ [96e] μείζων εἶναι αὐτῇ τῇ κεφαλῇ, καὶ ἵππος ἵππου: καὶ ἔτι γε τούτων ἐναργέστερα, τὰ δέκα μοι ἐδόκει τῶν ὀκτὼ πλέονα εἶναι διὰ τὸ δύο αὐτοῖς προσεῖναι, καὶ τὸ δίπηχυ τοῦ πηχυαίου μεῖζον εἶναι διὰ τὸ ἡμίσει αὐτοῦ ὑπερέχειν.

νῦν δὲ δή, ἔφη ὁ Κέβης, τί σοι δοκεῖ περὶ αὐτῶν;

πόρρω που, ἔφη, νὴ Δία ἐμὲ εἶναι τοῦ οἴεσθαι περὶ τούτων του τὴν αἰτίαν εἰδέναι, ὅς γε οὐκ ἀποδέχομαι ἐμαυτοῦ οὐδὲ ὡς ἐπειδὰν ἑνί τις προσθῇ ἕν, ἢ τὸ ἓν ᾧ προσετέθη δύο γέγονεν, <ἢ τὸ προστεθέν>, ἢ τὸ προστεθὲν [97a] καὶ ᾧ προσετέθη διὰ τὴν πρόσθεσιν τοῦ ἑτέρου τῷ ἑτέρῳ δύο ἐγένετο: θαυμάζω γὰρ εἰ ὅτε μὲν ἑκάτερον αὐτῶν χωρὶς ἀλλήλων ἦν, ἓν ἄρα ἑκάτερον ἦν καὶ οὐκ ἤστην τότε δύο, ἐπεὶ δ᾽ ἐπλησίασαν ἀλλήλοις, αὕτη ἄρα αἰτία αὐτοῖς ἐγένετο τοῦ δύο γενέσθαι, ἡ σύνοδος τοῦ πλησίον ἀλλήλων τεθῆναι. οὐδέ γε ὡς ἐάν τις ἓν διασχίσῃ, δύναμαι ἔτι πείθεσθαι ὡς αὕτη αὖ αἰτία γέγονεν, ἡ σχίσις, τοῦ δύο γεγονέναι: ἐναντία γὰρ γίγνεται ἢ τότε αἰτία τοῦ δύο [97b] γίγνεσθαι. τότε μὲν γὰρ ὅτι συνήγετο πλησίον ἀλλήλων καὶ προσετίθετο ἕτερον ἑτέρῳ, νῦν δ᾽ ὅτι ἀπάγεται καὶ χωρίζεται ἕτερον ἀφ᾽ ἑτέρου. οὐδέ γε δι᾽ ὅτι ἓν γίγνεται ὡς ἐπίσταμαι, ἔτι πείθω ἐμαυτόν, οὐδ᾽ ἄλλο οὐδὲν ἑνὶ λόγῳ δι᾽ ὅτι γίγνεται ἢ ἀπόλλυται ἢ ἔστι, κατὰ τοῦτον τὸν τρόπον τῆς μεθόδου, ἀλλά τιν᾽ ἄλλον τρόπον αὐτὸς εἰκῇ φύρω, τοῦτον δὲ οὐδαμῇ προσίεμαι.

ἀλλ᾽ ἀκούσας μέν ποτε ἐκ βιβλίου τινός, ὡς ἔφη, Ἀναξαγόρου [97c] ἀναγιγνώσκοντος, καὶ λέγοντος ὡς ἄρα νοῦς ἐστιν ὁ διακοσμῶν τε καὶ πάντων αἴτιος, ταύτῃ δὴ τῇ αἰτίᾳ ἥσθην τε καὶ ἔδοξέ μοι τρόπον τινὰ εὖ ἔχειν τὸ τὸν νοῦν εἶναι πάντων αἴτιον, καὶ ἡγησάμην, εἰ τοῦθ᾽ οὕτως ἔχει, τόν γε νοῦν κοσμοῦντα πάντα κοσμεῖν καὶ ἕκαστον τιθέναι ταύτῃ ὅπῃ ἂν βέλτιστα ἔχῃ: εἰ οὖν τις βούλοιτο τὴν αἰτίαν εὑρεῖν περὶ ἑκάστου ὅπῃ γίγνεται ἢ ἀπόλλυται ἢ ἔστι, τοῦτο δεῖν περὶ αὐτοῦ εὑρεῖν, ὅπῃ βέλτιστον αὐτῷ ἐστιν ἢ [97d] εἶναι ἢ ἄλλο ὁτιοῦν πάσχειν ἢ ποιεῖν: ἐκ δὲ δὴ τοῦ λόγου τούτου οὐδὲν ἄλλο σκοπεῖν προσήκειν ἀνθρώπῳ καὶ περὶ αὐτοῦ ἐκείνου καὶ περὶ τῶν ἄλλων ἀλλ᾽ ἢ τὸ ἄριστον καὶ τὸ βέλτιστον. ἀναγκαῖον δὲ εἶναι τὸν αὐτὸν τοῦτον καὶ τὸ χεῖρον εἰδέναι: τὴν αὐτὴν γὰρ εἶναι ἐπιστήμην περὶ αὐτῶν. ταῦτα δὴ λογιζόμενος ἅσμενος ηὑρηκέναι ᾤμην διδάσκαλον τῆς αἰτίας περὶ τῶν ὄντων κατὰ νοῦν ἐμαυτῷ, τὸν Ἀναξαγόραν, καί μοι φράσειν πρῶτον μὲν πότερον ἡ γῆ [97e] πλατεῖά ἐστιν ἢ στρογγύλη, ἐπειδὴ δὲ φράσειεν, ἐπεκδιηγήσεσθαι τὴν αἰτίαν καὶ τὴν ἀνάγκην, λέγοντα τὸ ἄμεινον καὶ ὅτι αὐτὴν ἄμεινον ἦν τοιαύτην εἶναι: καὶ εἰ ἐν μέσῳ φαίη εἶναι αὐτήν, ἐπεκδιηγήσεσθαι ὡς ἄμεινον ἦν αὐτὴν ἐν [98a] μέσῳ εἶναι: καὶ εἴ μοι ταῦτα ἀποφαίνοι, παρεσκευάσμην ὡς οὐκέτι ποθεσόμενος αἰτίας ἄλλο εἶδος. καὶ δὴ καὶ περὶ ἡλίου οὕτω παρεσκευάσμην ὡσαύτως πευσόμενος, καὶ σελήνης καὶ τῶν ἄλλων ἄστρων, τάχους τε πέρι πρὸς ἄλληλα καὶ τροπῶν καὶ τῶν ἄλλων παθημάτων, πῇ ποτε ταῦτ᾽ ἄμεινόν ἐστιν ἕκαστον καὶ ποιεῖν καὶ πάσχειν ἃ πάσχει. οὐ γὰρ ἄν ποτε αὐτὸν ᾤμην, φάσκοντά γε ὑπὸ νοῦ αὐτὰ κεκοσμῆσθαι, ἄλλην τινὰ αὐτοῖς αἰτίαν ἐπενεγκεῖν ἢ ὅτι βέλτιστον αὐτὰ οὕτως ἔχειν ἐστὶν ὥσπερ ἔχει: ἑκάστῳ [98b] οὖν αὐτῶν ἀποδιδόντα τὴν αἰτίαν καὶ κοινῇ πᾶσι τὸ ἑκάστῳ βέλτιστον ᾤμην καὶ τὸ κοινὸν πᾶσιν ἐπεκδιηγήσεσθαι ἀγαθόν: καὶ οὐκ ἂν ἀπεδόμην πολλοῦ τὰς ἐλπίδας, ἀλλὰ πάνυ σπουδῇ λαβὼν τὰς βίβλους ὡς τάχιστα οἷός τ᾽ ἦ ἀνεγίγνωσκον, ἵν᾽ ὡς τάχιστα εἰδείην τὸ βέλτιστον καὶ τὸ χεῖρον.

ἀπὸ δὴ θαυμαστῆς ἐλπίδος, ὦ ἑταῖρε, ᾠχόμην φερόμενος, ἐπειδὴ προϊὼν καὶ ἀναγιγνώσκων ὁρῶ ἄνδρα τῷ μὲν νῷ οὐδὲν χρώμενον οὐδέ τινας αἰτίας ἐπαιτιώμενον εἰς [98c] τὸ διακοσμεῖν τὰ πράγματα, ἀέρας δὲ καὶ αἰθέρας καὶ ὕδατα αἰτιώμενον καὶ ἄλλα πολλὰ καὶ ἄτοπα. καί μοι ἔδοξεν ὁμοιότατον πεπονθέναι ὥσπερ ἂν εἴ τις λέγων ὅτι Σωκράτης πάντα ὅσα πράττει νῷ πράττει, κἄπειτα ἐπιχειρήσας λέγειν τὰς αἰτίας ἑκάστων ὧν πράττω, λέγοι πρῶτον μὲν ὅτι διὰ ταῦτα νῦν ἐνθάδε κάθημαι, ὅτι σύγκειταί μου τὸ σῶμα ἐξ ὀστῶν καὶ νεύρων, καὶ τὰ μὲν ὀστᾶ ἐστιν στερεὰ καὶ διαφυὰς ἔχει χωρὶς ἀπ᾽ ἀλλήλων, τὰ δὲ [98d] νεῦρα οἷα ἐπιτείνεσθαι καὶ ἀνίεσθαι, περιαμπέχοντα τὰ ὀστᾶ μετὰ τῶν σαρκῶν καὶ δέρματος ὃ συνέχει αὐτά: αἰωρουμένων οὖν τῶν ὀστῶν ἐν ταῖς αὑτῶν συμβολαῖς χαλῶντα καὶ συντείνοντα τὰ νεῦρα κάμπτεσθαί που ποιεῖ οἷόν τ᾽ εἶναι ἐμὲ νῦν τὰ μέλη, καὶ διὰ ταύτην τὴν αἰτίαν συγκαμφθεὶς ἐνθάδε κάθημαι: καὶ αὖ περὶ τοῦ διαλέγεσθαι ὑμῖν ἑτέρας τοιαύτας αἰτίας λέγοι, φωνάς τε καὶ ἀέρας καὶ ἀκοὰς καὶ ἄλλα μυρία τοιαῦτα αἰτιώμενος, [98e] ἀμελήσας τὰς ὡς ἀληθῶς αἰτίας λέγειν, ὅτι, ἐπειδὴ Ἀθηναίοις ἔδοξε βέλτιον εἶναι ἐμοῦ καταψηφίσασθαι, διὰ ταῦτα δὴ καὶ ἐμοὶ βέλτιον αὖ δέδοκται ἐνθάδε καθῆσθαι, καὶ δικαιότερον παραμένοντα ὑπέχειν τὴν δίκην ἣν ἂν κελεύσωσιν: ἐπεὶ νὴ τὸν κύνα, ὡς ἐγᾦμαι, πάλαι ἂν ταῦτα [99a] τὰ νεῦρα καὶ τὰ ὀστᾶ ἢ περὶ Μέγαρα ἢ Βοιωτοὺς ἦν, ὑπὸ δόξης φερόμενα τοῦ βελτίστου, εἰ μὴ δικαιότερον ᾤμην καὶ κάλλιον εἶναι πρὸ τοῦ φεύγειν τε καὶ ἀποδιδράσκειν ὑπέχειν τῇ πόλει δίκην ἥντιν᾽ ἂν τάττῃ. ἀλλ᾽ αἴτια μὲν τὰ τοιαῦτα καλεῖν λίαν ἄτοπον: εἰ δέ τις λέγοι ὅτι ἄνευ τοῦ τὰ τοιαῦτα ἔχειν καὶ ὀστᾶ καὶ νεῦρα καὶ ὅσα ἄλλα ἔχω οὐκ ἂν οἷός τ᾽ ἦ ποιεῖν τὰ δόξαντά μοι, ἀληθῆ ἂν λέγοι: ὡς μέντοι διὰ ταῦτα ποιῶ ἃ ποιῶ, καὶ ταῦτα νῷ πράττων, ἀλλ᾽ οὐ τῇ [99b] τοῦ βελτίστου αἱρέσει, πολλὴ ἂν καὶ μακρὰ ῥᾳθυμία εἴη τοῦ λόγου. τὸ γὰρ μὴ διελέσθαι οἷόν τ᾽ εἶναι ὅτι ἄλλο μέν τί ἐστι τὸ αἴτιον τῷ ὄντι, ἄλλο δὲ ἐκεῖνο ἄνευ οὗ τὸ αἴτιον οὐκ ἄν ποτ᾽ εἴη αἴτιον: ὃ δή μοι φαίνονται ψηλαφῶντες οἱ πολλοὶ ὥσπερ ἐν σκότει, ἀλλοτρίῳ ὀνόματι προσχρώμενοι, ὡς αἴτιον αὐτὸ προσαγορεύειν. διὸ δὴ καὶ ὁ μέν τις δίνην περιτιθεὶς τῇ γῇ ὑπὸ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ μένειν δὴ ποιεῖ τὴν γῆν, ὁ δὲ ὥσπερ καρδόπῳ πλατείᾳ βάθρον τὸν ἀέρα [99c] ὑπερείδει: τὴν δὲ τοῦ ὡς οἷόν τε βέλτιστα αὐτὰ τεθῆναι δύναμιν οὕτω νῦν κεῖσθαι, ταύτην οὔτε ζητοῦσιν οὔτε τινὰ οἴονται δαιμονίαν ἰσχὺν ἔχειν, ἀλλὰ ἡγοῦνται τούτου Ἄτλαντα ἄν ποτε ἰσχυρότερον καὶ ἀθανατώτερον καὶ μᾶλλον ἅπαντα συνέχοντα ἐξευρεῖν, καὶ ὡς ἀληθῶς τὸ ἀγαθὸν καὶ δέον συνδεῖν καὶ συνέχειν οὐδὲν οἴονται. ἐγὼ μὲν οὖν τῆς τοιαύτης αἰτίας ὅπῃ ποτὲ ἔχει μαθητὴς ὁτουοῦν ἥδιστ᾽ ἂν γενοίμην: ἐπειδὴ δὲ ταύτης ἐστερήθην καὶ οὔτ᾽ αὐτὸς εὑρεῖν οὔτε παρ᾽ ἄλλου μαθεῖν οἷός τε ἐγενόμην, τὸν [99d] δεύτερον πλοῦν ἐπὶ τὴν τῆς αἰτίας ζήτησιν ᾗ πεπραγμάτευμαι βούλει σοι, ἔφη, ἐπίδειξιν ποιήσωμαι, ὦ Κέβης;

ὑπερφυῶς μὲν οὖν, ἔφη, ὡς βούλομαι.