Plato : HIPPIAS (minor) Persons of the dialogue: Eudicus - Socrates - Hippias Translated by Benjamin Jowett - 19 Pages - Greek fonts Search Plato's works / Plato Anthology / The Greek Word Library = Note by Elpenor

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Page 16

Socr.: And what do you say about grace, Hippias? Is not he who is better made able to assume evil and disgraceful figures and postures voluntarily, as he who is worse made assumes them involuntarily?

Hipp.: True.

Socr.: Then voluntary ungracefulness comes from excellence of the bodily frame, and involuntary from the defect of the bodily frame?

Hipp.: True.

Socr.: And what would you say of an unmusical voice; would you prefer the voice which is voluntarily or involuntarily out of tune?

Hipp.: That which is voluntarily out of tune.

Socr.: The involuntary is the worse of the two?

Hipp.: Yes.

Socr.: And would you choose to possess goods or evils?

Hipp.: Goods.

Socr.: And would you rather have feet which are voluntarily or involuntarily lame?

Hipp.: Feet which are voluntarily lame.

Socr.: But is not lameness a defect or deformity?

Hipp.: Yes.

Socr.: And is not blinking a defect in the eyes?

Hipp.: Yes.

Socr.: And would you rather always have eyes with which you might voluntarily blink and not see, or with which you might involuntarily blink?

Hipp.: I would rather have eyes which voluntarily blink.

Socr.: Then in your own case you deem that which voluntarily acts ill, better than that which involuntarily acts ill?

Hipp.: Yes, certainly, in cases such as you mention.

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