Certainly, he replied. Then when does the soul attain truth?-for in attempting to consider anything in company with the body she is obviously deceived.

Yes, that is true. Then must not existence be revealed to her in thought, if at all?

Yes. And thought is best when the mind is gathered into herself and none of these things trouble her-neither sounds nor sights nor pain nor any pleasure-when she has as little as possible to do with the body, and has no bodily sense or feeling, but is aspiring after being?

That is true. And in this the philosopher dishonors the body; his soul runs away from the body and desires to be alone and by herself?

Πάνυ μὲν οὖν͵ ἔφη. Πότε οὖν͵ ἦ δ΄ ὅς͵ ἡ ψυχὴ τῆς ἀληθείας ἅπτεται; ὅταν μὲν γὰρ μετὰ τοῦ σώματος ἐπιχειρῇ τι σκοπεῖν͵ δῆλον ὅτι τότε ἐξαπατᾶται ὑπ΄ αὐτοῦ.

Ἀληθῆ λέγεις. Ἆρ΄ οὖν οὐκ ἐν τῷ λογίζεσθαι εἴπερ που ἄλλοθι κατάδηλον αὐτῇ γίγνεταί τι τῶν ὄντων;

Ναί. Λογίζεται δέ γέ που τότε κάλλιστα͵ ὅταν αὐτὴν τούτων μηδὲν παραλυπῇ͵ μήτε ἀκοὴ μήτε ὄψις μήτε ἀλγηδὼν μηδέ τις ἡδονή͵ ἀλλ΄ ὅτι μάλιστα αὐτὴ καθ΄ αὑτὴν γίγνηται ἐῶσα χαίρειν τὸ σῶμα͵ καὶ καθ΄ ὅσον δύναται μὴ κοινωνοῦσα αὐτῷ μηδ΄ ἁπτομένη ὀρέγηται τοῦ ὄντος.

Ἔστι ταῦτα. Οὐκοῦν καὶ ἐνταῦθα ἡ τοῦ φιλοσόφου ψυχὴ μάλιστα ἀτιμάζει τὸ σῶμα καὶ φεύγει ἀπ΄ αὐτοῦ͵ ζητεῖ δὲ αὐτὴ καθ΄ αὑτὴν γίγνεσθαι;