Dialogue

 1 Intro|      supplements the question of false opinion which is raised
 2 Intro|        the difficulty respecting false opinion. The humorous illustrations,
 3 Intro|        true opinion.’ But how is false opinion possible? The Megarian
 4 Intro| distinguish between the true and false analogy, and allow the negative
 5 Intro|           in which perception is false; and half our life is spent
 6 Intro|         between the true and the false in such cases? Having stated
 7 Intro|        can any man be cured of a false opinion, for there is no
 8 Intro|        we ask ourselves, ‘How is false opinion possible?’ This
 9 Intro|        and forms an opinion. And false opinion consists in saying
10 Intro|       sort of natures which have false opinion; from stupidity
11 Intro|        there is no such thing as false opinion, or that a man knows
12 Intro|         of knowledge ever become false opinion? As well might we
13 Intro|        of our attempt to explain false opinion without having explained
14 Intro|      singular difficulty: How is false opinion possible? For we
15 Intro|         and pass beyond into the false. The very word doxa was
16 Intro|        than opinion is required.~False opinion is explained by
17 Intro|       attempt is made to explain false opinion by assigning to
18 Intro|      difference between true and false opinion is not the difference
19 Intro|       the true universal and the false. Thought may be as much
20 Intro|       got rid of, but it gives a false impression. For if we reflect
21 Intro|          partly sustained by the false analogy of Physical Science
22 Intro|         only bodily ones.~c. The false influence of language. We
23  Thea|      will not be found guilty of false witness.~THEAETETUS: But
24  Thea|      discernment of the true and false birth would be the crowning
25  Thea|      young man brings forth is a false idol or a noble and true
26  Thea|      illusions we certainly have false perceptions; and far from
27  Thea|   whether his opinion is true or false, but each, as we have several
28  Thea|     thought, and ignorance to be false opinion.~THEODORUS: Exactly.~
29  Thea|     sometimes true and sometimes false? In either case, the result
30  Thea|     sometimes true and sometimes false. For tell me, Theodorus,
31  Thea|         think is true to you and false to the ten thousand others?~
32  Thea|    believe his own opinion to be false; for he admits that the
33  Thea|          that his own opinion is false, if he admits that the opinion
34  Thea|   opinion of those who think him false is true?~THEODORUS: Of course.~
35  Thea|           because there may be a false opinion; but I will venture
36  Thea|           one true and the other false; and do you define knowledge
37  Thea|       SOCRATES: How there can be false opinion—that difficulty
38  Thea|   difficulty? Do we not speak of false opinion, and say that one
39  Thea|         say that one man holds a false and another a true opinion,
40  Thea|       say then? When a man has a false opinion does he think that
41  Thea|        SOCRATES: Where, then, is false opinion? For if all things
42  Thea|         this alternative, and so false opinion is excluded.~THEAETETUS:
43  Thea|        necessarily think what is false, whatever in other respects
44  Thea|          seem so.~SOCRATES: Then false opinion has no existence
45  Thea|          May we not suppose that false opinion or thought is a
46  Thea|        may be truly said to have false opinion.~THEAETETUS: Now
47  Thea|          base, then he has truly false opinion.~SOCRATES: I see,
48  Thea|       mistaken, that your ‘truly false’ is safe from censure, and
49  Thea|        so you are satisfied that false opinion is heterodoxy, or
50  Thea| therefore, he who maintains that false opinion is heterodoxy is
51  Thea|         in the previous way, can false opinion exist in us.~THEAETETUS:
52  Thea|        he sees or hears, may not false opinion arise in the following
53  Thea|       exclude the possibility of false opinion. The only cases,
54  Thea|         in which I cannot form a false opinion about you and Theodorus,
55  Thea| affection, then ‘heterodoxy’ and false opinion ensues.~THEAETETUS:
56  Thea|         in which, as we now say, false opinion may arise, when
57  Thea|     becomes alternately true and false;—true when the seals and
58  Thea|       meet straight and opposite—false when they go awry and crooked.~
59  Thea|       are the natures which have false opinion; for when they see
60  Thea|       may admit the existence of false opinion in us?~THEAETETUS:
61  Thea|       you indeed discovered that false opinion arises neither in
62  Thea|        waxen block, and in which false opinion is held to be impossible;
63  Thea|          of the non-existence of false opinion, because otherwise
64  Thea|        Most true.~SOCRATES: Then false opinion cannot be explained
65  Thea|      obliged to say, either that false opinion does not exist,
66  Thea|          knows, but he may get a false opinion about it; for he
67  Thea|     opinion of what is, and thus false and true opinion may exist,
68  Thea|          for another ever become false opinion?~THEAETETUS: What
69  Thea|         and thus he would have a false opinion from ignorance,
70  Thea|      takes ignorance will have a false opinion—am I right?~THEAETETUS:
71  Thea|          not think that he has a false opinion?~THEAETETUS: Of
72  Thea|         are wrong in seeking for false opinion until we know what
73  Thea| ascertained; then, the nature of false opinion?~THEAETETUS: I cannot