practised towards their sons, and which is still adopted by many--either

of roughly reproving their errors, or of gently advising them;

which varieties may be correctly included under the general term of

admonition.

THEAETETUS: True.

STRANGER: But whereas some appear to have arrived at the conclusion that

all ignorance is involuntary, and that no one who thinks himself wise is

willing to learn any of those things in which he is conscious of his

own cleverness, and that the admonitory sort of instruction gives much

trouble and does little good--

THEAETETUS: There they are quite right.

STRANGER: Accordingly, they set to work to eradicate the spirit of

conceit in another way.

THEAETETUS: In what way?

STRANGER: They cross-examine a man's words, when he thinks that he is

saying something and is really saying nothing, and easily convict him

of inconsistencies in his opinions; these they then collect by the

dialectical process, and placing them side by side, show that they

contradict one another about the same things, in relation to the same

things, and in the same respect. He, seeing this, is angry with himself,

Sophist