definition, and not merely about the name minus the definition. Now the

tribe of Sophists which we are investigating is not easily caught or

defined; and the world has long ago agreed, that if great subjects are

to be adequately treated, they must be studied in the lesser and easier

instances of them before we proceed to the greatest of all. And as I

know that the tribe of Sophists is troublesome and hard to be caught, I

should recommend that we practise beforehand the method which is to be

applied to him on some simple and smaller thing, unless you can suggest

a better way.

THEAETETUS: Indeed I cannot.

STRANGER: Then suppose that we work out some lesser example which will

be a pattern of the greater?

THEAETETUS: Good.

STRANGER: What is there which is well known and not great, and is yet as

susceptible of definition as any larger thing? Shall I say an angler?

He is familiar to all of us, and not a very interesting or important

person.

THEAETETUS: He is not.

STRANGER: Yet I suspect that he will furnish us with the sort of

definition and line of enquiry which we want.