THEAETETUS: I have often met with such men, and terrible fellows they

are.

STRANGER: And that is the reason why their opponents cautiously defend

themselves from above, out of an unseen world, mightily contending that

true essence consists of certain intelligible and incorporeal ideas; the

bodies of the materialists, which by them are maintained to be the very

truth, they break up into little bits by their arguments, and affirm

them to be, not essence, but generation and motion. Between the

two armies, Theaetetus, there is always an endless conflict raging

concerning these matters.

THEAETETUS: True.

STRANGER: Let us ask each party in turn, to give an account of that

which they call essence.

THEAETETUS: How shall we get it out of them?

STRANGER: With those who make being to consist in ideas, there will be

less difficulty, for they are civil people enough; but there will be

very great difficulty, or rather an absolute impossibility, in getting

an opinion out of those who drag everything down to matter. Shall I tell

you what we must do?

Sophist