STRANGER: Well, the philosopher may hereafter be more fully considered

by us, if we are disposed; but the Sophist must clearly not be allowed

to escape until we have had a good look at him.

THEAETETUS: Very good.

STRANGER: Since, then, we are agreed that some classes have a communion

with one another, and others not, and some have communion with a few and

others with many, and that there is no reason why some should not have

universal communion with all, let us now pursue the enquiry, as the

argument suggests, not in relation to all ideas, lest the multitude

of them should confuse us, but let us select a few of those which are

reckoned to be the principal ones, and consider their several natures

and their capacity of communion with one another, in order that if we

are not able to apprehend with perfect clearness the notions of being

and not-being, we may at least not fall short in the consideration of

them, so far as they come within the scope of the present enquiry, if

peradventure we may be allowed to assert the reality of not-being, and

yet escape unscathed.

THEAETETUS: We must do so.

STRANGER: The most important of all the genera are those which we were

just now mentioning--being and rest and motion.