But some one of those present, on hearing this, I do not clearly
remember who he was, said, “By the gods, was not the very contrary of
what is now asserted admitted in the former part of our discussion, that
the greater is produced from the less, and the less from the greater,
and in a word, that the very production of contraries is from
contraries? But now it appears to me to be asserted that this can never
be the case.”
Upon this Socrates, having leant his head forward and listened, said,
“You have reminded me in a manly way; you do not, however, perceive the
difference between what is now and what was then asserted. For then it
was said, that a contrary thing is produced from a contrary; but now,
that a contrary can never become contrary to itself, neither that which
is in us, nor that which is in nature. For then, my friend, we spoke of
things that have contraries, calling them by the appellation of those
things; but now we are speaking of those very things, from the presence
of which things so called receive their appellation, and of these very
things we say that they are never disposed to admit of production from
each other.” 120. And, at the same time looking at Cebes, “Has any thing
that has been said, Cebes, disturbed you?”
“Indeed,” said Cebes, “I am not at all so disposed; however, I by no
means say that there are not many things that disturb me.”
“Then,” he continued, “we have quite agreed to this, that a contrary can
never be contrary to itself.”
“Most certainly,” he replied.
“But further,” he said, “consider whether you will agree with me in this
also. Do you call heat and cold any thing?”
“I do.”
“The same as snow and fire?”
“By Jupiter, I do not.”
“But heat is something different from fire, and cold something different
from snow?”
“Yes.”
“But this, I think, is apparent to you, that snow, while it is snow, can
never, when it has admitted heat, as we said before, continue to be what
it was, snow and hot, but, on the approach of heat, it must either
withdraw or perish?”
“Certainly.”
“And again, that fire, when cold approaches it, must either depart or
perish; but that it will never endure, when it has admitted coldness, to
continue what it was, fire and cold?”