Ath. Well, then, proceeding in the same Links of London Earrings train of thought, I say thatthe greatest ignorance was the ruin of the Dorian power, and that now,as then, ignorance is ruin. And if this be true, the Links of London Rings legislator mustendeavour to implant wisdom in states, and banish ignorance to theutmost of his power.
Cle. That is evident.
Ath. Then now consider what is really the greatest ignorance. Ishould like to know whether you and Megillus would agree with me inwhat I am about to say; for my opinion is-
Cle. What?
Ath. That the greatest ignorance is when a man hates that which henevertheless thinks to be good and noble, and loves and embracesthat which he knows to be unrighteous and evil. This disagreementbetween the sense of pleasure and the judgment of reason in the soulis, in my opinion, the worst ignorance; and also the greatest, becauseaffecting the great mass of the human soul; for the principle whichfeels pleasure and pain in the individual is like the mass or populacein a state. And when the soul is opposed to knowledge, or opinion,or reason, which are her natural lords, that I call folly, just asin the state, when the multitude refuses to obey their rulers andthe laws; or, again, in the individual, when fair reasonings havetheir habitation in the soul and yet do no good, but rather thereverse of good. All these cases I term the worst ignorance, whetherin individuals or in states. You will understand, Stranger, that Iam speaking of something which is very different from the ignorance ofhandicraftsmen.
Cle. Yes, my friend, we understand and agree.