Charmides；　with　whom　Socrates　talks　in　the　kindly　spirit　of　an　elder。　　His
  childlike　simplicity　and　ingenuousness　are　contrasted　with　the　dialectical
  and　rhetorical　arts　of　Critias；　who　is　the　grown…up　man　of　the　world；
  having　a　tincture　of　philosophy。　　No　hint　is　given；　either　here　or　in　the
  Timaeus；　of　the　infamy　which　attaches　to　the　name　of　the　latter　in　Athenian
  history。　　He　is　simply　a　cultivated　person　who；　like　his　kinsman　Plato；　is
  ennobled　by　the　connection　of　his　family　with　Solon　（Tim。）；　and　had　been
  the　follower；　if　not　the　disciple；　both　of　Socrates　and　of　the　Sophists。
  In　the　argument　he　is　not　unfair；　if　allowance　is　made　for　a　slight
  rhetorical　tendency；　and　for　a　natural　desire　to　save　his　reputation　with
  the　company；　he　is　sometimes　nearer　the　truth　than　Socrates。　　Nothing　in
  his　language　or　behaviour　is　unbecoming　the　guardian　of　the　beautiful
  Charmides。　　His　love　of　reputation　is　characteristically　Greek；　and
  contrasts　with　the　humility　of　Socrates。　　Nor　in　Charmides　himself　do　we
  find　any　resemblance　to　the　Charmides　of　history；　except；　perhaps；　the
  modest　and　retiring　nature　which；　according　to　Xenophon；　at　one　time　of　his
  life　prevented　him　from　speaking　in　the　Assembly　（Mem。）；　and　we　are
  surprised　to　hear　that；　like　Critias；　he　afterwards　became　one　of　the
  thirty　tyrants。　　In　the　Dialogue　he　is　a　pattern　of　virtue；　and　is
  therefore　in　no　need　of　the　charm　which　Socrates　is　unable　to　apply。　　With
  youthful　naivete；　keeping　his　secret　and　entering　into　the　spirit　of
  Socrates；　he　enjoys　the　detection　of　his　elder　and　guardian　Critias；　who　is
  easily　seen　to　be　the　author　of　the　definition　which　he　has　so　great　an
  interest　in　maintaining。　　The　preceding　definition；　'Temperance　is　doing
  one's　own　business；'　is　assumed　to　have　been　borrowed　by　Charmides　from
  another；　and　when　the　enquiry　becomes　more　abstract　he　is　superseded　by
  Critias　（Theaet。；　Euthyd。）。　　Socrates　preserves　his　accustomed　irony　to　the
  end；　he　is　in　the　neighbourhood　of　several　great　truths；　which　he　views　in
  various　lights；　but　always　either　by　bringing　them　to　the　test　of　common
  sense；　or　by　demanding　too　great　exactness　in　the　use　of　words；　turns　aside
  from　them　and　comes　at　last　to　no　conclusion。
  The　definitions　of　temperance　proceed　in　regular　order　from　the　popular　to
  the　philosophical。　　The　first　two　are　simple　enough　and　partially　true；
  like　the　first　thoughts　of　an　intelligent　youth；　the　third；　which　is　a　real
  contribution　to　ethical　philosophy；　is　perverted　by　the　ingenuity　of
  Socrates；　and　hardly　rescued　by　an　equal　perversion　on　the　part　of　Critias。
  The　remaining　definitions　have　a　higher　aim；　which　is　to　introduce　the
  element　of　knowledge；　and　at　last　to　unite　good　and　truth　in　a　single
  science。　　But　the　time　has　not　yet　arrived　for　the　realization　of　this
  vision　of　metaphysical　philosophy；　and　such　a　science　when　brought　nearer
  to　us　in　the　Philebus　and　the　Republic　will　not　be　called　by　the　name　of
  （Greek）。　　Hence　we　see　with　surprise　that　Plato；　who　in　his　other　writings
  identifies　good　and　knowledge；　here　opposes　them；　and　asks；　almost　in　the
  spirit　of　Aristotle；　how　can　there　be　a　knowledge　of　knowledge；　and　even　if
  attainable；　how　can　such　a　knowledge　be　of　any　use？
  The　difficulty　of　the　Charmides　arises　chiefly　from　the　two　senses　of　the
  word　（Greek）；　or　temperance。　　From　the　ethical　notion　of　temperance；　which
  is　variously　defined　to　be　quietness；　modesty；　doing　our　own　business；　the
  doing　of　good　actions；　the　dialogue　passes　onto　the　intellectual　conception
  of　（Greek）；　which　is　declared　also　to　be　the　science　of　self…knowledge；　or
  of　the　knowledge　of　what　we　know　and　do　not　know；　or　of　the　knowledge　of
  good　and　evil。　　The　dialogue　represents　a　stage　in　the　history　of
  philosophy　in　which　knowledge　and　action　were　not　yet　distinguished。　　Hence
  the　confusion　between　them；　and　the　easy　transition　from　one　to　the　other。
  The　definitions　which　are　offered　are　all　rejected；　but　it　is　to　be
  observed　that　they　all　tend　to　throw　a　light　on　the　nature　of　temperance；
  and　that；　unlike　the　distinction　of　Critias　between　（Greek）；　none　of　them
  are　merely　verbal　quibbles；　it　is　implied　that　this　question；　although　it
  has　not　yet　received　a　solution　in　theory；　has　been　already　answered　by
  Charmides　himself；　who　has　learned　to　practise　the　virtue　of　self…knowledge
  which　philosophers　are　vainly　trying　to　define　in　words。　　In　a　similar
  spirit　we　might　say　to　a　young　man　who　is　disturbed　by　theological
  difficulties；　'Do　not　trouble　yourself　about　such　matters；　but　only　lead　a
  good　life；'　and　yet　in　either　case　it　is　not　to　be　denied　that　right　ideas
  of　truth　may　contribute　greatly　to　the　improvement　of　character。
  The　reasons　why　the　Charmides；　Lysis；　Laches　have　been　placed　together　and
  first　in　the　series　of　Platonic　dialogues；　are：　　（i）　Their　shortness　and
  simplicity。　　The　Charmides　and　the　Lysis；　if　not　the　Laches；　are　of　the
  same　'quality'　as　the　Phaedrus　and　Symposium：　　and　it　is　probable；　though
  far　from　certain；　that　the　slighter　effort　preceded　the　greater　one。　　（ii）
  Their　eristic；　or　rather　Socratic　character；　they　belong　to　the　class
  called　dialogues　of　search　（Greek）；　which　have　no　conclusion。　　（iii）　The
  absence　in　them　of　certain　favourite　notions　of　Plato；　such　as　the　doctrine
  of　recollection　and　of　the　Platonic　ideas；　the　questions；　whether　virtue
  can　be　taught；　whether　the　virtues　are　one　or　many。　　（iv）　They　have　a　want
  of　depth；　when　compared　with　the　dialogues　of　the　middle　and　later　period；
  and　a　youthful　beauty　and　grace　which　is　wanting　in　the　later　ones。　　（v）
  Their　resemblance　to　one　another；　in　all　the　three　boyhood　has　a　great
  part。　　These　reasons　have　various　degrees　of　weight　in　determining　their
  place　in　the　catalogue　of　the　Platonic　writings；　though　they　are　not
  conclusive。　　No　arrangement　of　the　Platonic　dialogues　can　be　strictly
  chronological。　　The　order　which　has　been　adopted　is　intended　mainly　for　the
  convenience　of　the　reader；　at　the　same　time；　indications　of　the　date
  supplied　either　by　Plato　himself　or　allusions　found　in　the　dialogues　have
  not　been　lost　sight　of。　　Much　may　be　said　about　this　subject；　but　the
  results　can　only　be　probable；　there　are　no　materials　which　would　enable　us
  to　attain　to　anything　like　certainty。
  The　relations　of　knowledge　and　virtue　are　again　brought　forward　in　the
  companion　dialogues　of　the　Lysis　and　Laches；　and　also　in　the　Protagoras　and
  Euthydemus。　　The　opposition　of　abstract　and　particular　knowledge　in　this
  dialogue　may　be　compared　with　a　similar　opposition　of　ideas　and　phenomena
  which　occurs　in　the　Prologues　to　the　Parmenides；　but　seems　rather　to　belong
  to　a　later　stage　of　the　philosophy　of　Plato。
  CHARMIDES；　OR　TEMPERANCE
  by
  Plato
  Translated　by　Benjamin　Jowett
  PERSONS　OF　THE　DIALOGUE：　　Socrates；　who　is　the　narrator；　Charmides；
  Chaerephon；　Critias。
  SCENE：　　The　Palaestra　of　Taureas；　which　is　near　the　Porch　of　the　King
  Archon。
  Yesterday　evening　I　returned　from　the　army　at　Potidaea；　and　having　been　a
  good　while　away；　I　thought　that　I　should　like　to　go　and　look　at　my　old
  haunts。　　So　I　went　into　the　palaestra　of　Taureas；　which　is　over　against　the
  temple　adjoining　the　porch　of　the　King　Archon；　and　there　I　found　a　number
  of　persons；　most　of　whom　I　knew；　but　not　all。　　My　visit　was　unexpected；　and
  no　sooner　did　they　see　me　entering　than　they　saluted　me　from　afar　on　all
  sides；　and　Chaerephon；　who　is　a　kind　of　madman；　started　up　and　ran　to　me；
  seizing　my　hand；　and　saying；　How　did　you　escape；　Socrates？（I　should
  explain　that　an　engagement　had　taken　place　at　Potidaea　not　long　before　we
  came　away；　of　which　the　news　had　only　just　reached　Athens。）
  You　see；　I　replied；　that　here　I　am。
  There　was　a　report；　he　said；　that　the　engagement　was　very　severe；　and　that
  many　of　our　acquaintance　had　fallen。
  That；　I　replied；　was　not　far　from　the　truth。
  I　suppose；　he　said；　that　you　were　present。
  I　was。
  Then　sit　down；　and　tell　us　the　whole　story；　which　as　yet　we　have　only　heard
  imperfectly。
  I　took　the　place　which　he　assigned　to　me；　by　the　side　of　Critias　the　son　of
  Callaeschrus；　and　when　I　had　saluted　him　and　the　rest　of　the　company；　I
  told　them　the　news　from　the　army；　and　answered　their　several　enquiries。
  Then；　when　there　had　been　enough　of　this；　I；　in　my　turn；　began　to　make
  enquiries　about　matters　at　homea