Gorgias. What say you, Socrates, of black? Is any black, white?
Socrates. No, by Zeus!
Cor. Do you say, then, that no black is white? Soc. None at all.
Cor. But is everything either black or non-black? Soc. Of course.
Gor. And everything either white or non-white? Soc. Yes.
Gor. And everything either rough or smooth? Soc. Yes.
Gor. And everything either real or unreal? Soc. Oh., bother! yes.
Gor. Do you say, then, that all black is either rough black or smooth
black? Soc. Yes.
Cor. And that all white is either real white or unreal white? Soc.
Yes.
Gor. And yet is no black, white? Soc. None at all.
Cor. Nor no white, black? Soc. By no means.
Gor. What? Is no smooth black, white? Soc. No; you cannot prove
that, Gorgias.
Cor. Nor no rough black, white? Soc. Neither.
Cor. Nor no real white, black? Soc. No.
Cor. Nor no unreal white, black? Soc. No, I say. No white at all is
black.
Cor. What if black is smooth, is it not white? Soc. Not in the least.
Cor. And if the last is false, is the first false? Soc. It follows.
Cor. If, then, black is white, does it follow, that black is not smooth?
Soc. It does.
Cor. Black-white is not smooth? Soc. What do you mean?
Cor. Can any dead man speak? Soc. No, indeed.
Cor. And is any speaking man dead? Soc. I say, no.
Gor. And is any good king tyrannical? Soc. No.
Cor. And is any tyrannical king good? Soc. I just said no.
Cor. And you said, too, that no rough black is white, did you not?
Soc. Yes.
Gor. Then, is any black-white, rough? Soc. No.
Cor. And is any unreal black, white? Soc. No.
Gor. Then, is any black-white unreal? Soc. No.
Gor. No black-white is rough? Soc. None.
Cor. All black-white, then, is non-rough? Soc. Yes.
Gor. And all black-white, non-unreal? Soc. Yes.
Gor. All black-white is then smooth? Soc. Yes.
Gor. And all real? Soc. Yes.
Gor. Some smooth, then, is black-white? Soc. Of course.
Cor. And some real is black-white? Soc. So it seems.
Gor. Some black-white smooth is black-white? Soc. Yes.
Gor. Some black smooth is black-white? Soc. Yes.
Gor. Some black smooth is white. Soc. Yes.
Gor. Some black real is black-white? Soc. Yes.
Gar. Some black real is white? Soc. Yes.
Gar. Some real black is white? Soc. Yes.
Gor . . And some smooth black is white? Soc. Yes.
Gor. Then, some black is white? Soc. I think so myself.