§11#2Ἢ ὡς Ἀντιφῶν ἐτετραγώνιζεν.
Or the way Antiphon squared the circle.
Ἢ εἴ τις μὴ φαίη βέλτιον εἶναι ἀπὸ δείπνου περιπατεῖν διὰ τὸν Ζήνωνος λόγον, οὐκ ἰατρικός· κοινὸς γάρ.
Or if someone should deny that it is better to walk after dinner because of Zeno's argument, his argument is not medical; for it is common.
Εἰ μὲν οὖν πάντῃ ὁμοίως εἶχεν ὁ ἐριστικὸς πρὸς τὸν διαλεκτικὸν τῷ ψευδογράφῳ πρὸς τὸν γεωμέτρην, οὐκ ἂν ἦν περὶ ἐκείνων ἐριστικός.
Now if the relation of the eristic to the dialectician were in every way similar to that of the writer of a false proof to the geometer, the eristic would not be eristic about those matters.
Νῦν δ᾿ οὐκ ἔστιν ὁ διαλεκτικὸς περὶ γένος τι ὡρισμένον, οὐδὲ δεικτικὸς οὐδενός, οὐδὲ τοιοῦτος οἷος ὁ καθόλου.
As it is, however, the dialectician is not concerned with any definite genus, nor is he demonstrative of anything, nor is he of the same character as the universal philosopher.
Οὔτε γάρ ἐστιν ἅπαντα ἐν ἑνί τινι γένει, οὔτε εἰ εἴη, οἷόν τε ὑπὸ τὰς αὐτὰς ἀρχὰς εἶναι τὰ ὄντα.
For neither are all things in any one single genus, nor, even if they were, would it be possible for existing things to be under the same principles.
Ὥστ᾿ οὐδεμία τέχνη τῶν δεικνυουσῶν τινὰ φύσιν ἐρωτητική ἐστιν· οὐ γὰρ ἔξεστιν ὁποτερονοῦν τῶν μορίων δοῦναι· συλλογισμὸς γὰρ οὐ γίνεται ἐξ ἀμφοῖον.
So that no art of those that demonstrate any nature is interrogative; for it is not permitted to grant whichever of the two parts of a contradiction one pleases; for a syllogism does not arise from both.
Ἡ δὲ διαλεκτικὴ ἐρωτητική ἐστιν.
But dialectic is interrogative.
Εἰ δ᾿ ἐδείκνυεν, εἰ καὶ μὴ πάντα, ἀλλὰ τά γε πρῶτα καὶ τὰς οἰκείας ἀρχὰς οὐκ ἂν ἠρώτα.
And if it demonstrated, even if not everything, but at least the primary and appropriate principles, it would not ask questions.
Μὴ διδόντας γὰρ οὐκ ἂν ἔτι εἶχεν ἐξ ὧν ἔτι διαλέξεται πρὸς τὴν ἔνστασιν.
For if the respondent did not grant them, it would no longer have any premises from which to argue further against the objection.
Ἡ δ᾿ αὐτὴν καὶ πειραστική.
And the same art is also the art of testing.
Οὐδὲ γὰρ ἡ πειραστικὴ τοιαύτη ἐστὶν οἵα ἡ γεωμετρία, ἀλλ᾿ ἣν ἂν ἔχοι καὶ μὴ εἰδώς τις.
For the art of testing is not such as geometry is, but is an art which even someone who does not know might possess.
Ἔξεστι γὰρ πεῖραν λαβεῖν καὶ τὸν μὴ εἰδότα τὸ πρᾶγμα τοῦ μὴ εἰδότος, εἴπερ καὶ δίδωσιν οὐκ ἐξ ὧν οἶδεν οὐδ᾿ ἐκ τῶν ἰδίων, ἀλλ᾿ ἐκ τῶν ἑπομένων, ὅσα τοιαῦτά ἐστιν ἃ εἰδότα μὲν οὐδὲν κωλύει μὴ εἰδέναι τὴν τέχνην, μὴ εἰδότα δ᾿ ἀνάγκη ἀγνοεῖν.
For it is possible even for one who does not know the matter to test another who does not know, provided that the latter makes concessions not from what he knows, nor from appropriate principles, but from the consequences, which are of such a nature that knowing them does not prevent one from being ignorant of the art, but not knowing them makes it necessary to be ignorant of it.
Ὥστε φανερὸν ὅτι οὐδενὸς ὡρισμένου ἡ πειραστικὴ ἐπιστήμη ἐστίν.
So that it is clear that the art of testing is not a science of any definite subject.
Διὸ καὶ περὶ πάντων ἐστί· πᾶσαι γὰρ αἱ τέχναι χρῶνται καὶ κοινοῖς τισίν.
For this reason also it is concerned with all things; for all arts use also certain common principles.
Διὸ πάντες καὶ οἱ ἰδιῶται τρόπον τινὰ χρῶνται τῇ διαλεκτικῇ καὶ πειραστικῇ· πάντες γὰρ μέχρι τινὸς ἐγχειροῦσιν ἀνακρίνειν τοὺς ἐπαγγελλομένους.
Therefore all people, even laymen, use in a certain way dialectic and the art of testing; for all, up to a certain point, attempt to examine those who make professions.
Ταῦτα δ᾿ ἐστὶ τὰ κοινά· ταῦτα γὰρ οὐδὲν ἧττον ἴσασιν αὐτοί, κἂν δοκῶσι λίαν ἔξω λέγειν.
And these are the common features; for they themselves know these no less, even if they seem to speak very much off the point.
Ἐλέγχουσιν οὖν ἅπαντες· ἀτέχνως γὰρ μετέχουσι τούτου οὗ ἐντέχνως ἡ διαλεκτική ἐστι, καὶ ὁ τέχνῃ συλλογιστικῇ πειραστικὸς διαλεκτικός.
Therefore all people refute; for they participate without art in that of which dialectic is the artistic practice, and he who tests with the art of reasoning is a dialectician.
Ἐπεὶ δ᾿ ἐστὶ πολλὰ μὲν ταῦτα καὶ κατὰ πάντων, οὐ τοιαῦτα δ᾿ ὥστε φύσιν τινὰ εἶναι καὶ γένος, ἀλλ᾿ οἷον αἱ ἀποφάσεις, τὰ δ᾿ οὐ τοιαῦτα ἀλλὰ ἴδια, ἔστιν ἐκ τούτων περὶ ἁπάντων πεῖραν λαμβάνειν, καὶ εἶναι τέχνην τινά, καὶ μὴ τοιαύτην εἶναι οἷαι αἱ δεικνύουσαι.
And since these are many and apply to all things, yet are not of such a nature as to be a particular nature and genus, but are like negations, while other things are not of this kind but are appropriate, it is possible from these to test concerning all things, and for there to be a certain art, and that this is not such as those which demonstrate.
Διόπερ ὁ ἐριστικὸς οὐκ ἔστιν οὕτως ἔχων πάντῃ ὡς ὁ ψευδογράφος· οὐ γὰρ ἔσται παραλογιστικὸς ἐξ ὡρισμένου τινὸς γένους ἀρχῶν, ἀλλὰ περὶ πᾶν γένος ἔσται ὁ ἐριστικός.
Therefore, the eristic does not stand in every way in the same relation as the writer of a false proof; for he will not be one who misleads from the principles of a definite genus, but the eristic will be concerned with every genus.
Τρόποι μὲν οὖν εἰσὶν οὗτοι τῶν σοφιστικῶν ἐλέγχων· ὅτι δ᾿ ἐστὶ τοῦ διαλεκτικοῦ τὸ θεωρῆσαι περὶ τούτων καὶ δύνασθαι ταῦτα ποιεῖν, οὐ χαλεπὸν ἰδεῖν· ἡ γὰρ περὶ τὰς προτάσεις μέθοδος ἅπασαν ἔχει ταύτην τὴν θεωρίαν.
These, then, are the modes of sophistical refutations; and that it is the part of the dialectician to study them and to be able to do this, is not difficult to see; for the method concerning premises contains the whole of this study.