Ch. 3
To those who recommend persons to philosophers.
DIOGENES said well to one who asked from him letters of
recommendation, That you are a man, he said, he will
know as soon as he sees you; and he will know whether
you are good or bad, if he is by experience skilful to
distinguish the good and the bad; but if he is without
experience, he will never know, if I write to him ten
thousand times.238 For it is just the same as if a drachma
(a piece of silver money) asked to be recommended to a
person to be tested. If he is skilful in testing silver, he
will know what you are, for you (the drachma) will
recommend yourself. We ought then in life also to have
some skill as in the case of silver coin that a man may be
able to say like the judge of silver, Bring me any drachma
and I will test it. But in the case of syllogisms, I would
say, Bring any man that you please, and I will distinguish
for you the man who knows how to resolve syllogisms and
the man who does not. Why? Because I know how to
resolve syllogisms. I have the power, which a man must
have who is able to discover those who have the power of
resolving syllogisms. But in life how do I act? At one
time I call a thing good, and at another time bad. What
is the reason? The contrary to that which is in the case
of syllogisms, ignorance and inexperience.
[p. 107]
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