S.  “Well argued.  Therefore, if he conceived of himself, his conception of himself would be more perfect than that of any man concerning him?”

A.  “Assuredly; if he have that faculty, he must needs have it in perfection.”

S.  “Suppose, then, that he conceived of one of his own properties, such as his justice; how large would that perfect conception of his be?”

A.  “But how can I tell, Socrates?”

S.  “My good friend, would it not be exactly commensurate with that justice of his?”

A.  “How then?”

S.  “Wherein consists the perfection of any conception, save in this, that it be the exact copy of that whereof it is conceived, and neither greater nor less?”

A.  “I see now.”

S.  “Without the Pythia’s help, I should say.  But, tell me-We agree that Zeus’s conception of his own justice will be exactly commensurate with his justice?”

A.  “We do.”

S.  “But man’s conception thereof, it has been agreed, would be certainly less perfect than Zeus’s?”

A.  “It would.”

S.  “Man, then, it seems, would always conceive God to be less just than God conceives himself to be?”

A.  “He would.”

S.  “And therefore to be less just, according to the argument, than he really is?”

A.  “True.”

S.  “And therefore his error concerning Zeus, would be in this case an error of defect?”

A.  “It would.”

S.  “And so on of each of his other properties?”

A.  “The same argument would likewise, as far as I can see, apply to them.”

S.  “So that, on the whole, man, by the unassisted power of his own faculty, will always conceive Zeus to be less just, wise, good, and beautiful than he is?”

A.  “It seems probable.”

S.  “But does not that seem to you hurtful?”

A.  “Why so?”

S.  “As if, for instance, a man believing that Zeus loves him less than he really does, should become superstitious and self-tormenting.  Or, believing that Zeus will guide him less than he really will, he should go his own way through life without looking for that guidance:  or if, believing that Zeus cares about his conquering his passions less than he really does, he should become careless and despairing in the struggle:  or if, believing that Zeus is less interested in the welfare of mankind than he really is, he should himself neglect to assist them, and so lose the glory of being called a benefactor of his country:  would not all these mistakes be hurtful ones?”

“Certainly,” said I:  but Alcibiades was silent.

S.  “And would not these mistakes, by the hypothesis, themselves punish him who made them, without any resentment whatsoever, or Nemesis of the Gods being required for his chastisement?”

“It seems so,” said I.

S.  “But can we say of such mistakes, and of the harm which may accrue from them, anything but that they must both be infinite; seeing that they are mistakes concerning an infinite Being, and his infinite properties, on every one of which, and on all together, our daily existence depends?”