Maieutic (Part III)

Socrates: There are other things that belong to my art, which also belong to the art of midwives, but the difference is that my art is delivered to men and not women.  My art brings forth the soul of self and not their bodies. The greatest part of our art is that it is able to examine in every way whether discursive reasoning in the mind of the young brings forth an image and that which is false or a true offspring. For that which happens to midwives also happens to me, for I am infertile in wisdom. Thus, I am reproached by many. Although I question others, myself never gives an answer to anything, and this is the true objection against me because I do not possess any wisdom. The reason for this is the Goddess forces me to be a midwife but forbids me to beget. Therefore, myself is not a wise person at all, nor are there any of my creations that are the offspring of my soul. Of those who accompany me, some appear to be without knowledge, but to those who deity favours, during the course of our discussion, make wonderful progress, as is apparent to their self and to others. It is also apparent that they do not learn anything from me, but their selves contain and discover many beautiful things in their selves. Goddess and myself are the cause of the art of delivery. This can be seen in the following: many do not know the cause and detest me because they believe themselves to be the cause, perhaps as a result of their selves or the influence of others, and have abandoned me before the time was right, and after leaving they have accompanied crooked characters and anything that was there was aborted. Through badly nourishing what offspring was brought forth with my assistance, they have destroyed it by preferring false images over that which is true. They now appear to their selves and to others to be unknowledgeable. One of these was Aristides, the son of Lysimachus, and many others were eager to accompany me again in wonderful conversation, but a spiritual power restrained me from accompanying them, but there were others who he permitted me to accompany and who made considerable progress. For those who accompany me suffer in the same way as someone who is in labour, but they are tormented and filled with doubt and anxiety far more than someone in labour. My art is able to call forth this torment and appease it. And this is how they are affected. But occasionally, O Theaetetus, I very skillfully unite in marriage those who do not appear to me to be pregnant and have no need of my assistance, and I may add, in goodness, I act in conjunction with the Goddess, I perfectly bring together those for whom it will be most beneficial. And many of these I have delivered to Prodicus and many others to the wise and divine. For this purpose, O most excellent youth, I have been forthright when relating these things to you because I suspect that self is being tormented as a consequence of being pregnant within. Entrust yourself to myself, the son of a midwife, for myself has the skills necessary to bring forth your delivery. Willingly desire to answer as well as you are able that which I may ask. And having examined your words, I will see that you have delivered an image that which is not true. Do not be angry with me if, like women who are delivered of their first offspring, I secretly remove and discard it. For many, O wonderful youth are so affected by me that they actually want to tear at me when I throw away any stupid idea of self without considering that I am doing this for their own benefit. Since they are far removed from knowing that no God or Goddess is ill-wishing upon humankind and that I do not conduct my art with ill wishes, it is by no means permitted for me to profess that which is false and destroy that which is true. 

Plato, The Theaetetus

Socrates → Male → Soul

Midwife → Female → Body

Socrates → Mind → Offspring → True/False

Socrates has no wisdom, he is not wise, and his self can give no answers.

Goddess → Socrates → Midwife

Socrates does not produce offspring from his own soul.

Those who the Goddess favours make wonderful progress.

Others do not learn from Socrates. Only their self can bring forward beautiful things.

Goddess + Socrates = Art of Delivery of Offspring

Others dislike Socrates because they believe themselves to be the cause.

Others abandon Socrates in favour of poor nourishment based on false image.

Spiritual Power (Daimon) → Socrates → Others (wonderful progress)

Wonderful progress is made by Socrates calling forth torment and appeasing it.

Note from the editor of Classical Philosophy