And yet whiteness would be present in them?
True.
But that would not make them at all the more white,
notwithstanding the presence of white in them-they would not be
white any more than black?
No.
But when old age infuses whiteness into them, then they become
assimilated, and are white by the presence of white.
Certainly.
Now I want to know whether in all cases a substance is assimilated
by the presence of another substance; or must the presence be after
a peculiar sort?
The latter, he said.
Then that which is neither good nor evil may be in the presence of
evil, but not as yet evil, and that has happened before now?
Yes.
And when anything is in the presence of evil, not being as yet evil,
the presence of good arouses the desire of good in that thing; but the
presence of evil, which makes a thing evil, takes away the desire
and friendship of the good; for that which was once both good and evil
has now become evil only, and the good was supposed to have no
friendship with the evil?
None.
And therefore we say that those who are already wise, whether Gods
or men, are no longer lovers of wisdom; nor can they be lovers of
wisdom who are ignorant to the extent of being evil, for no evil or
ignorant person is a lover of wisdom.
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