having existence, a certain peak of the idea of our own essence becomes immediately manifest. And when the movements of the self-moved life are perfected, the soul grasps the truth more closely to our own existence and in a way receptive to perfection. Regarding what we say, that each of the syllogisms and experiments in the dialogue leads us toward the knowledge of ourselves, we might quickly attain the thought of Plato.

The Beginning of the Dialogue

"Child of Cleinias, I imagine you are surprised that, being the first lover of Alcibiades, I alone am not departing while the others have ceased."

The preludes of the Platonic dialogues harmonize with their whole purpose. And this is not some rhapsody or a contrived trick of praise, for this most divine author is far removed from writing that is so ambitious for fame. Therefore, as much as people say it is true in history to aim only at what appears, for something having passed away, it is not at all possible to encounter things in order from the events, or from where one might take them toward their one hypothesis and the perfection of the treatise. These preludes, just as they expect to guide the parts, depend also for us upon the outline of the whole intention of the dialogue from the beginning. And some things are composed from the underlying facts or arguments toward the present purpose, while others, being perfected through all of them, form the completion of the proposed theory. And all together, it refers to the whole, just as each form does.