Hermogenes: That is evident.
Socrates: And are not the works of intelligence and mind worthy of praise, and are not other works worthy of blame?
Hermogenes: Certainly.
Socrates: Physic does the work of a physician, and carpentering does the works of a carpenter?
Hermogenes: Exactly.
Socrates: And the principle of beauty does the works of beauty?
Hermogenes: Of course.
Socrates: And that principle we affirm to be mind?
Hermogenes: Very true.
Socrates: Then mind is rightly called beauty because she does the works which we recognize and speak of as the beautiful?
Hermogenes: That is evident.
Socrates: What more names remain to us?
Hermogenes: There are the words which are connected with ἀγαθὸν and καλὸν, such as συμφέρον and λυσιτελοῦν, ὠφέλιμον, κερδαλέον, and their opposites.
Socrates: The meaning of συμφέρον (expedient) I think that you may discover for yourself by the light of the previous examples—for it is a sister word to ἐπιστήμη, meaning just the motion (φορὰ) of the soul accompanying the world, and things which are done upon this principle are called σύμφορα or συμφέροντα, because they are carried round with the world.
Hermogenes: That is probable.
Socrates: Again, κερδαλέον (gainful) is called from κέρδος (gain), but you must alter the δ into ν if you want to get at the meaning; for this word also signifies good, but in another way; he who gave the name intended to express the power of admixture (κεραννύμενον) and universal penetration in the good; in forming the word, however, he inserted a δ instead of a ν, and so made κέρδος.
Hermogenes: Well, but what is λυσιτελοῦν (profitable)?
Socrates: I suppose, Hermogenes, that people do not mean by the profitable the gainful or that which pays (λύει) the retailer, but they use the word in the sense of swift. You regard the profitable (λυσιτελοῦν), as that which being the swiftest thing in existence, allows of no stay in things and no pause or end of motion, but always, if there begins to be any end, lets things go again (λύει), and makes motion immortal and unceasing: and in this point of view, as appears to me, the good is happily denominated λυσιτελοῦν—being that which looses (λύον) the end (τέλος) of motion. Ὠφέλιμον (the advantageous) is derived from ὀφέλλειν, meaning that which creates and increases; this latter is a common Homeric word, and has a foreign character.
Hermogenes: And what do you say of their opposites?
Socrates: Of such as are mere negatives I hardly think that I need speak.
Hermogenes: Which are they?
Socrates: The words ἀξύμφορον (inexpedient), ἀνωφελῦς (unprofitable), ἀλνσιτελῦς (unadvantageous), ἀκερδῦς (ungainful).
Hermogenes: True.
Socrates: I would rather take the words βλαβερὸν (harmful), ζημιῶδες (hurtful).
Hermogenes: Good.