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Well then, a man acts unjustly if he has hurt another of

deliberate purpose, and he who commits such acts of injustice is

ipso facto an unjust character when they are in violation of the

proportionate or the equal; and in like manner also a man is a

just character when he acts justly of deliberate purpose, and he

does act justly if he acts voluntarily.

Then as for involuntary acts of harm, they are either such as are

excusable or such as are not: under the former head come all

errors done not merely in ignorance but from ignorance; under the

latter all that are done not from ignorance but in ignorance

caused by some passion which is neither natural nor fairly

attributable to human infirmity.

Chapter XII.

Now a question may be raised whether we have spoken with

sufficient distinctness as to being unjustly dealt with, and

dealing unjustly towards others.

First, whether the case is possible which Euripides has put,

saying somewhat strangely,