You say there’s nothing deep and nothing high, but there is, truth is, and caring about people is, morality matters, it isn’t relative, it’s absolute, we can’t be relaxed about all this. Religion is false, it’s degrading, it makes real morality impossible, now for the first time we can have real morality which is just for itself. If we’re gods we must be good truthful gods and make society more moral and good, and another thing, religion isn’t just dream stuff, it’s a political force, it commits terrible crimes, intolerance and persecution and cruelty, it’s like a political party, it is a political party, and even people who don’t believe in religion are sentimental about it. Religious leaders may have lots of charm, what everyone now calls ‘charisma’, I hate that word, but look what they do, they interfere with social arrangements and tell us what to do in our private lives, and what we can read, they even prevent their own thinkers from thinking –

ANTAGORAS

If you imagine that all religious leaders are hypocrites you are being dangerously naive.

TIMONAX

You don’t deny that the Delphic Oracle is a political fraud, do you? Do you, Acastos?

ACASTOS

No.

TIMONAX

Religion is the enemy of morality, anything that rests on lies must be, the basis of morality is making people happier and freer and better, more equal, more tolerant, more truthful, more just, that’s absolutely important, and it’s as high and as deep as you please, that’s what I mean by idealism. Who disagrees with that?

Timonax has by now risen to his feet in his excitement.
Acastos is upset and confused.

SOCRATES

Perhaps we shall agree that these are moral aims, but this is not to say that such aims are the basis or definition of morality. And, dear Timonax, please sit down, your eloquence is making me feel quite tired. You see, we are in deep waters. Antagoras and Timonax seem to be agreeing about religion but differing about morality. If, as Antagoras put it, there is ‘nothing high and nothing deep’ this takes away an important part of the traditional conception of religion, that part which connects morality with some absolute background. Antagoras also of course denies the absolute status which Timonax gives to morals.

ANTAGORAS

Timonax contradicts himself, he is taking up a religious attitude, his ‘absolute’ is just God, it can’t be anything else!

SOCRATES to Timonax, who has dismissed this remark with a derisive gesture

Do you want to add anything now?

TIMONAX

No, but I shall speak again if I hear anybody talking nonsense.

SOCRATES