Note 36 — Chapter XI · EUTHYPHRON.
Reading edition
Adam Smith observes, in his Essay on the Formation of Languages (p. 20 of the fifth volume of his collected Works), “Ask a man what relation is expressed by the preposition of: and if he has not beforehand employed his thoughts a good deal upon these subjects, you may safely allow him a week to consider of his answer.”
The Platonic problem assumes, not only that he shall give an answer, but that it shall be an answer which he can maintain against the Elenchus of Sokrates.