οὔτ᾽ ἐδιδάχθη. The ordinary antithesis between learning from others and perceiving for oneself; cf. Thuc. i. 138. 3 of Themistocles οἰκείᾳ συνέσει καὶ οὔτε προμαθὼν ἐς αὐτὴν οὐδὲν οὔτε έπιμαθών. The reproach against democracy is its lack of intelligence (ἀξυνετώτερον), and its consequent unprofitableness (ἀχρήιου); cf. Hes. W. and D. 296 ὃς δέ κε μήτ᾽ αὐτὸς νοέῃ μήτ᾽ ἄλλου ἀκούων ι ἐν θυμῷ βάλληται, ὁ δ᾽ αὖτ̓ ἀχρήιος ἀνήρ.
This passage is supposed by Maass (v.s.) to resemble Isocrates, Nic. 18, who would not prefer τοιαύτης πολιτείας μετέχειν ἐν ῂ̂ μὴ διαλήσει χρηστὸς ὢν μᾶλλον ἢ φέρεσθαι μετὰ τοῦ πλήθους μὴ γιγνωσκόμενος ὁποῖός τις ἐστι; but the meaning is quite different; H. refers to the blind impulses of a mob, Isocrates to merit lost in a crowd.