φιλονεικεῖν: insist pertinaciously, contentiously. Cf. Rep. i. 338 a προσεποιεῖτο δὲ φιλονεικεῖν πρὸς τὸ ἐμὲ εἶναι τὸν ἀποκρινόμενον. Here in freer form is the art. with the inf. Cf. Thuc. ii. 53 τὸ μὲν προσταλαιπωρεῖν οὐδεὶς πρόθυ- μος ἦν, Soph. Phil. 1252 ἀλλ᾽ οὐδέ τοι σῇ χειρὶ πείθομαι τὸ δρᾶν but neither am I persuaded by your hand to act, Plato Soph. 247 b αἰσχύνονται τὸ τολμᾶν ὁμολογεῖν they are ashamed to venture to confess. Thucydides has also the simple acc. in v. III. 4 τὰ χείρω φιλονεικῆσαι.
XL.
αὐτὸ ἡ ἀρετή: virtue in itself. See on 330 c, l. 33. Cf. Crat. 411 d αὐτὸ ἡ νόησις τοῦ νέου ἐστὶν ἕσις mental perception in itself is an impulse towards the new, Theaet. 146 e ἀλλὰ γνῶναι ἐπιστήμην αὐτὸ ὅ τί ποτ᾽ ἐστίν, and so frequently.
