Chapter 4, “Candy Confessions” (Loc. 451)
Socrates discusses his wisdom with Bertha Broadmind, observing that the oracle about him said nobody was wiser than he and that he knew that he knew nothing. The causal link that his wisdom was “because” he knew nothing was a later deduction.
Introduced to candy, Socrates is ready to confess progress, though he is told of health risks so wants to explore the wisdom of candy eating. At issue is the definition of good. Why would we choose something bad? Socrates’ default is that we do it from ignorance (Loc. 490).
Through some logical inquiry, Socrates is able to determine that sin is a real thing and consists of disobeying what God wants. He then wants a more thorough understanding of “this God of yours” (loc. 511). Bertha makes some brief explanations and says that people who admit sin is real have a very bad idea. Socrates does not see a necessary problem with God being both loving/forgiving and just/punishing. We find out then about Bertha, in Socrates’ words, “you agree with the Bible when the Bible agrees with you, but not when it doesn’t” (Loc. 525). How can she prove that God forgives? The only authority on that point is the Bible, which also teaches that God is just and judges.
By the end of the discussion Socrates is no longer identifying evil strictly with ignorance. People are able to choose evil which they understand.
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