Let’s consider each of us living creatures as a puppet of the gods, constructed as their plaything or for some serious purpose. This we do not understand, but we do know that these emotions within us, like cords or strings, are drawing us aside [in this way or that], and because they are opposites they are pulling against one another, towards opposite activities, and here lies the boundary line between excellence and evil. And the argument declares that we each always follow the lead of one of these pulls and never forsake that one at all, but [thereby] pull against the other cords. The cord to follow is the golden and sacred guidance of reasoning called the common law of the city. The other cords are hard and of iron and they occur in endless varieties, but this one is soft because it is made of gold. We should cooperate then with the exalted guidance of the law, for reasoning, although it is noble, is also gentle and not violent, so its guidance needs our support so that the golden race within us may triumph over all others. (Laws 644d-645a)¹

what if someone, sometime, were to set up a contest in some very simple way, without even defining whether it was a contest in gymnastics, music or horse riding. Suppose he were to bring everyone in the city together, set up some victory prizes and proclaim that anyone who wishes may come along and compete in a contest that is concerned only with pleasure; whoever provides most entertainment to the spectators, without any restriction on how he does so, and who is better than everyone else at doing just this, and is adjudged to be the most pleasing competitor of all, will win. What do you think would come of a proclamation like this? (…) It’s likely, I suppose, that someone would present an epic poem, just like Homer, someone else a guitar-song or a comedy, and I wouldn’t be surprised if someone were to imagine that he really should be victorious because he put on a puppet show. So when people like this, and thousands of others too, enter the contest, [how] can we say who deserves to win? (…) If very little children are to be the judges, they will opt for the puppet show, won’t they? (Laws 658a-658c)

And so they will live out their lives in accord with the sort of nature they possess, being, for the most part, puppets, occasionally getting a glimpse of the truth. (Laws 804b)