than it is for us. Something produced "is" because the Idea lets it be seen as such, lets it come to presence in its outward appearance, lets it "be." Only to that extent can what is itself produced be said "to be." Making and manufacturing [178] therefore mean to bring the outward appearance to show itself in something else, namely, in what is manufactured, to "pro-duce" the outward appearance, not in the sense of manufacturing it but of letting it radiantly appear. What is manufactured "is" only to the extent that in it the outward appearance, Being, radiates. To say that something manufactured "is" means that in it the presence of its outward appearance shows itself. A worker is one who fetches the outward appearance of something into the presence of sensuous visibility. That seems to delineate sufficiently what, and how, it is that the craftsman properly makes, and what he cannot make. Every one of these pro-ducers of serviceable and useful implements and items keeps to the realm of the one "Idea" that guides him: the tablemaker looks to the Idea of table, the shoemaker to that of shoe. Each is proficient to the extent that he limits himself purely to his own field. Else he botches the job.

But how would it be if there were a man, ὃς πάντα ποιεῖ, ὅσαπερ εἷς ἕκαστος τῶν χειροτεχνῶν. (596c), "who pro-duced everything that every single other craftsman" is able to make? That would be a man of enormous powers, uncanny and astonishing. In fact there is such a man: ἅπαντα ἐργάζεται, "he produces anything and everything." He can produce not only implements, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰ ἐκ τῆς γῆς φυόμενα ἅπαντα ποιεῖ καὶ ζῷα πάντα ἐργάζεται, "but also what comes forth from the earth, producing plants and animals and everything else"; καὶ ἑαυτόν, "indeed, himself too," and besides that, earth and sky, καὶ θεοὺς, "even the gods," and everything in the heavens and in the underworld. But such a producer, standing above all beings and even above the gods, would be a sheer wonderworker! Yet there is such a δημιουργός, and he is nothing unusual; each of us is capable of achieving such production. It is all a matter of observing τίνι τρόπῳ ποιεῖ, "in what way he produces."

While meditating on what is produced, and on production, we must pay heed to the τρόπος. We are accustomed to translating that Greek