euthydemus-第2部分

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；　not　forgetting　the　virtues　and　wisdom。　　And　yet　in　this　enumeration　the　greatest　good　of　all　is　omitted。　　What　is　that？　　Good　fortune。　　But　what　need　is　there　of　good　fortune　when　we　have　wisdom　already：in　every　art　and　business　are　not　the　wise　also　the　fortunate？　　This　is　admitted。　　And　again；　the　possession　of　goods　is　not　enough；　there　must　also　be　a　right　use　of　them　which　can　only　be　given　by　knowledge：　　in　themselves　they　are　neither　good　nor　evil　knowledge　and　wisdom　are　the　only　good；　and　ignorance　and　folly　the　only　evil。　　The　conclusion　is　that　we　must　get　'wisdom。'　　But　can　wisdom　be　taught？　　'Yes；'　says　Cleinias。　　The　ingenuousness　of　the　youth　delights　Socrates；　who　is　at　once　relieved　from　the　necessity　of　discussing　one　of　his　great　puzzles。　　'Since　wisdom　is　the　only　good；　he　must　become　a　philosopher；　or　lover　of　wisdom。'　　'That　I　will；'　says　Cleinias。

After　Socrates　has　given　this　specimen　of　his　own　mode　of　instruction；　the　two　brothers　recommence　their　exhortation　to　virtue；　which　is　of　quite　another　sort。

'You　want　Cleinias　to　be　wise？'　　'Yes。'　　'And　he　is　not　wise　yet？'　　'No。'　　'Then　you　want　him　to　be　what　he　is　not；　and　not　to　be　what　he　is？not　to　bethat　is；　to　perish。　　Pretty　lovers　and　friends　you　must　all　be！'

Here　Ctesippus；　the　lover　of　Cleinias；　interposes　in　great　excitement；　thinking　that　he　will　teach　the　two　Sophists　a　lesson　of　good　manners。　　But　he　is　quickly　entangled　in　the　meshes　of　their　sophistry；　and　as　a　storm　seems　to　be　gathering　Socrates　pacifies　him　with　a　joke；　and　Ctesippus　then　says　that　he　is　not　reviling　the　two　Sophists；　he　is　only　contradicting　them。　　'But；'　says　Dionysodorus；　'there　is　no　such　thing　as　contradiction。　When　you　and　I　describe　the　same　thing；　or　you　describe　one　thing　and　I　describe　another；　how　can　there　be　a　contradiction？'　　Ctesippus　is　unable　to　reply。

Socrates　has　already　heard　of　the　denial　of　contradiction；　and　would　like　to　be　informed　by　the　great　master　of　the　art；　'What　is　the　meaning　of　this　paradox？　　Is　there　no　such　thing　as　error；　ignorance；　falsehood？　　Then　what　are　they　professing　to　teach？'　　The　two　Sophists　complain　that　Socrates　is　ready　to　answer　what　they　said　a　year　ago；　but　is　'non…plussed'　at　what　they　are　saying　now。　　'What　does　the　word　〃non…plussed〃　mean？'　　Socrates　is　informed；　in　reply；　that　words　are　lifeless　things；　and　lifeless　things　have　no　sense　or　meaning。　　Ctesippus　again　breaks　out；　and　again　has　to　be　pacified　by　Socrates；　who　renews　the　conversation　with　Cleinias。　　The　two　Sophists　are　like　Proteus　in　the　variety　of　their　transformations；　and　he；　like　Menelaus　in　the　Odyssey；　hopes　to　restore　them　to　their　natural　form。

He　had　arrived　at　the　conclusion　that　Cleinias　must　become　a　philosopher。　　And　philosophy　is　the　possession　of　knowledge；　and　knowledge　must　be　of　a　kind　which　is　profitable　and　may　be　used。　　What　knowledge　is　there　which　has　such　a　nature？　　Not　the　knowledge　which　is　required　in　any　particular　art；　nor　again　the　art　of　the　composer　of　speeches；　who　knows　how　to　write　them；　but　cannot　speak　them；　although　he　too　must　be　admitted　to　be　a　kind　of　enchanter　of　wild　animals。　　Neither　is　the　knowledge　which　we　are　seeking　the　knowledge　of　the　general。　　For　the　general　makes　over　his　prey　to　the　statesman；　as　the　huntsman　does　to　the　cook；　or　the　taker　of　quails　to　the　keeper　of　quails；　he　has　not　the　use　of　that　which　he　acquires。　　The　two　enquirers；　Cleinias　and　Socrates；　are　described　as　wandering　about　in　a　wilderness；　vainly　searching　after　the　art　of　life　and　happiness。　　At　last　they　fix　upon　the　kingly　art；　as　having　the　desired　sort　of　knowledge。　　But　the　kingly　art　only　gives　men　those　goods　which　are　neither　good　nor　evil：　　and　if　we　say　further　that　it　makes　us　wise；　in　what　does　it　make　us　wise？　Not　in　special　arts；　such　as　cobbling　or　carpentering；　but　only　in　itself：　　or　say　again　that　it　makes　us　good；　there　is　no　answer　to　the　question；　'good　in　what？'　　At　length　in　despair　Cleinias　and　Socrates　turn　to　the　'Dioscuri'　and　request　their　aid。

Euthydemus　argues　that　Socrates　knows　something；　and　as　he　cannot　know　and　not　know；　he　cannot　know　some　things　and　not　know　others；　and　therefore　he　knows　all　things：　　he　and　Dionysodorus　and　all　other　men　know　all　things。　　'Do　they　know　shoemaking；　etc？'　　'Yes。'　　The　sceptical　Ctesippus　would　like　to　have　some　evidence　of　this　extraordinary　statement：　　he　will　believe　if　Euthydemus　will　tell　him　how　many　teeth　Dionysodorus　has；　and　if　Dionysodorus　will　give　him　a　like　piece　of　information　about　Euthydemus。　　Even　Socrates　is　incredulous；　and　indulges　in　a　little　raillery　at　the　expense　of　the　brothers。　　But　he　restrains　himself；　remembering　that　if　the　men　who　are　to　be　his　teachers　think　him　stupid　they　will　take　no　pains　with　him。　　Another　fallacy　is　produced　which　turns　on　the　absoluteness　of　the　verb　'to　know。'　　And　here　Dionysodorus　is　caught　'napping；'　and　is　induced　by　Socrates　to　confess　that　'he　does　not　know　the　good　to　be　unjust。'　　Socrates　appeals　to　his　brother　Euthydemus；　at　the　same　time　he　acknowledges　that　he　cannot；　like　Heracles；　fight　against　a　Hydra；　and　even　Heracles；　on　the　approach　of　a　second　monster；　called　upon　his　nephew　Iolaus　to　help。　　Dionysodorus　rejoins　that　Iolaus　was　no　more　the　nephew　of　Heracles　than　of　Socrates。　　For　a　nephew　is　a　nephew；　and　a　brother　is　a　brother；　and　a　father　is　a　father；　not　of　one　man　only；　but　of　all；　nor　of　men　only；　but　of　dogs　and　sea…monsters。　　Ctesippus　makes　merry　with　the　consequences　which　follow：　　'Much　good　has　your　father　got　out　of　the　wisdom　of　his　puppies。'

'But；'　says　Euthydemus；　unabashed；　'nobody　wants　much　good。'　　Medicine　is　a　good；　arms　are　a　good；　money　is　a　good；　and　yet　there　may　be　too　much　of　them　in　wrong　places。　　'No；'　says　Ctesippus；　'there　cannot　be　too　much　gold。'　　And　would　you　be　happy　if　you　had　three　talents　of　gold　in　your　belly；　a　talent　in　your　pate；　and　a　stater　in　either　eye？'　　Ctesippus；　imitating　the　new　wisdom；　replies；　'And　do　not　the　Scythians　reckon　those　to　be　the　happiest　of　men　who　have　their　skulls　gilded　and　see　the　inside　of　them？'　　'Do　you　see；'　retorts　Euthydemus；　'what　has　the　quality　of　vision　or　what　has　not　the　quality　of　vision？'　　'What　has　the　quality　of　vision。'　　'And　you　see　our　garments？'　　'Yes。'　　'Then　our　garments　have　the　quality　of　vision。'　　A　similar　play　of　words　follows；　which　is　successfully　retorted　by　Ctesippus；　to　the　great　delight　of　Cleinias；　who　is　rebuked　by　Socrates　for　laughing　at　such　solemn　and　beautiful　things。

'But　are　there　any　beautiful　things？　　And　if　there　are　such；　are　they　the　same　or　not　the　same　as　absolute　beauty？'　　Socrates　replies　that　they　are　not　the　same；　but　each　of　them　has　some　beauty　present　with　it。　'And　are　you　an　ox　because　you　have　an　ox　present　with　you？'　　After　a　few　more　amphiboliae；　in　which　Socrates；　like　Ctesippus；　in　self…defence　borrows　the　weapons　of　the　brothers；　they　both　confess　that　the　two　heroes　are　invincible；　and　the　scene　concludes　with　a　grand　chorus　of　shouting　and　laughing；　and　a　panegyrical　oration　from　Socrates：

First；　he　praises　the　indifference　of　Dionysodorus　and　Euthydemus　to　public　opinion；　for　most　persons　would　rather　be　refuted　by　such　arguments　than　use　them　in　the　refutation　of　others。　　Secondly；　he　remarks　upon　their　impartiality；　for　they　stop　their　own　mouths；　as　well　as　those　of　other　people。　　Thirdly；　he　notes　their　liberality；　which　makes　them　give　away　their　secret　to　all　the　world：　　they　should　be　more　reserved；　and　let　no　one　be　present　at　this　exhibition　who　does　not　pay　them　a　handsome　fee；　or　better　still　they　might　practise　on　one　another　only。　　He　concludes　with　a　respectful　request　that　they　will　receive　him　and　Cleinias　among　their　disciples。

Crito　tells　Socrates　that　he　has　heard　one　of　the　audience　criticise　severely　this　wisdom；not　sparing　Socrates　himself　for　countenancing　such　an　exhibition。　　Socrates　asks　what　manner　of　man　was　this　censorious　critic。　　'Not　an　orator；　but　a　great　composer　of　speeches。'　　Socrates　understands　that　he　is　an　amphibious　animal；　half　philosopher；　half　politician；　one　of　a　class　who　have　the　highest　opinion　of　themselves　and　a　spite　against　philosophers；　whom　they　imagine　to　be　their　rivals。　　They　are　a　class　who　are　very　likely　to　get　mauled　by　Euthydemus　and　his　friends；　and　have　a　great　notion　of　their　own　wisdom；　for　they　imagine　themselves　to　have　all　the　advantages　and　none　of　the　drawbacks　both　of　politics　and　of　philosophy。　　They　do　not　understand　the　principles　of　combination；　and　hence　are　ignorant　that　the　union　of　two　good　things　which　have　different　ends　produces　a　compound　inferior　to　either　of　them　taken　separately。

Crito　is　anxious　about　the　education　of　his　children；　one　of　whom　is　growing　up。　　The　description　of　Dionysodorus　and　Euthydemus　suggests　to　him　the　reflection　that　the　professors　of　education　are　strange　beings。　　Socrates　consoles　him　with　the　remark　that　the　good　in　all　professions　are　few；　and　recommends　that　'he　and　his　house'　should　continue　to　serve　philosophy；　and　not　mind　about　its　professors。

。。。

There　is　a　stage　in　the　history　of　philosophy　in　which　the　old　is　dying　out；　and　the　new　has　not　yet　come　into　full　life。　　Great　philosophies　like　the　Eleatic　or　Heraclitean；　which　have　enlarged　the　boundaries　of　the　human　mind；　begin　to　pass　away　in　words。　　They　subsist　only　as　forms　which　have　rooted　themselves　in　languageas　troublesome　elements　of　thought　which　cannot　be　either　used　or　explained　away。　　The　same　absoluteness　which　was　once　attributed　to　abstractions　is　now　attached　to　the　words　which　are　the　signs　of　them。　　The　philosophy　which　in　the　first　and　second　generation　was　a　great　and　inspiring　effort　of　reflection；　in　the　third　becomes　sophistical；　verbal；　eristic。

It　is　this　stage　of　philosophy　which　Plato　satirises　in　the　Euthydemus。　　The　fallacies　which　are　noted　by　him　appear　trifling　to　us　now；　but　they　were　not　trifling　in　the　age　before　logic；　in　the　decline　of　the　earlier　Greek　philosophies；　at　a　time　when　language　was　first　beginning　to　perplex　human　thought。　　Besides　he　is　caricaturing　them；　they　probably　received　more　subtle　forms　at　the　hands　of　those　who　seriously　maintained　them。　　They　are　patent　to　us　in　Plato；　and　we　are　incline