euthydemus-第8部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



He　agreed。

And　clearly　we　do　not　want　the　art　of　the　flute…maker；　this　is　only　another　of　the　same　sort？

He　assented。

But　suppose；　I　said；　that　we　were　to　learn　the　art　of　making　speeches　would　that　be　the　art　which　would　make　us　happy？

I　should　say；　no；　rejoined　Cleinias。

And　why　should　you　say　so？　I　asked。

I　see；　he　replied；　that　there　are　some　composers　of　speeches　who　do　not　know　how　to　use　the　speeches　which　they　make；　just　as　the　makers　of　lyres　do　not　know　how　to　use　the　lyres；　and　also　some　who　are　of　themselves　unable　to　compose　speeches；　but　are　able　to　use　the　speeches　which　the　others　make　for　them；　and　this　proves　that　the　art　of　making　speeches　is　not　the　same　as　the　art　of　using　them。

Yes；　I　said；　and　I　take　your　words　to　be　a　sufficient　proof　that　the　art　of　making　speeches　is　not　one　which　will　make　a　man　happy。　　And　yet　I　did　think　that　the　art　which　we　have　so　long　been　seeking　might　be　discovered　in　that　direction；　for　the　composers　of　speeches；　whenever　I　meet　them；　always　appear　to　me　to　be　very　extraordinary　men；　Cleinias；　and　their　art　is　lofty　and　divine；　and　no　wonder。　　For　their　art　is　a　part　of　the　great　art　of　enchantment；　and　hardly；　if　at　all；　inferior　to　it：　　and　whereas　the　art　of　the　enchanter　is　a　mode　of　charming　snakes　and　spiders　and　scorpions；　and　other　monsters　and　pests；　this　art　of　their's　acts　upon　dicasts　and　ecclesiasts　and　bodies　of　men；　for　the　charming　and　pacifying　of　them。　　Do　you　agree　with　me？

Yes；　he　said；　I　think　that　you　are　quite　right。

Whither　then　shall　we　go；　I　said；　and　to　what　art　shall　we　have　recourse？

I　do　not　see　my　way；　he　said。

But　I　think　that　I　do；　I　replied。

And　what　is　your　notion？　asked　Cleinias。

I　think　that　the　art　of　the　general　is　above　all　others　the　one　of　which　the　possession　is　most　likely　to　make　a　man　happy。

I　do　not　think　so；　he　said。

Why　not？　I　said。

The　art　of　the　general　is　surely　an　art　of　hunting　mankind。

What　of　that？　I　said。

Why；　he　said；　no　art　of　hunting　extends　beyond　hunting　and　capturing；　and　when　the　prey　is　taken　the　huntsman　or　fisherman　cannot　use　it；　but　they　hand　it　over　to　the　cook；　and　the　geometricians　and　astronomers　and　calculators　（who　all　belong　to　the　hunting　class；　for　they　do　not　make　their　diagrams；　but　only　find　out　that　which　was　previously　contained　in　them）they；　I　say；　not　being　able　to　use　but　only　to　catch　their　prey；　hand　over　their　inventions　to　the　dialectician　to　be　applied　by　him；　if　they　have　any　sense　in　them。

Good；　I　said；　fairest　and　wisest　Cleinias。　　And　is　this　true？

Certainly；　he　said；　just　as　a　general　when　he　takes　a　city　or　a　camp　hands　over　his　new　acquisition　to　the　statesman；　for　he　does　not　know　how　to　use　them　himself；　or　as　the　quail…taker　transfers　the　quails　to　the　keeper　of　them。　　If　we　are　looking　for　the　art　which　is　to　make　us　blessed；　and　which　is　able　to　use　that　which　it　makes　or　takes；　the　art　of　the　general　is　not　the　one；　and　some　other　must　be　found。

CRITO：　　And　do　you　mean；　Socrates；　that　the　youngster　said　all　this？

SOCRATES：　　Are　you　incredulous；　Crito？

CRITO：　　Indeed；　I　am；　for　if　he　did　say　so；　then　in　my　opinion　he　needs　neither　Euthydemus　nor　any　one　else　to　be　his　instructor。

SOCRATES：　　Perhaps　I　may　have　forgotten；　and　Ctesippus　was　the　real　answerer。

CRITO：　　Ctesippus！　nonsense。

SOCRATES：　　All　I　know　is　that　I　heard　these　words；　and　that　they　were　not　spoken　either　by　Euthydemus　or　Dionysodorus。　　I　dare　say；　my　good　Crito；　that　they　may　have　been　spoken　by　some　superior　person：　　that　I　heard　them　I　am　certain。

CRITO：　　Yes；　indeed；　Socrates；　by　some　one　a　good　deal　superior；　as　I　should　be　disposed　to　think。　　But　did　you　carry　the　search　any　further；　and　did　you　find　the　art　which　you　were　seeking？

SOCRATES：　　Find！　my　dear　sir；　no　indeed。　　And　we　cut　a　poor　figure；　we　were　like　children　after　larks；　always　on　the　point　of　catching　the　art；　which　was　always　getting　away　from　us。　　But　why　should　I　repeat　the　whole　story？　　At　last　we　came　to　the　kingly　art；　and　enquired　whether　that　gave　and　caused　happiness；　and　then　we　got　into　a　labyrinth；　and　when　we　thought　we　were　at　the　end；　came　out　again　at　the　beginning；　having　still　to　seek　as　much　as　ever。

CRITO：　　How　did　that　happen；　Socrates？

SOCRATES：　　I　will　tell　you；　the　kingly　art　was　identified　by　us　with　the　political。

CRITO：　　Well；　and　what　came　of　that？

SOCRATES：　　To　this　royal　or　political　art　all　the　arts；　including　the　art　of　the　general；　seemed　to　render　up　the　supremacy；　that　being　the　only　one　which　knew　how　to　use　what　they　produce。　　Here　obviously　was　the　very　art　which　we　were　seekingthe　art　which　is　the　source　of　good　government；　and　which　may　be　described；　in　the　language　of　Aeschylus；　as　alone　sitting　at　the　helm　of　the　vessel　of　state；　piloting　and　governing　all　things；　and　utilizing　them。

CRITO：　　And　were　you　not　right；　Socrates？

SOCRATES：　　You　shall　judge；　Crito；　if　you　are　willing　to　hear　what　followed；　for　we　resumed　the　enquiry；　and　a　question　of　this　sort　was　asked：　　Does　the　kingly　art；　having　this　supreme　authority；　do　anything　for　us？　　To　be　sure；　was　the　answer。　　And　would　not　you；　Crito；　say　the　same？

CRITO：　　Yes；　I　should。

SOCRATES：　　And　what　would　you　say　that　the　kingly　art　does？　　If　medicine　were　supposed　to　have　supreme　authority　over　the　subordinate　arts；　and　I　were　to　ask　you　a　similar　question　about　that；　you　would　sayit　produces　health？

CRITO：　　I　should。

SOCRATES：　　And　what　of　your　own　art　of　husbandry；　supposing　that　to　have　supreme　authority　over　the　subject　artswhat　does　that　do？　　Does　it　not　supply　us　with　the　fruits　of　the　earth？

CRITO：　　Yes。

SOCRATES：　　And　what　does　the　kingly　art　do　when　invested　with　supreme　power？　　Perhaps　you　may　not　be　ready　with　an　answer？

CRITO：　　Indeed　I　am　not；　Socrates。

SOCRATES：　　No　more　were　we；　Crito。　　But　at　any　rate　you　know　that　if　this　is　the　art　which　we　were　seeking；　it　ought　to　be　useful。

CRITO：　　Certainly。

SOCRATES：　　And　surely　it　ought　to　do　us　some　good？

CRITO：　　Certainly；　Socrates。

SOCRATES：　　And　Cleinias　and　I　had　arrived　at　the　conclusion　that　knowledge　of　some　kind　is　the　only　good。

CRITO：　　Yes；　that　was　what　you　were　saying。

SOCRATES：　　All　the　other　results　of　politics；　and　they　are　many；　as　for　example；　wealth；　freedom；　tranquillity；　were　neither　good　nor　evil　in　themselves；　but　the　political　science　ought　to　make　us　wise；　and　impart　knowledge　to　us；　if　that　is　the　science　which　is　likely　to　do　us　good；　and　make　us　happy。

CRITO：　　Yes；　that　was　the　conclusion　at　which　you　had　arrived；　according　to　your　report　of　the　conversation。

SOCRATES：　　And　does　the　kingly　art　make　men　wise　and　good？

CRITO：　　Why　not；　Socrates？

SOCRATES：　　What；　all　men；　and　in　every　respect？　and　teach　them　all　the　arts；carpentering；　and　cobbling；　and　the　rest　of　them？

CRITO：　　I　think　not；　Socrates。

SOCRATES：　　But　then　what　is　this　knowledge；　and　what　are　we　to　do　with　it？　For　it　is　not　the　source　of　any　works　which　are　neither　good　nor　evil；　and　gives　no　knowledge；　but　the　knowledge　of　itself；　what　then　can　it　be；　and　what　are　we　to　do　with　it？　　Shall　we　say；　Crito；　that　it　is　the　knowledge　by　which　we　are　to　make　other　men　good？

CRITO：　　By　all　means。

SOCRATES：　　And　in　what　will　they　be　good　and　useful？　　Shall　we　repeat　that　they　will　make　others　good；　and　that　these　others　will　make　others　again；　without　ever　determining　in　what　they　are　to　be　good；　for　we　have　put　aside　the　results　of　politics；　as　they　are　called。　　This　is　the　old；　old　song　over　again；　and　we　are　just　as　far　as　ever；　if　not　farther；　from　the　knowledge　of　the　art　or　science　of　happiness。

CRITO：　　Indeed；　Socrates；　you　do　appear　to　have　got　into　a　great　perplexity。

SOCRATES：　　Thereupon；　Crito；　seeing　that　I　was　on　the　point　of　shipwreck；　I　lifted　up　my　voice；　and　earnestly　entreated　and　called　upon　the　strangers　to　save　me　and　the　youth　from　the　whirlpool　of　the　argument；　they　were　our　Castor　and　Pollux；　I　said；　and　they　should　be　serious；　and　show　us　in　sober　earnest　what　that　knowledge　was　which　would　enable　us　to　pass　the　rest　of　our　lives　in　happiness。

CRITO：　　And　did　Euthydemus　show　you　this　knowledge？

SOCRATES：　　Yes；　indeed；　he　proceeded　in　a　lofty　strain　to　the　following　effect：　　Would　you　rather；　Socrates；　said　he；　that　I　should　show　you　this　knowledge　about　which　you　have　been　doubting；　or　shall　I　prove　that　you　already　have　it？

What；　I　said；　are　you　blessed　with　such　a　power　as　this？

Indeed　I　am。

Then　I　would　much　rather　that　you　should　prove　me　to　have　such　a　knowledge；　at　my　time　of　life　that　will　be　more　agreeable　than　having　to　learn。

Then　tell　me；　he　said；　do　you　know　anything？

Yes；　I　said；　I　know　many　things；　but　not　anything　of　much　importance。

That　will　do；　he　said：　　And　would　you　admit　that　anything　is　what　it　is；　and　at　the　same　time　is　not　what　it　is？

Certainly　not。

And　did　you　not　say　that　you　knew　something？

I　did。

If　you　know；　you　are　knowing。

Certainly；　of　the　knowledge　which　I　have。

That　makes　no　difference；and　must　you　not；　if　you　are　knowing；　know　all　things？

Certainly　not；　I　said；　for　there　are　many　other　things　which　I　do　not　know。

And　if　you　do　not　know；　you　are　not　knowing。

Yes；　friend；　of　that　which　I　do　not　know。

Still　you　are　not　knowing；　and　you　said　just　now　that　you　were　knowing；　and　therefore　you　are　and　are　not　at　the　same　time；　and　in　reference　to　the　same　things。

A　pretty　clatter；　as　men　say；　Euthydemus；　this　of　yours！　and　will　you　explain　how　I　possess　that　knowledge　for　which　we　were　seeking？　　Do　you　mean　to　say　that　the　same　thing　cannot　be　and　also　not　be；　and　therefore；　since　I　know　one　thing；　that　I　know　all；　for　I　cannot　be　knowing　and　not　knowing　at　the　same　time；　and　if　I　know　all　things；　then　I　must　have　the　knowledge　for　which　we　are　seekingMay　I　assume　this　to　be　your　ingenious　notion？

Out　of　your　own　mouth；　Socrates；　you　are　convicted；　he　said。

Well；　but；　Euthydemus；　I　said；　has　that　never　happened　to　you？　for　if　I　am　only　in　the　same　case　with　you　and　our　beloved　Dionysodorus；　I　cannot　complain。　　Tell　me；　then；　you　two；　do　you　not　know　some　things；　and　not　know　others？

Certainly　not；　Socrates；　said　Dionysodorus。

What　do