第 2 节
作者:      更新:2021-02-18 23:31      字数:9317
  brain about such matters was; he argued; to play the fool。 He would ask
  first:   Did   these   investigators   feel   their   knowledge   of   things   human   so
  complete that they betook themselves to these lofty speculations? Or did
  they maintain that they were playing their proper parts in thus neglecting
  the affairs of man to speculate on the concerns of God? He was astonished
  they did not see how far these problems lay beyond mortal ken; since even
  those who pride themselves most on their discussion of these points differ
  from each other; as madmen do。 For just as some madmen; he said; have
  no   apprehension   of   what   is   truly   terrible;   others   fear   where   no   fear   is;
  some   are   ready   to   say   and   do   anything   in   public   without   the   slightest
  symptom of shame;'10' others think they ought not so much as to set foot
  among their fellow…men; some honour neither temple; nor altar; nor aught
  else sacred to the name of God; others bow down to stocks and stones and
  worship   the   very   beasts:so   is   it   with   those   thinkers   whose   minds   are
  cumbered   with   cares'11'   concerning   the   Universal   Nature。   One   sect'12'
  has   discovered   that   Being   is   one   and   indivisible。  Another'13'   that   it   is
  infinite in number。 If one'14' proclaims that all things are in a continual
  flux; another'15' replies that nothing can possibly be moved at any time。
  The theory of the universe as a process of birth and death is met by the
  counter theory; that nothing ever could be born or ever will die。
  '8'   Lit。   〃the   sophists。〃   See   H。   Sidgwick;   〃J。   of   Philol。〃   iv。   1872;   v。
  1874。
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  '9' Reading {ephu}。 Cf。 Lucian; 〃Icaromenip。〃 xlvi。 4; in imitation of
  this   passage   apparently;   or   if   {ekhei};   translate   〃is   arranged。〃         See
  Grote; 〃H。 G。〃 viii。 573。
  '10' See 〃Anab。〃 V。 iv。 30。
  '11' See Arist。 〃Clouds;〃 101; {merimnophrontistai kaloi te kagathoi}。
  '12'   e。g。   Xenophanes       and   Parmenides;      see   Grote;   〃Plato;〃   I。   i。  16
  foll。
  '13' e。g。 Leucippus and Democritus; ib。 63 foll。
  '14' e。g。 Heraclitus; ib。 27 foll。
  '15' e。g。 Zeno; ib。 ii。 96。
  But   the   questioning   of   Socrates   on   the   merits   of   these   speculators
  sometimes took another form。 The student of human learning expects; he
  said; to make something of his studies for the benefit of himself or others;
  as he likes。 Do these explorers into the divine operations hope that when
  they have   discovered by  what forces the various   phenomena occur;  they
  will    create   winds    and   waters    at  will   and   fruitful   seasons?    Will   they
  manipulate  these   and   the like   to   suit   their   needs?   or  has   no   such   notion
  perhaps ever entered their heads; and will they be content simply to know
  how     such    things   come     into  existence?     But   if  this  was    his  mode     of
  describing those who meddle with such matters as these; he himself never
  wearied of discussing human topics。 What is piety? what is impiety? What
  is the beautiful? what the ugly? What the noble? what the base? What are
  meant by just and unjust? what by sobriety and madness? what by courage
  and cowardice? What is a state? what is a statesman? what is a ruler over
  men? what is a ruling character? and other like problems; the knowledge
  of which; as he put it; conferred a patent of nobility on the possessor;'16'
  whereas those who lacked the knowledge might deservedly be stigmatised
  as slaves。
  '16' Or;  〃was distinctive of the  'beautiful and  good。'〃 For the phrase
  see below; ii。 2 et passim。
  Now; in so far as the opinions of Socrates were unknown to the world
  at large; it is not surprising that the   court should draw false   conclusions
  respecting   them;   but that   facts   patent   to   all   should   have been   ignored   is
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  indeed astonishing。
  At one time Socrates was a member of the Council;'17' he had taken
  the   senatorial    oath;   and   sworn    〃as   a  member      of  that  house    to  act  in
  conformity with the laws。〃 It was thus he chanced to be President of the
  Popular Assembly;'18' when that body was seized with a desire to put the
  nine'19' generals; Thrasyllus; Erasinides; and the rest; to death by a single
  inclusive vote。 Whereupon; in spite of the bitter resentment of the people;
  and    the   menaces     of  several    influential   citizens;   he   refused   to  put   the
  question; esteeming it of greater importance faithfully to abide by the oath
  which   he   had   taken;   than   to   gratify   the   people   wrongfully;   or   to   screen
  himself from the menaces of the mighty。 The fact being; that with regard
  to   the   care   bestowed   by   the   gods   upon   men;   his   belief   differed   widely
  from that of the multitude。 Whereas most people seem to imagine that the
  gods know in part; and are ignorant in part; Socrates believed firmly that
  the gods know all thingsboth the things that are said and the things that
  are done; and the things that are counselled in the silent chambers of the
  heart。 Moreover; they are present everywhere; and bestow signs upon man
  concerning all the things of man。
  '17' Or 〃Senate。〃 Lit。 〃the Boule。〃
  '18'   Lit。   〃Epistates   of   the   Ecclesia。〃   See   Grote;   〃H。   G。〃   viii。   271;
  Plat。 〃Apol。〃 32 B。
  '19' {ennea} would seem to be a slip of the pen for {okto}; eight。 See
  〃Hell。〃 I。 v。 16; vi。 16; vi。 29; vii。 1 foll。
  I can; therefore; but repeat my former words。 It is a marvel to me how
  the   Athenians   came   to   be   persuaded   that   Socrates   fell   short   of   sober…
  mindedness as touching the gods。 A man who never ventured one impious
  word   or   deed   against   the   gods   we   worship;   but   whose   whole   language
  concerning them; and his every act; closely coincided; word for word; and
  deed for deed; with all we deem distinctive of devoutest piety。
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  II
  No less surprising to my mind is the belief that Socrates corrupted the
  young。   This   man;   who;   beyond   what   has   been   already   stated;   kept   his
  appetites and passions under strict control; who was pre…eminently capable
  of enduring winter's cold and summer's heat and every kind of toil; who
  was   so   schooled   to   curtail   his needs   that   with  the  scantiest of   means   he
  never lacked sufficiencyis it credible that such a man could have made
  others   irreverent   or   lawless;   or   licentious;   or   effeminate   in   face   of   toil?
  Was he not rather the saving of many through the passion for virtue which
  he    roused     in   them;    and    the   hope     he   infused     that   through     careful
  management   of   themselves   they   might   grow   to   be   truly   beautiful   and
  goodnot   indeed   that   he   ever   undertook   to   be   a   teacher   of   virtue;   but
  being evidently virtuous himself he made those who associated with him
  hope that by imitating they might at last resemble him。
  But   let   it   not   be   inferred   that   he   was   negligent   of   his   own   body   or
  approved of those who neglected theirs。 If excess of eating; counteracted
  by excess of toil; was a dietary of which he disapproved;'1' to gratify the
  natural   claim   of   appetite   in   conjunction   with   moderate   exercise   was   a
  system he favoured; as tending to a healthy condition of the body without
  trammelling   the   cultivation   of   the   spirit。   On   the   other   hand;   there   was
  nothing dandified or pretentious about him; he indulged in no foppery of
  shawl or shoes; or other effeminacy of living。
  '1' See 'Plat。' 〃Erast。〃 132 C。
  Least of all did he tend to make his companions greedy of money。 He
  would not; while restraining passion generally; make capital out of the one
  passion     which     attached     others   to  himself;     and   by   this   abstinence;     he
  believed;   he   was   best   consulting   his   own   freedom;   in   so   much   that   he
  stigmatised   those   who   condescended   to   take   wages   for   their   society   as
  vendors of their own persons; because they were compelled to discuss for
  the   benefits   of   their   paymasters。   What   surprised   him   was   that   any   one
  possessing virtue should deign to ask money as its price instead of simply