第 12 节
作者:      更新:2021-02-18 23:31      字数:9319
  and   toil   and   pain。   He   had   noticed   the   undue   licence   which   one   of   his
  acquaintances allowed himself in all such matters。'2' Accordingly he thus
  addressed him:
  '1'   This   sentence   in   the   Greek   concludes   Bk。   I。   There   is   something
  wrong or very awkward in the text here。
  '2' Cf。 Grote; 〃Plato;〃 III。 xxxviii。 p。 530。
  Tell   me; Aristippus   (Socrates   said);   supposing   you   had   two   children
  entrusted   to   you   to   educate;   one   of   them   must   be   brought   up   with   an
  aptitude for government; and the other without the faintest propensity to
  rulehow would you educate them? What do you say? Shall we begin our
  inquiry from the beginning; as it were; with the bare elements of food and
  nutriment?
  Ar。 Yes;   food   to   begin   with;  by  all   means;   being   a   first   principle;'3'
  without which there is no man living but would perish。
  '3' Aristippus plays upon the word {arkhe}。
  Soc。   Well;   then;   we   may   expect;   may   we   not;   that   a   desire   to   grasp
  food at certain seasons will exhibit itself in both the children?
  Ar。 It is to be expected。
  Soc。 Which; then; of the two must be trained; of his own free will;'4'
  to prosecute a pressing business rather than gratify the belly?
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  '4' {proairesis}。
  Ar。 No doubt the one who is being trained to govern; if we would not
  have affairs of state neglected during'5' his government。
  '5' Lit。 〃along of。〃
  Soc。 And the same pupil must be furnished with a power of   holding
  out against thirst also when the craving to quench it comes upon him?
  Ar。 Certainly he must。
  Soc。  And   on   which   of   the   two   shall   we   confer   such   self…control   in
  regard to sleep as shall enable him to rest late and rise early; or keep vigil;
  if the need arise?
  Ar。 To the same one of the two must be given that endurance also。
  Soc。 Well; and a continence in regard to matters sexual so great that
  nothing of the sort shall prevent him from doing his duty? Which of them
  claims that?
  Ar。 The same one of the pair again。
  Soc。 Well; and on which of the two shall be bestowed; as a further gift;
  the voluntary resolution to face toils rather than turn and flee from them?
  Ar。   This;   too;   belongs    of   right  to   him   who    is  being    trained   for
  government。
  Soc。 Well; and to which of them will it better accord to be taught all
  knowledge necessary towards the mastery of antagonists?
  Ar。 To our future ruler certainly; for without these parts of learning all
  his other capacities will be merely waste。
  Soc。 '6'Will not a man so educated be less liable to be entrapped by
  rival powers;   and   so   escape   a   common   fate   of living   creatures;   some   of
  which   (as   we   all   know)   are   hooked   through   their   own   greediness;   and
  often even in spite of a native shyness; but through appetite for food they
  are   drawn   towards   the   bait;   and   are   caught;   while   others   are   similarly
  ensnared by drink?
  '6' 'SS。 4; 5; L。 Dind。 ed Lips。'
  Ar。 Undoubtedly。
  Soc。   And   others   again   are   victims   of   amorous   heat;   as   quails;   for
  instance;   or   partridges;   which;   at   the   cry   of   the   hen…bird;   with   lust   and
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  expectation   of   such   joys   grow   wild;   and   lose   their   power   of   computing
  dangers: on they rush; and fall into the snare of the hunter?
  Aristippus assented。
  Soc。 And would it not seem to be a base thing for a man to be affected
  like the silliest bird or beast? as when the adulterer invades the innermost
  sanctum'7' of the house; though he is well aware of the risks which his
  crime involves;'8' the formidable penalties of the law; the danger of being
  caught in the toils; and then suffering the direst contumely。 Considering all
  the   hideous   penalties   which   hang   over   the   adulterer's   head;   considering
  also   the   many   means   at   hand   to   release   him   from   the   thraldom   of   his
  passion;   that   a   man   should   so   drive   headlong   on   to   the   quicksands   of
  perdition'9'what are we to say of such frenzy? The wretch who can so
  behave must surely be tormented by an evil spirit?'10'
  '7' {eis as eirktas}。 The penetralia。
  '8' Or; 〃he knows the risks he runs of suffering those penalties with
  which the law threatens his crime should he fall into the snare;                        and
  being caught; be mutilated。〃
  '9' Or; 〃leap headlong into the jaws of danger。〃
  '10' {kakodaimonontos}。
  Ar。 So it strikes me。
  Soc。 And does it not strike you as a sign of strange indifference that;
  whereas   the   greater   number   of   the   indispensable   affairs   of   men;   as   for
  instance; those of war and agriculture; and more than half the rest; need to
  be conducted under the broad canopy of heaven;'11'  yet the majority of
  men are quite untrained to wrestle with cold and heat?
  '11' Or; 〃in the open air。〃
  Aristippus again assented。
  Soc。 And do you not agree that he who is destined to rule must train
  himself to bear these things lightly?
  Ar。 Most certainly。
  Soc。 And   whilst   we   rank   those   who   are   self…disciplined   in   all   these
  matters among persons fit to rule; we are bound to place those incapable of
  such     conduct     in   the   category     of   persons     without     any    pretension
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  whatsoever to be rulers?
  Ar。 I assent。
  Soc。 Well; then; since you know the rank peculiar to either section of
  mankind;  did it   ever strike   you   to   consider to   which of   the two   you   are
  best entitled to belong?
  Yes    I  have   (replied    Aristippus)。     I  do  not   dream   for    a  moment      of
  ranking myself in the class of those who wish to rule。 In fact; considering
  how  serious   a  business  it   is   to   cater  for   one's  own   private   needs;  I   look
  upon   it   as   the   mark   of   a   fool   not   to   be   content   with   that;  but   to   further
  saddle oneself with the duty of providing the rest of the community with
  whatever they may be pleased to want。 That; at the cost of much personal
  enjoyment; a man should put himself at the head of a state; and then; if he
  fail   to   carry  through   every  jot   and tittle of   that   state's   desire;   be held   to
  criminal account; does  seem to   me   the   very extravagance   of   folly。 Why;
  bless me! states claim to treat their rulers precisely as I treat my domestic
  slaves。     I  expect    my    attendants    to   furnish    me   with    an   abundance      of
  necessaries; but not to lay a finger on one of them themselves。 So these
  states   regard   it   as   the   duty  of   a   ruler  to   provide   them  with   all   the   good
  things imaginable; but to keep his own hands off them all the while。'12'
  So    then;    for  my    part;   if  anybody     desires    to  have    a  heap    of   pother
  himself;'13' and be a nuisance to the rest of the world; I will educate him
  in the manner suggested; and he shall take his place among those who are
  fit to rule; but for myself; I beg to be enrolled amongst those who wish to
  spend their days as easily and pleasantly as possible。
  '12' Or; 〃but he must have no finger in the pie himself。〃
  '13' See Kuhner ad loc。
  Soc。 Shall we then at this point turn and inquire which of the two are
  likely to lead the pleasanter life; the rulers or the ruled?
  Ar。 By all means let us do so。
  Soc。 To begin then with the nations and races known to ourselves。'14'
  In Asia the Persians are the rulers; while the Syrians; Phrygians; Lydians
  are ruled; and in Europe we find the Scythians ruling; and the Maeotians
  being ruled。 In Africa'15' the Carthaginians are rulers; the Libyans ruled。
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  Which of these two sets respectively leads the happier life; in your opinion?
  Or;    to  come     nearer    homeyou       are   yourself    a  Hellenewhich        among
  Hellenes      enjoy   the    happier    existence;    think    you;   the   dominant      or  the
  subject states?
  '14' Or; 〃the outer world; the non…Hellenic races and nationalities of
  which we have any knowledge。〃