statesman-第14章

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！


have　knowledge？

　　Y。　Soc。　Certainly　they　would。

　　Str。　And；　as　we　were　saying；　he　who　has　knowledge　and　is　a　true

Statesman；　will　do　many　things　within　his　own　sphere　of　action　by

his　art　without　regard　to　the　laws；　when　he　is　of　opinion　that

something　other　than　that　which　he　has　written　down　and　

enjoined　to　be

observed　during　his　absence　would　be　better。

　　Y。　Soc。　Yes；　we　said　so。

　　Str。　And　any　individual　or　any　number　of　men；　having　fixed　laws；

in　acting　contrary　to　them　with　a　view　to　something　better；　

would　only

be　acting；　as　far　as　they　are　able；　like　the　true　Statesman？

　　Y。　Soc。　Certainly。

　　Str。　If　they　had　no　knowledge　of　what　they　were　doing；　they　would

imitate　the　truth；　and　they　would　always　imitate　ill；　but　if　they

had　knowledge；　the　imitation　would　be　the　perfect　truth；　and　an

imitation　no　longer。

　　Y。　Soc。　Quite　true。

　　Str。　And　the　principle　that　no　great　number　of　men　are　able　to

acquire　a　knowledge　of　any　art　has　been　already　admitted　by　us。

　　Y。　Soc。　Yes；　it　has。

　　Str。　Then　the　royal　or　political　art；　if　there　be　such　an　art；

will　never　be　attained　either　by　the　wealthy　or　by　the　other　mob。

　　Y。　Soc。　Impossible。

　　Str。　Then　the　nearest　approach　which　these　lower　forms　of　

government

can　ever　make　to　the　true　government　of　the　one　scientific　ruler；　is

to　do　nothing　contrary　to　their　own　written　laws　and　

national　customs。

　　Y。　Soc。　Very　good。

　　Str。　When　the　rich　imitate　the　true　form；　such　a　government　is

called　aristocracy；　and　when　they　are　regardless　of　the　laws；

oligarchy。

　　Y　Soc。　True。

　　Str。　Or　again；　when　an　individual　rules　according　to　law　in

imitation　of　him　who　knows；　we　call　him　a　king；　and　if　he　rules

according　to　law；　we　give　him　the　same　name；　whether　he　rules　with

opinion　or　with　knowledge。

　　Y。　Soc。　To　be　sure。

　　Str。　And　when　an　individual　truly　possessing　knowledge　rules；　his

name　will　surely　be　the　same…he　will　be　called　a　king；　and　thus　the

five　names　of　governments；　as　they　are　now　reckoned；　become　one。

　　Y。　Soc。　That　is　true。

　　Str。　And　when　an　individual　ruler　governs　neither　by　law　nor　by

custom；　but　following　in　the　steps　of　the　true　man　of　

science　pretends

that　he　can　only　act　for　the　best　by　violating　the　laws；　while　in

reality　appetite　and　ignorance　are　the　motives　of　the　imitation；　may

not　such　an　one　be　called　a　tyrant？

　　Y。　Soc。　Certainly。

　　Str。　And　this　we　believe　to　be　the　origin　of　the　tyrant　and　the

king；　of　oligarchies；　and　aristocracies；　and　democracies…because　men

are　offended　at　the　one　monarch；　and　can　never　be　made　to　

believe　that

any　one　can　be　worthy　of　such　authority；　or　is　able　and　

willing　in　the

spirit　of　virtue　and　knowledge　to　act　justly　and　holily　to　all；　they

fancy　that　he　will　be　a　despot　who　will　wrong　and　harm　and　slay　whom

he　pleases　of　us；　for　if　there　could　be　such　a　despot　as　we

describe；　they　would　acknowledge　that　we　ought　to　be　too　glad　to

have　him；　and　that　he　alone　would　be　the　happy　ruler　of　a　true　and

perfect　State。

　　Y。　Soc。　To　be　sure。

　　Str。　But　then；　as　the　State　is　not　like　a　beehive；　and　has　no

natural　head　who　is　at　once　recognized　to　be　the　superior　

both　in　body

and　in　mind；　mankind　are　obliged　to　meet　and　make　laws；　and

endeavour　to　approach　as　nearly　as　they　can　to　the　true　form　of

government。

　　Y。　Soc。　True。

　　Str。　And　when　the　foundation　of　politics　is　in　the　letter　only　and

in　custom；　and　knowledge　is　divorced　from　action；　can　we　wonder

Socrates；　at　the　miseries　which　there　are；　and　always　will　be；　in

States？　Any　other　art；　built　on　such　a　foundation　and　thus

conducted；　would　ruin　all　that　it　touched。　Ought　we　not　rather　to

wonder　at　the　natural　strength　of　the　political　bond？　For　States

have　endured　all　this；　time　out　of　mind；　and　yet　some　of　them　still

remain　and　are　not　overthrown；　though　many　of　them；　like　

ships　at　sea；

founder　from　time　to　time；　and　perish；　and　have　perished　and　

will　hire

after　perish；　through　the　badness　of　their　pilots　and　crews；　who

have　the　worst　sort　of　ignorance　of　the　highest　truths…I　mean　to

say；　that　they　are　wholly　unaquainted　with　politics；　of　which；　above

all　other　sciences；　they　believe　themselves　to　have　acquired　the

most　perfect　knowledge。

　　Y。　Soc。　Very　true。

　　Str。　Then　the　question　arises：…which　of　these　untrue　forms　of

government　is　the　least　oppressive　to　their　subjects；　though　they

are　all　oppressive；　and　which　is　the　worst　of　them？　Here　is　a

consideration　which　is　beside　our　present　purpose；　and　yet　having

regard　to　the　whole　it　seems　to　influence　all　our　actions：　we　must

examine　it。

　　Y。　Soc。　Yes；　we　must。

　　Str。　You　may　say　that　of　the　three　forms；　the　same　is　at　once　the

hardest　and　the　easiest。

　　Y。　Soc。　What　do　you　mean？

　　Str。　I　am　speaking　of　the　three　forms　of　government；　which　I

mentioned　at　the　beginning　of　this　discussion…monarchy；　the　rule　of

the　few；　and　the　rule　of　the　many。

　　Y。　Soc。　True。

　　Str。　If　we　divide　each　of　these　we　shall　have　six；　from　which　the

true　one　may　be　distinguished　as　a　seventh。

　　Y。　Soc。　How　would　you　make　the　division？

　　Str。　Monarchy　divides　into　royalty　and　tyranny；　the　rule　of　the

few　into　aristocracy；　which　has　an　auspicious　name；　and　

oligarchy；　and

democracy　or　the　rule　of　the　many；　which　before　was　one；　must　now　be

divided。

　　Y。　Soc。　On　what　principle　of　division？

　　Str。　On　the　same　principle　as　before；　although　the　name　is　now

discovered　to　have　a　twofold　meaning；…For　the　distinction　of　ruling

with　law　or　without　applies　to　this　as　well　as　to　the　rest。

　　Y。　Soc。　Yes。

　　Str。　The　division　made　no　difference　when　we　were　looking　for　the

perfect　State；　as　we　showed　before。　But　now　that　this　has　been

separated　off；　and；　as　we　said；　the　others　alone　are　left　for　us；

the　principle　of　law　and　the　absence　of　law　will　bisect　them　all。

　　Y。　Soc。　That　would　seem　follow；　from　what　has　been　said。

　　Str。　Then　monarchy；　when　bound　by　good　prescriptions　or　

laws；　is　the

best　of　all　the　six；　and　when　lawless　is　the　most　bitter　and

oppressive　to　the　subject。

　　Y。　Soc。　True。

　　Str。　The　government　of　the　few　which　is　intermediate　

between　that　of

the　one　and　many；　is　also　intermediate　in　good　and　evil；　but　the

government　of　the　many　is　in　every　respect　weak　and　unable　to　do

either　any　great　good　or　any　great　evil；　when　compared　with　the

others；　because　the　offices　are　too　minutely　subdivided　and　too　many

hold　them。　And　this　therefore　is　the　worst　of　all　lawful

governments；　and　the　best　of　all　lawless　ones。　If　they　are　

all　without

the　restraints　of　law；　democracy　is　the　form　in　which　to　

live　is　best；

if　they　are　well　ordered　then　this　is　the　last　which　you　should

choose；　as　royalty；　the　first　form；　is　the　best；　with　the　

exception　of

the　seventh　for　that　excels　them　all；　and　is　among　States　what　God

is　among　men。

　　Y。　Soc。　You　are　quite　right；　and　we　should　choose　that　above　all。

　　Str。　The　members　of　all　these　States；　with　the　exception　of　the

one　which　has　knowledge　may　be　set　aside　as　being　not　Statesmen　but

partisans…upholders　of　the　most　monstrous　idols；　and　

themselves　idols；

and；　being　the　greatest　imitators　and　magicians；　they　are　also　the

greatest　of　Sophists。

　　Y。　Soc。　The　name　of　Sophist　after　many　windings　in　the　argument

appears　to　have　been　most　justly　fixed　upon　the　politicians；　as　they

are　termed。

　　Str。　And　so　our　satyric　drama　has　been　played　out；　and　the　troop

of　Centaurs　and　Satyrs；　however　unwilling　to　leave　the　stage；　have

at　last　been　separated　from　the　political　science。

　　Y。　Soc。　So　I　perceive。

　　Str。　There　remain；　however；　natures　still　more　troublesome；

because　they　are　more　nearly　akin　to　the　king；　and　more　difficult　to

discern；　the　examination　of　them　may　be　compared　to　the　process　of

refining　gold。

　　Y。　Soc。　What　is　your　meaning？

　　Str。　The　workmen　begin　by　sifting　away　the　earth　and　stones　and

the　like；　there　remain　in　a　confused　mass　the　valuable　clements　akin

to　gold；　which　can　only　be　separated　by　fire…copper；　silver；　

and　other

precious　metals；　these　are　at　last　refined　away　by　the　use　of　tests；

unti