the memorabilia-第5章
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final goal。 During the time of their imtimacy with Socrates there were
no disputants whom they were more eager to encounter than professed
politicians。
Thus the story is told of Alcibiadeshow before the age of twenty he
engaged his own guardian； Pericles； at that time prime minister of the
state； in a discussion concerning laws。
Alc。 Please； Pericles； can you teach me what a law is？
Per。 To be sure I can。
Alc。 I should be so much obliged if you would do so。 One so often
hears the epithet 〃law…abiding〃 applied in a complimentary sense； yet；
it strikes me； one hardly deserves the compliment； if one does not
know what a law is。
Per。 Fortunately there is a ready answer to your difficulty。 You wish
to know what a law is？ Well； those are laws which the majority； being
met together in conclave； approve and enact as to what it is right to
do； and what it is right to abstain from doing。
Alc。 Enact on the hypothesis that it is right to do what is good？ or
to do what is bad？
Per。 What is good； to be sure； young sir； not what is bad。
Alc。 Supposing it is not the majority； but； as in the case of an
oligarchy； the minority； who meet and enact the rules of conduct； what
are these？
Per。 Whatever the ruling power of the state after deliberation enacts
as our duty to do； goes by the name of laws。
Alc。 Then if a tyrant； holding the chief power in the state； enacts
rules of conduct for the citizens； are these enactments law？
Per。 Yes； anything which a tyrant as head of the state enacts； also
goes by the name of law。
Alc。 But； Pericles； violence and lawlessnesshow do we define them？
Is it not when a stronger man forces a weaker to do what seems right
to himnot by persuasion but by compulsion？
Per。 I should say so。
Alc。 It would seem to follow that if a tyrant； without persuading the
citizens； drives them by enactment to do certain thingsthat is
lawlessness？
Per。 You are right； and I retract the statement that measures passed
by a tyrant without persuasion of the citizens are law。
Alc。 And what of measures passed by a minority； not by persuasion of
the majority； but in the exercise of its power only？ Are we； or are we
not； to apply the term violence to these？
Per。 I think that anything which any one forces another to do without
persuasion； whether by enactment or not； is violence rather than law。
Alc。 It would seem that everything which the majority； in the exercise
of its power over the possessors of wealth； and without persuading
them； chooses to enact； is of the nature of violence rather than of
law？
To be sure （answered Pericles）； adding： At your age we were clever
hands at such quibbles ourselves。 It was just such subtleties which we
used to practise our wits upon； as you do now； if I mistake not。
To which Alcibiades replied： Ah； Pericles； I do wish we could have met
in those days when you were at your cleverest in such matters。
Well； then； as soon as the desired superiority over the politicians of
the day seemed to be attained； Critias and Alcibiades turned their
backs on Socrates。 They found his society unattractive； not to speak
of the annoyance of being cross…questioned on their own shortcomings。
Forthwith they devoted themselves to those affairs of state but for
which they would never have come near him at all。
No； if one would seek to see true companions of Socrates； one must
look to Crito；＇24＇ and Chaerephon； and Chaerecrates； to Hermogenes； to
Simmias and Cebes； to Phaedondes and others； who clung to him not to
excel in the rhetoric of the Assembly or the law…courts； but with the
nobler ambition of attaining to such beauty and goodliness of soul as
would enable them to discharge the various duties of life to house and
family； to relatives and friends； to fellow…citizens； and to the state
at large。 Of these true followers not one in youth or old age was ever
guilty； or thought guilty； of committing any evil deed。
＇24＇ For these true followers； familiar to us in the pages of Plato；
（〃Crito；〃 〃Apol。；〃 〃Phaedo；〃 etc） see Cobet； 〃Pros。 Xen。〃
〃But for all that；〃 the accuser insists； 〃Socrates taught sons to pour
contumely upon their fathers＇25＇ by persuading his young friends that
he could make them wiser than their sires； or by pointing out that the
law allowed a son to sue his father for aberration of mind； and to
imprison him； which legal ordinance he put in evidence to prove that
it might be well for the wiser to imprison the more ignorant。〃
＇25＇ See 〃Apol。〃 20； Arist。 〃Clouds；〃 1407； where Pheidippides 〃drags
his father Strepsiades through the mire。〃
Now what Socrates held was； that if a man may with justice incarcerate
another for no better cause than a form of folly or ignorance； this
same person could not justly complain if he in his turn were kept in
bonds by his superiors in knowledge； and to come to the bottom of such
questions； to discover the difference between madness and ignorance
was a problem which he was perpetually working at。 His opinion came to
this： If a madman may； as a matter of expediency to himself and his
friends； be kept in prison； surely； as a matter of justice； the man
who knows not what he ought to know should be content to sit at the
feet of those who know； and be taught。
But it was the rest of their kith and kin； not fathers only （according
to the accuser）； whom Socrates dishonoured in the eyes of his circle
of followers； when he said that 〃the sick man or the litigant does not
derive assistance from his relatives；＇26＇ but from his doctor in the
one case； and his legal adviser in the other。〃 〃Listen further to his
language about friends；〃 says the accuser： 〃'What is the good of their
being kindly disposed； unless they can be of some practical use to
you？ Mere goodness of disposition is nothing； those only are worthy of
honour who combine with the knowledge of what is right the faculty of
expounding it；'＇27＇ and so by bringing the young to look upon himself
as a superlatively wise person gifted with an extraordinary capacity
for making others wise also； he so worked on the dispositions of those
who consorted with him that in their esteem the rest of the world
counted for nothing by comparison with Socrates。〃
＇26＇ See Grote； 〃H。 G。〃 v。 535。
＇27＇ Cf。 Thuc。 ii。 60。 Pericles says； 〃Yet I with whom you are so
angry venture to say of myself； that I am as capable as any one of
devising and explaining a sound policy。〃Jowett。
Now I admit the language about fathers and the rest of a man's
relations。 I can go further； and add some other sayings of his； that
〃when the soul （which is alone the indwelling centre of intelligence）
is gone out of a man； be he our nearest and dearest friend； we carry
the body forth and bury it out of sight。〃 〃Even in life；〃 he used to
say； 〃each of us is ready to part with any portion of his best
possessionto wit； his own bodyif it be useless and unprofitable。
He will remove it himself； or suffer another to do so in his stead。
Thus men cut off their own nails； hair； or corns； they allow surgeons
to cut and cauterise them； not without pains and aches； and are so
grateful to the doctor for his services that they further give him a
fee。 Or again； a man ejects the spittle from his mouth as far as
possible。＇28＇ Why？ Because it is of no use while it stays within the
system； but is detrimental rather。〃
＇28＇ See Aristot。 〃Eth。 Eud。〃 vii。 1。
Now by these instances his object was not to inculcate the duty of
burying one's father alive or of cutting oneself to bits； but to show
that lack of intelligence means lack of worth；＇29＇ and so he called
upon his hearers to be as sensible and useful as they could be； so
that； be it father or brother or any one else whose esteem he would
deserve； a man should not hug himself in careless self…interest；
trusting to mere relationship； but strive to be useful to those whose
esteem he coveted。
＇29＇ i。e。 〃witless and worthless are synonymous。〃
But （pursues the accuser） by carefully culling the most immoral
passages of the famous poets； and using them as evidences； he taught
his associates to be evildoers and tyrranical： the line of Hesiod＇30＇
for instance
No wor
