phaedo-第8章

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　　Not　seen。



　　Unseen　then？



　　Yes。



　　Then　the　soul　is　more　like　to　the　unseen；　and　the　body　to　the　seen？



　　That　is　most　certain；　Socrates。



　　And　were　we　not　saying　long　ago　that　the　soul　when　using　the　body　as



an　instrument　of　perception；　that　is　to　say；　when　using　the　sense　of



sight　or　hearing　or　some　other　sense　（for　the　meaning　of　perceiving



through　the　body　is　perceiving　through　the　senses）…were　we　not



saying　that　the　soul　too　is　then　dragged　by　the　body　into　the　region



of　the　changeable；　and　wanders　and　is　confused；　the　world　spins



round　her；　and　she　is　like　a　drunkard　when　under　their　influence？



　　Very　true。



　　But　when　returning　into　herself　she　reflects；　then　she　passes　into



the　realm　of　purity；　and　eternity；　and　immortality；　and



unchangeableness；　which　are　her　kindred；　and　with　them　she　ever　lives；



when　she　is　by　herself　and　is　not　let　or　hindered；　then　she　ceases



from　her　erring　ways；　and　being　in　communion　with　the　unchanging　is



unchanging。　And　this　state　of　the　soul　is　called　wisdom？



　　That　is　well　and　truly　said；　Socrates；　he　replied。



　　And　to　which　class　is　the　soul　more　nearly　alike　and　akin；　as　far　as



may　be　inferred　from　this　argument；　as　well　as　from　the　preceding　one？



　　I　think；　Socrates；　that；　in　the　opinion　of　everyone　who　follows



the　argument；　the　soul　will　be　infinitely　more　like　the　unchangeable



even　the　most　stupid　person　will　not　deny　that。



　　And　the　body　is　more　like　the　changing？



　　Yes。



　　Yet　once　more　consider　the　matter　in　this　light：　When　the　soul　and



the　body　are　united；　then　nature　orders　the　soul　to　rule　and　govern；



and　the　body　to　obey　and　serve。



　　Now　which　of　these　two　functions　is　akin　to　the　divine？　and　which　to



the　mortal？　Does　not　the　divine　appear　to　you　to　be　that　which



naturally　orders　and　rules；　and　the　mortal　that　which　is　subject　and



servant？



　　True。



　　And　which　does　the　soul　resemble？



　　The　soul　resembles　the　divine　and　the　body　the　mortal…there　can　be



no　doubt　of　that；　Socrates。



　　Then　reflect；　Cebes：　is　not　the　conclusion　of　the　whole　matter



this？…that　the　soul　is　in　the　very　likeness　of　the　divine；　and



immortal；　and　intelligible；　and　uniform；　and　indissoluble；　and



unchangeable；　and　the　body　is　in　the　very　likeness　of　the　human；　and



mortal；　and　unintelligible；　and　multiform；　and　dissoluble；　and



changeable。　Can　this；　my　dear　Cebes；　be　denied？



　　No；　indeed。



　　But　if　this　is　true；　then　is　not　the　body　liable　to　speedy



dissolution？



　　and　is　not　the　soul　almost　or　altogether　indissoluble？



　　Certainly。



　　And　do　you　further　observe；　that　after　a　man　is　dead；　the　body；



which　is　the　visible　part　of　man；　and　has　a　visible　framework；　which



is　called　a　corpse；　and　which　would　naturally　be　dissolved　and



decomposed　and　dissipated；　is　not　dissolved　or　decomposed　at　once；　but



may　remain　for　a　good　while；　if　the　constitution　be　sound　at　the



time　of　death；　and　the　season　of　the　year　favorable？　For　the　body　when



shrunk　and　embalmed；　as　is　the　custom　in　Egypt；　may　remain　almost



entire　through　infinite　ages；　and　even　in　decay；　still　there　are



some　portions；　such　as　the　bones　and　ligaments；　which　are



practically　indestructible。　You　allow　that？



　　Yes。



　　And　are　we　to　suppose　that　the　soul；　which　is　invisible；　in



passing　to　the　true　Hades；　which　like　her　is　invisible；　and　pure；



and　noble；　and　on　her　way　to　the　good　and　wise　God；　whither；　if　God



will；　my　soul　is　also　soon　to　go…that　the　soul；　I　repeat；　if　this　be



her　nature　and　origin；　is　blown　away　and　perishes　immediately　on



quitting　the　body　as　the　many　say？　That　can　never　be；　dear　Simmias　and



Cebes。　The　truth　rather　is　that　the　soul　which　is　pure　at　departing



draws　after　her　no　bodily　taint；　having　never　voluntarily　had



connection　with　the　body；　which　she　is　ever　avoiding；　herself　gathered



into　herself　（for　such　abstraction　has　been　the　study　of　her　life）。



And　what　does　this　mean　but　that　she　has　been　a　true　disciple　of



philosophy　and　has　practised　how　to　die　easily？　And　is　not



philosophy　the　practice　of　death？



　　Certainly。



　　That　soul；　I　say；　herself　invisible；　departs　to　the　invisible



worldto　the　divine　and　immortal　and　rational：　thither　arriving；　she



lives　in　bliss　and　is　released　from　the　error　and　folly　of　men；



their　fears　and　wild　passions　and　all　other　human　ills；　and　forever



dwells；　as　they　say　of　the　initiated；　in　company　with　the　gods。　Is　not



this　true；　Cebes？



　　Yes；　said　Cebes；　beyond　a　doubt。



　　But　the　soul　which　has　been　polluted；　and　is　impure　at　the　time　of



her　departure；　and　is　the　companion　and　servant　of　the　body　always；



and　is　in　love　with　and　fascinated　by　the　body　and　by　the　desires



and　pleasures　of　the　body；　until　she　is　led　to　believe　that　the



truth　only　exists　in　a　bodily　form；　which　a　man　may　touch　and　see



and　taste　and　use　for　the　purposes　of　his　lusts…the　soul；　I　mean；



accustomed　to　hate　and　fear　and　avoid　the　intellectual　principle；



which　to　the　bodily　eye　is　dark　and　invisible；　and　can　be　attained



only　by　philosophy…do　you　suppose　that　such　a　soul　as　this　will　depart



pure　and　unalloyed？



　　That　is　impossible；　he　replied。



　　She　is　engrossed　by　the　corporeal；　which　the　continual　association



and　constant　care　of　the　body　have　made　natural　to　her。



　　Very　true。



　　And　this；　my　friend；　may　be　conceived　to　be　that　heavy；　weighty；



earthy　element　of　sight　by　which　such　a　soul　is　depressed　and



dragged　down　again　into　the　visible　world；　because　she　is　afraid　of



the　invisible　and　of　the　world　below…prowling　about　tombs　and



sepulchres；　in　the　neighborhood　of　which；　as　they　tell　us；　are　seen



certain　ghostly　apparitions　of　souls　which　have　not　departed　pure；　but



are　cloyed　with　sight　and　therefore　visible。



　　That　is　very　likely；　Socrates。



　　Yes；　that　is　very　likely；　Cebes；　and　these　must　be　the　souls；　not　of



the　good；　but　of　the　evil；　who　are　compelled　to　wander　about　such



places　in　payment　of　the　penalty　of　their　former　evil　way　of　life；　and



they　continue　to　wander　until　the　desire　which　haunts　them　is



satisfied　and　they　are　imprisoned　in　another　body。　And　they　may　be



supposed　to　be　fixed　in　the　same　natures　which　they　had　in　their



former　life。



　　What　natures　do　you　mean；　Socrates？



　　I　mean　to　say　that　men　who　have　followed　after　gluttony；　and



wantonness；　and　drunkenness；　and　have　had　no　thought　of　avoiding　them；



would　pass　into　asses　and　animals　of　that　sort。　What　do　you　think？



　　I　think　that　exceedingly　probable。



　　And　those　who　have　chosen　the　portion　of　injustice；　and　tyranny；　and



violence；　will　pass　into　wolves；　or　into　hawks　and　kites；　whither　else



can　we　suppose　them　to　go？



　　Yes；　said　Cebes；　that　is　doubtless　the　place　of　natures　such　as



theirs。　And　there　is　no　difficulty；　he　said；　in　assigning　to　all　of



them　places　answering　to　their　several　natures　and　propensities？



　　There　is　not；　he　said。



　　Even　among　them　some　are　happier　than　others；　and　the　happiest



both　in　themselves　and　their　place　of　abode　are　those　who　have



practised　the　civil　and　social　virtues　which　are　called　temperance　and



justice；　and　are　acquired　by　habit　and　attention　without　philosophy



and　mind。



　　Why　are　they　the　happiest？



　　Because　they　may　be　expected　to　pass　into　some　gentle；　social　nature



which　is　like　their　own；　such　as　that　of　bees　or　ants；　or　even　back



again　into　the　form　of　man；　and　just　and　moderate　men　spring　from



them。



　　That　is　not　impossible。



　　But　he　who　is　a　philosopher　or　lover　of　learning；　and　is　entirely



pure　at　departing；　is　alone　permitted　to　reach　the　gods。　And　this　is



the　reason；　Simmias　and　Cebes；　why　the　true　votaries　of　philosophy



abstain　from　all　fleshly　lusts；　and　endure　and　refuse　to　give



themselves　up　to　them…not　because　they　fear　poverty　or　the　ruin　of



their