timaeu-第14章

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must　assume　first　one　or　the　other　and　afterwards　examine　the　nature

of　our　hypothesis。　In　order；　then；　that　the　affections　may　follow

regularly　after　the　elements；　let　us　presuppose　the　existence　of

body　and　soul。

　　First；　let　us　enquire　what　we　mean　by　saying　that　fire　is　hot；　and

about　this　we　may　reason　from　the　dividing　or　cutting　power　which　it

exercises　on　our　bodies。　We　all　of　us　feel　that　fire　is　sharp；　and

we　may　further　consider　the　fineness　of　the　sides；　and　the　sharpness

of　the　angles；　and　the　smallness　of　the　particles；　and　the　swiftness

of　the　motion…all　this　makes　the　action　of　fire　violent　and　sharp；

so　that　it　cuts　whatever　it　meets。　And　we　must　not　forget　that　the

original　figure　of　fire　＇i。e。　the　pyramid＇；　more　than　any　other

form；　has　a　dividing　power　which　cuts　our　bodies　into　small　pieces

（Kepmatizei）；　and　thus　naturally　produces　that　affection　which　we　call

heat；　and　hence　the　origin　of　the　name　（thepmos；　Kepma）。　Now；　the

opposite　of　this　is　sufficiently　manifest；　nevertheless　we　will　not

fail　to　describe　it。　For　the　larger　particles　of　moisture　which

surround　the　body；　entering　in　and　driving　out　the　lesser；　but　not

being　able　to　take　their　places；　compress　the　moist　principle　in　us；

and　this　from　being　unequal　and　disturbed；　is　forced　by　them　into　a

state　of　rest；　which　is　due　to　equability　and　compression。　But

things　which　are　contracted　contrary　to　nature　are　by　nature　at　war；

and　force　themselves　apart；　and　to　this　war　and　convulsion　the　name　of

shivering　and　trembling　is　given；　and　the　whole　affection　and　the

cause　of　the　affection　are　both　termed　cold。　That　is　called　hard　to

which　our　flesh　yields；　and　soft　which　yields　to　our　flesh；　and　things

are　also　termed　hard　and　soft　relatively　to　one　another。　That　which

yields　has　a　small　base；　but　that　which　rests　on　quadrangular　bases　is

firmly　posed　and　belongs　to　the　class　which　offers　the　greatest

resistance；　so　too　does　that　which　is　the　most　compact　and　therefore

most　repellent。　The　nature　of　the　light　and　the　heavy　will　be　best

understood　when　examined　in　connexion　with　our　notions　of　above　and

below；　for　it　is　quite　a　mistake　to　suppose　that　the　universe　is

parted　into　two　regions；　separate　from　and　opposite　to　each　other；　the

one　a　lower　to　which　all　things　tend　which　have　any　bulk；　and　an　upper

to　which　things　only　ascend　against　their　will。　For　as　the　universe　is

in　the　form　of　a　sphere；　all　the　extremities；　being　equidistant　from

the　centre；　are　equally　extremities；　and　the　centre；　which　is

equidistant　from　them；　is　equally　to　be　regarded　as　the　opposite　of

them　all。　Such　being　the　nature　of　the　world；　when　a　person　says

that　any　of　these　points　is　above　or　below；　may　he　not　be　justly

charged　with　using　an　improper　expression？　For　the　centre　of　the　world

cannot　be　rightly　called　either　above　or　below；　but　is　the　centre

and　nothing　else；　and　the　circumference　is　not　the　centre；　and　has

in　no　one　part　of　itself　a　different　relation　to　the　centre　from

what　it　has　in　any　of　the　opposite　parts。　Indeed；　when　it　is　in

every　direction　similar；　how　can　one　rightly　give　to　it　names　which

imply　opposition？　For　if　there　were　any　solid　body　in　equipoise　at　the

centre　of　the　universe；　there　would　be　nothing　to　draw　it　to　this

extreme　rather　than　to　that；　for　they　are　all　perfectly　similar；　and

if　a　person　were　to　go　round　the　world　in　a　circle；　he　would　often；

when　standing　at　the　antipodes　of　his　former　position；　speak　of　the

same　point　as　above　and　below；　for；　as　I　was　saying　just　now；　to　speak

of　the　whole　which　is　in　the　form　of　a　globe　as　having　one　part

above　and　another　below　is　not　like　a　sensible　man。

　　The　reason　why　these　names　are　used；　and　the　circumstances　under

which　they　are　ordinarily　applied　by　us　to　the　division　of　the

heavens；　may　be　elucidated　by　the　following　supposition：…if　a　person

were　to　stand　in　that　part　of　the　universe　which　is　the　appointed

place　of　fire；　and　where　there　is　the　great　mass　of　fire　to　which

fiery　bodies　gather…if；　I　say；　he　were　to　ascend　thither；　and；

having　the　power　to　do　this；　were　to　abstract　particles　of　fire　and

put　them　in　scales　and　weigh　them；　and　then；　raising　the　balance；　were

to　draw　the　fire　by　force　towards　the　uncongenial　element　of　the

air；　it　would　be　very　evident　that　he　could　compel　the　smaller　mass

more　readily　than　the　larger；　for　when　two　things　are　simultaneously

raised　by　one　and　the　same　power；　the　smaller　body　must　necessarily

yield　to　the　superior　power　with　less　reluctance　than　the　larger；

and　the　larger　body　is　called　heavy　and　said　to　tend　downwards；　and

the　smaller　body　is　called　light　and　said　to　tend　upwards。　And　we

may　detect　ourselves　who　are　upon　the　earth　doing　precisely　the　same

thing。　For　we　of　separate　earthy　natures；　and　sometimes　earth

itself；　and　draw　them　into　the　uncongenial　element　of　air　by　force　and

contrary　to　nature；　both　clinging　to　their　kindred　elements。　But

that　which　is　smaller　yields　to　the　impulse　given　by　us　towards　the

dissimilar　element　more　easily　than　the　larger；　and　so　we　call　the

former　light；　and　the　place　towards　which　it　is　impelled　we　call

above；　and　the　contrary　state　and　place　we　call　heavy　and　below

respectively。　Now　the　relations　of　these　must　necessarily　vary；

because　the　principal　masses　of　the　different　elements　hold　opposite

positions；　for　that　which　is　light；　heavy；　below　or　above　in　one　place

will　be　found　to　be　and　become　contrary　and　transverse　and　every　way

diverse　in　relation　to　that　which　is　light；　heavy；　below　or　above　in

an　opposite　place。　And　about　all　of　them　this　has　to　be

considered：…that　the　tendency　of　each　towards　its　kindred　element

makes　the　body　which　is　moved　heavy；　and　the　place　towards　which　the

motion　tends　below；　but　things　which　have　an　opposite　tendency　we　call

by　an　opposite　name。　Such　are　the　causes　which　we　assign　to　these

phenomena。　As　to　the　smooth　and　the　rough；　any　one　who　sees　them　can

explain　the　reason　of　them　to　another。　For　roughness　is　hardness

mingled　with　irregularity；　and　smoothness　is　produced　by　the　joint

effect　of　uniformity　and　density。

　　The　most　important　of　the　affections　which　concern　the　whole　body

remains　to　be　considered…that　is；　the　cause　of　pleasure　and　pain　in

the　perceptions　of　which　I　have　been　speaking；　and　in　all　other　things

which　are　perceived　by　sense　through　the　parts　of　the　body；　and　have

both　pains　and　pleasures　attendant　on　them。　Let　us　imagine　the

causes　of　every　affection；　whether　of　sense　or　not；　to　be　of　the

following　nature；　remembering　that　we　have　already　distinguished

between　the　nature　which　is　easy　and　which　is　hard　to　move；　for　this

is　the　direction　in　which　we　must　hunt　the　prey　which　we　mean　to　take。

A　body　which　is　of　a　nature　to　be　easily　moved；　on　receiving　an

impression　however　slight；　spreads　abroad　the　motion　in　a　circle；

the　parts　communicating　with　each　other；　until　at　last；　reaching　the

principle　of　mind；　they　announce　the　quality　of　the　agent。　But　a

body　of　the　opposite　kind；　being　immobile；　and　not　extending　to　the

surrounding　region；　merely　receives　the　impression；　and　does　not

stir　any　of　the　neighbouring　parts；　and　since　the　parts　do　not

distribute　the　original　impression　to　other　parts；　it　has　no　effect　of

motion　on　the　whole　animal；　and　therefore　produces　no　effect　on　the

patient。　This　is　true　of　the　bones　and　hair　and　other　more　earthy

parts　of　the　human　body；　whereas　what　was　said　above　relates　mainly　to

sight　and　hearing；　because　they　have　in　them　the　greatest　amount　of

fire　and　air。　Now　we　must　conceive　of　pleasure　and　pain　in　this　way。

An　impression　produced　in　us　contrary　to　nature　and　violent；　if

sudden；　is　painful；　and；　again；　the　sudden　return　to　nature　is

pleasant；　but　a　gentle　and　gradual　return　is　imperceptible　and　vice

versa。　On　the　other　hand　the　impression　of　sense　which　is　most

easily　produced　is　most　readily　felt；　but　is　not　accompanied　by

Pleasure　or　pain；　such；　for　example；　are　the　affections　of　the

sight；　which；　as　we　said　above；　is　a　body　naturally　uniting　with　our

body　in　the　day…time；　for　c