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第13章

protagoras-第13章

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you would rather; do you answer; and give me the opportunity of



resuming and completing our unfinished argument。



  I made these and some similar observations; but Protagoras would not



distinctly say which he would do。 Thereupon Alcibiades turned to



Callias; and said:…Do you think; Callias; that Protagoras is fair in



refusing to say whether he will or will not answer? for I certainly



think that he is unfair; he ought either to proceed with the argument;



or distinctly refuse to proceed; that we may know his intention; and



then Socrates will be able to discourse with some one else; and the



rest of the company will be free to talk with one another。



  I think that Protagoras was really made ashamed by these words of



Alcibiades and when the prayers of Callias and the company were



superadded; he was at last induced to argue; and said that I might ask



and he would answer。



  So I said: Do not imagine; Protagoras; that I have any other



interest in asking questions of you but that of clearing up my own



difficulties。 For I think that Homer was very right in saying that







      When two go together; one sees before the other;







for all men who have a companion are readier in deed; word; or



thought; but if a man







          Sees a thing when he is alone;







he goes about straightway seeking until he finds some one to whom he



may show his discoveries; and who may confirm him in them。 And I would



rather hold discourse with you than with any one; because I think that



no man has a better understanding of most things which a good man



may be expected to understand; and in particular of virtue。 For who is



there; but you?…who not only claim to be a good man and a gentleman;



for many are this; and yet have not the power of making others good



whereas you are not only good yourself; but also the cause of goodness



in others。 Moreover such confidence have you in yourself; that



although other Sophists conceal their profession; you proclaim in



the face of Hellas that you are a Sophist or teacher of virtue and



education; and are the first who demanded pay in return。 How then



can I do otherwise than invite you to the examination of these



subjects; and ask questions and consult with you? I must; indeed。



And I should like once more to have my memory refreshed by you about



the questions which I was asking you at first; and also to have your



help in considering them。 If I am not mistaken the question was



this: Are wisdom and temperance and courage and justice and holiness



five names of the same thing? or has each of the names a separate



underlying essence and corresponding thing having a peculiar function;



no one of them being like any other of them? And you replied that



the five names were not the names of the same thing; but that each



of them had a separate object; and that all these objects were parts



of virtue; not in the same way that the parts of gold are like each



other and the whole of which they are parts; but as the parts of the



face are unlike the whole of which they are parts and one another; and



have each of them a distinct function。 I should like to know whether



this is still your opinion; or if not; I will ask you to define your



meaning; and I shall not take you to task if you now make a



different statement。 For I dare say that you may have said what you



did only in order to make trial of me。



  I answer; Socrates; he said; that all these qualities are parts of



virtue; and that four out of the five are to some extent similar;



and that the fifth of them; which is courage; is very different from



the other four; as I prove in this way: You may observe that many



men are utterly unrighteous; unholy; intemperate; ignorant; who are



nevertheless remarkable for their courage。



  Stop; I said; I should like to think about that。 When you speak of



brave men; do you mean the confident; or another sort of nature?



  Yes; he said; I mean the impetuous; ready to go at that which others



are afraid to approach。



  In the next place; you would affirm virtue to be a good thing; of



which good thing you assert yourself to be a teacher。



  Yes; he said; I should say the best of all things; if I am in my



right mind。



  And is it partly good and partly bad; I said; or wholly good?



  Wholly good; and in the highest degree。



  Tell me then; who are they who have confidence when diving into a



well?



  I should say; the divers。



  And the reason of this is that they have knowledge?



  Yes; that is the reason。



  And who have confidence when fighting on horseback…the skilled



horseman or the unskilled?



  The skilled。



  And who when fighting with light shields…the peltasts or the



nonpeltasts?



  The peltasts。 And that is true of all other things; he said; if that



is your point: those who have knowledge are more confident than



those who have no knowledge; and they are more confident after they



have learned than before。



  And have you not seen persons utterly ignorant; I said; of these



things; and yet confident about them?



  Yes; he said; I have seen such persons far too confident。



  And are not these confident persons also courageous?



  In that case; he replied; courage would be a base thing; for the men



of whom we are speaking are surely madmen。



  Then who are the courageous? Are they not the confident?



  Yes; he said; to that statement I adhere。



  And those; I said; who are thus confident without knowledge are



really not courageous; but mad; and in that case the wisest are also



the most confident; and being the most confident are also the bravest;



and upon that view again wisdom will be courage。



  Nay; Socrates; he replied; you are mistaken in your remembrance of



what was said by me。 When you asked me; I certainly did say that the



courageous are the confident; but I was never asked whether the



confident are the courageous; if you had asked me; I should have



answered 〃Not all of them〃: and what I did answer you have not



proved to be false; although you proceeded to show that those who have



knowledge are more courageous than they were before they had



knowledge; and more courageous than others who have no knowledge;



and were then led on to think that courage is the same as wisdom。



But in this way of arguing you might come to imagine that strength



is wisdom。 You might begin by asking whether the strong are able;



and I should say 〃Yes〃; and then whether those who know how to wrestle



are not more able to wrestle than those who do not know how to



wrestle; and more able after than before they had learned; and I



should assent。 And when I had admitted this; you might use my



admissions in such a way as to prove that upon my view wisdom is



strength; whereas in that case I should not have admitted; any more



than in the other; that the able are strong; although I have



admitted that the strong are able。 For there is a difference between



ability and strength; the former is given by knowledge as well as by



madness or rage; but strength comes from nature and a healthy state of



the body。 And in like manner I say of confidence and courage; that



they are not the same; and I argue that the courageous are



confident; but not all the confident courageous。 For confidence may be



given to men by art; and also; like ability; by madness and rage;



but courage comes to them from nature and the healthy state of the



soul。



  I said: You would admit; Protagoras; that some men live well and



others ill?



  He assented。



  And do you think that a man lives well who lives in pain and grief?



  He does not。



  But if he lives pleasantly to the end of his life; will he not in



that case have lived well?



  He will。



  Then to live pleasantly is a good; and to live unpleasantly an evil?



  Yes;

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