protagoras-第14章

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　　He　will。



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



　　Yes；　he　said；　if　the　pleasure　be　good　and　honourable。



　　And　do　you；　Protagoras；　like　the　rest　of　the　world；　call　some



pleasant　things　evil　and　some　painful　things　good？…for　I　am　rather



disposed　to　say　that　things　are　good　in　as　far　as　they　are　pleasant；



if　they　have　no　consequences　of　another　sort；　and　in　as　far　as　they



are　painful　they　are　bad。



　　I　do　not　know；　Socrates；　he　said；　whether　I　can　venture　to　assert　in



that　unqualified　manner　that　the　pleasant　is　the　good　and　the



painful　the　evil。　Having　regard　not　only　to　my　present　answer；　but



also　to　the　whole　of　my　life；　I　shall　be　safer；　if　I　am　not



mistaken；　in　saying　that　there　are　some　pleasant　things　which　are



not　good；　and　that　there　are　some　painful　things　which　are　good；　and



some　which　are　not　good；　and　that　there　are　some　which　are　neither



good　nor　evil。



　　And　you　would　call　pleasant；　I　said；　the　things　which　participate　in



pleasure　or　create　pleasure？



　　Certainly；　he　said。



　　Then　my　meaning　is；　that　in　as　far　as　they　are　pleasant　they　are



good；　and　my　question　would　imply　that　pleasure　is　a　good　in　itself。



　　According　to　your　favourite　mode　of　speech；　Socrates；　〃Let　us



reflect　about　this；〃　he　said；　and　if　the　reflection　is　to　the　point；



and　the　result　proves　that　pleasure　and　good　are　really　the　same；　then



we　will　agree；　but　if　not；　then　we　will　argue。



　　And　would　you　wish　to　begin　the　enquiry？



　　I　said；　or　shall　I　begin？



　　You　ought　to　take　the　lead；　he　said；　for　you　are　the　author　of　the



discussion。



　　May　I　employ　an　illustration？　I　said。　Suppose　some　one　who　is



enquiring　into　the　health　or　some　other　bodily　quality　of



another：…he　looks　at　his　face　and　at　the　tips　of　his　fingers；　and　then



he　says；　Uncover　your　chest　and　back　to　me　that　I　may　have　a　better



view：…that　is　the　sort　of　thing　which　I　desire　in　this　speculation。



Having　seen　what　your　opinion　is　about　good　and　pleasure；　I　am



minded　to　say　to　you：　Uncover　your　mind　to　me；　Protagoras；　and



reveal　your　opinion　about　knowledge；　that　I　may　know　whether　you　agree



with　the　rest　of　the　world。　Now　the　rest　of　the　world　are　of　opinion



that　knowledge　is　a　principle　not　of　strength；　or　of　rule；　or　of



command：　their　notion　is　that　a　man　may　have　knowledge；　and　yet　that



the　knowledge　which　is　in　him　may　be　overmastered　by　anger；　or



pleasure；　or　pain；　or　love；　or　perhaps　by　fear；…just　as　if　knowledge



were　a　slave；　and　might　be　dragged　about　anyhow。　Now　is　that　your



view？　or　do　you　think　that　knowledge　is　a　noble　and　commanding



thing；　which　cannot　be　overcome；　and　will　not　allow　a　man；　if　he



only　knows　the　difference　of　good　and　evil；　to　do　anything　which　is



contrary　to　knowledge；　but　that　wisdom　will　have　strength　to　help　him？



　　I　agree　with　you；　Socrates；　said　Protagoras；　and　not　only　so；　but　I；



above　all　other　men；　am　bound　to　say　that　wisdom　and　knowledge　are　the



highest　of　human　things。



　　Good；　I　said；　and　true。　But　are　you　aware　that　the　majority　of　the



world　are　of　another　mind；　and　that　men　are　commonly　supposed　to



know　the　things　which　are　best；　and　not　to　do　them　when　they　might？



And　most　persons　whom　I　have　asked　the　reason　of　this　have　said　that



when　men　act　contrary　to　knowledge　they　are　overcome　by　pain；　or



pleasure；　or　some　of　those　affections　which　I　was　just　now　mentioning。



　　Yes；　Socrates；　he　replied；　and　that　is　not　the　only　point　about



which　mankind　are　in　error。



　　Suppose；　then；　that　you　and　I　endeavour　to　instruct　and　inform



them　what　is　the　nature　of　this　affection　which　they　call　〃being



overcome　by　pleasure；〃　and　which　they　affirm　to　be　the　reason　why　they



do　not　always　do　what　is　best。　When　we　say　to　them：　Friends；　you　are



mistaken；　and　are　saying　what　is　not　true；　they　would　probably



reply：　Socrates　and　Protagoras；　if　this　affection　of　the　soul　is　not



to　be　called　〃being　overcome　by　pleasure；〃　pray；　what　is　it；　and　by



what　name　would　you　describe　it？



　　But　why；　Socrates；　should　we　trouble　ourselves　about　the　opinion



of　the　many；　who　just　say　anything　that　happens　to　occur　to　them？



　　I　believe；　I　said；　that　they　may　be　of　use　in　helping　us　to　discover



how　courage　is　related　to　the　other　parts　of　virtue。　If　you　are



disposed　to　abide　by　our　agreement；　that　I　should　show　the　way　in



which；　as　I　think；　our　recent　difficulty　is　most　likely　to　be



cleared　up；　do　you　follow；　but　if　not；　never　mind。



　　You　are　quite　right；　he　said；　and　I　would　have　you　proceed　as　you



have　begun。



　　Well　then；　I　said；　let　me　suppose　that　they　repeat　their　question；



What　account　do　you　give　of　that　which；　in　our　way　of　speaking；　is



termed　being　overcome　by　pleasure？　I　should　answer　thus：　Listen；　and



Protagoras　and　I　will　endeavour　to　show　you。　When　men　are　overcome



by　eating　and　drinking　and　other　sensual　desires　which　are　pleasant；



and　they；　knowing　them　to　be　evil；　nevertheless　indulge　in　them；　would



you　not　say　that　they　were　overcome　by　pleasure？　They　will　not　deny



this。　And　suppose　that　you　and　I　were　to　go　on　and　ask　them　again：　〃In



what　way　do　you　say　that　they　are　evil…in　that　they　are　pleasant　and



give　pleasure　at　the　moment；　or　because　they　cause　disease　and　poverty



and　other　like　evils　in　the　future？　Would　they　still　be　evil；　if



they　had　no　attendant　evil　consequences；　simply　because　they　give



the　consciousness　of　pleasure　of　whatever　nature？〃…Would　they　not



answer　that　they　are　not　evil　on　account　of　the　pleasure　which　is



immediately　given　by　them；　but　on　account　of　the　after



consequences…diseases　and　the　like？



　　I　believe；　said　Protagoras；　that　the　world　in　general　would　answer



as　you　do。



　　And　in　causing　diseases　do　they　not　cause　pain？　and　in　causing



poverty　do　they　not　cause　pain；…they　would　agree　to　that　also；　if　I　am



not　mistaken？



　　Protagoras　assented。



　　Then　I　should　say　to　them；　in　my　name　and　yours：　Do　you　think　them



evil　for　any　other　reason；　except　because　they　end　in　pain　and　rob



us　of　other　pleasures：…there　again　they　would　agree？



　　We　both　of　us　thought　that　they　would。



　　And　then　I　should　take　the　question　from　the　opposite　point　of　view；



and　say：　〃Friends；　when　you　speak　of　goods　being　painful；　do　you　not



mean　remedial　goods；　such　as　gymnastic　exercises；　and　military



service；　and　the　physician's　use　of　burning；　cutting；　drugging；　and



starving？　Are　these　the　things　which　are　good　but　painful？〃…they　would



assent　to　me？



　　He　agreed。



　　〃And　do　you　call　them　good　because　they　occasion　the　greatest



immediate　suffering　and　pain；　or　because；　afterwards；　they　bring



health　and　improvement　of　the　bodily　condition　and　the　salvation　of



states　and　power　over　others　and　wealth？〃…they　would　agree　to　the



latter　alternative；　if　I　am　not　mistaken？



　　He　assented。



　　〃Are　these　things　good　for　any　other　reason　except　that　they　end



in　pleasure；　and　get　rid　of　and　avert　pain？　Are　you　looking　to　any



other　standard　but　pleasure　and　pain　when　you　call　them　good？〃…they



would　acknowledge　that　they　were　not？



　　I　think　so；　said　Protagoras。



　　〃And　do　you　not　pursue　after　pleasure　as　a　good；　and　avoid　pain　as



an　evil？〃



　　He　assented。



　　〃Then　you　think　that　pain　is　an　evil　and　pleasure　is　a　good：　and



even　pleasure　you　deem　an　evil；　when　it　robs　you　of　greater



pleasures　than　it　gives；　or　causes　pains　greater　than　the　pleasure。



If；　however；　you　call　pleasure　an　evil　in　relation　to　some　other　end



or　standard；　you　will　be　able　to　show　us　that　standard。　But　you　have



none　to　show。〃



　　I　do　not　think　that　they　have；　said　Protagoras。



　　〃And　have　you　not　a　similar　way　of　speaking　about　pain？　You　call



pain　a　good　when　it　takes　away　greater　pains　than　those　which　it



has；　or　gives　pleasures　greater　than　the　pains：　then　if　you