protagoras-第17章

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　　And　why；　I　said；　do　you　neither　assent　nor　dissent；　Protagoras？



　　Finish　the　argument　by　yourself；　he　said。



　　I　only　want　to　ask　one　more　question；　I　said。　I　want　to　know　whether



you　still　think　that　there　are　men　who　are　most　ignorant　and　yet



most　courageous？



　　You　seem　to　have　a　great　ambition　to　make　me　answer；　Socrates；　and



therefore　I　will　gratify　you；　and　say；　that　this　appears　to　me　to　be



impossible　consistently　with　the　argument。



　　My　only　object；　I　said；　in　continuing　the　discussion；　has　been　the



desire　to　ascertain　the　nature　and　relations　of　virtue；　for　if　this



were　clear；　I　am　very　sure　that　the　other　controversy　which　has　been



carried　on　at　great　length　by　both　of　us…you　affirming　and　I　denying



that　virtue　can　be　taught…would　also　become　clear。　The　result　of　our



discussion　appears　to　me　to　be　singular。　For　if　the　argument　had　a



human　voice；　that　voice　would　be　heard　laughing　at　us　and　saying：



〃Protagoras　and　Socrates；　you　are　strange　beings；　there　are　you；



Socrates；　who　were　saying　that　virtue　cannot　be　taught；



contradicting　yourself　now　by　your　attempt　to　prove　that　all　things



are　knowledge；　including　justice；　and　temperance；　and　courage；…which



tends　to　show　that　virtue　can　certainly　be　taught；　for　if　virtue



were　other　than　knowledge；　as　Protagoras　attempted　to　prove；　then



clearly　virtue　cannot　be　taught；　but　if　virtue　is　entirely



knowledge；　as　you　are　seeking　to　show；　then　I　cannot　but　suppose



that　virtue　is　capable　of　being　taught。　Protagoras；　on　the　other　hand；



who　started　by　saying　that　it　might　be　taught；　is　now　eager　to　prove



it　to　be　anything　rather　than　knowledge；　and　if　this　is　true；　it



must　be　quite　incapable　of　being　taught。〃　Now　I；　Protagoras；



perceiving　this　terrible　confusion　of　our　ideas；　have　a　great　desire



that　they　should　be　cleared　up。　And　I　should　like　to　carry　on　the



discussion　until　we　ascertain　what　virtue　is；　whether　capable　of　being



taught　or　not；　lest　haply　Epimetheus　should　trip　us　up　and　deceive



us　in　the　argument；　as　he　forgot　us　in　the　story；　I　prefer　your



Prometheus　to　your　Epimetheus；　for　of　him　I　make　use；　whenever　I　am



busy　about　these　questions；　in　Promethean　care　of　my　own　life。　And



if　you　have　no　objection；　as　I　said　at　first；　I　should　like　to　have



your　help　in　the　enquiry。



　　Protagoras　replied：　Socrates；　I　am　not　of　a　base　nature；　and　I　am



the　last　man　in　the　world　to　be　envious。　I　cannot　but　applaud　your



energy　and　your　conduct　of　an　argument。　As　I　have　often　said；　I　admire



you　above　all　men　whom　I　know；　and　far　above　all　men　of　your　age；



and　I　believe　that　you　will　become　very　eminent　in　philosophy。　Let



us　come　back　to　the　subject　at　some　future　time；　at　present　we　had



better　turn　to　something　else。



　　By　all　means；　I　said；　if　that　is　your　wish；　for　I　too　ought　long



since　to　have　kept　the　engagement　of　which　I　spoke　before；　and　only



tarried　because　I　could　not　refuse　the　request　of　the　noble　Callias。



So　the　conversation　ended；　and　we　went　our　way。











　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　…THE　END…



。