phaedrus-第7章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



out　of　a　beginning；　and　all　things　must　have　a　beginning。　And



therefore　the　self…moving　is　the　beginning　of　motion；　and　this　can



neither　be　destroyed　nor　begotten；　else　the　whole　heavens　and　all



creation　would　collapse　and　stand　still；　and　never　again　have　motion



or　birth。　But　if　the　self…moving　is　proved　to　be　immortal；　he　who



affirms　that　self…motion　is　the　very　idea　and　essence　of　the　soul　will



not　be　put　to　confusion。　For　the　body　which　is　moved　from　without　is



soulless；　but　that　which　is　moved　from　within　has　a　soul；　for　such



is　the　nature　of　the　soul。　But　if　this　be　true；　must　not　the　soul　be



the　self…moving；　and　therefore　of　necessity　unbegotten　and　immortal？



Enough　of　the　soul's　immortality。



　　Of　the　nature　of　the　soul；　though　her　true　form　be　ever　a　theme　of



large　and　more　than　mortal　discourse；　let　me　speak　briefly；　and　in　a



figure。　And　let　the　figure　be　composite…a　pair　of　winged　horses　and



a　charioteer。　Now　the　winged　horses　and　the　charioteers　of　the　gods



are　all　of　them　noble　and　of　noble　descent；　but　those　of　other　races



are　mixed；　the　human　charioteer　drives　his　in　a　pair；　and　one　of



them　is　noble　and　of　noble　breed；　and　the　other　is　ignoble　and　of



ignoble　breed；　and　the　driving　of　them　of　necessity　gives　a　great　deal



of　trouble　to　him。　I　will　endeavour　to　explain　to　you　in　what　way



the　mortal　differs　from　the　immortal　creature。　The　soul　in　her



totality　has　the　care　of　inanimate　being　everywhere；　and　traverses　the



whole　heaven　in　divers　forms　appearingwhen　perfect　and　fully



winged　she　soars　upward；　and　orders　the　whole　world；　whereas　the



imperfect　soul；　losing　her　wings　and　drooping　in　her　flight　at　last



settles　on　the　solid　ground…there；　finding　a　home；　she　receives　an



earthly　frame　which　appears　to　be　self…moved；　but　is　really　moved　by



her　power；　and　this　composition　of　soul　and　body　is　called　a　living



and　mortal　creature。　For　immortal　no　such　union　can　be　reasonably



believed　to　be；　although　fancy；　not　having　seen　nor　surely　known　the



nature　of　God；　may　imagine　an　immortal　creature　having　both　a　body　and



also　a　soul　which　are　united　throughout　all　time。　Let　that；　however；



be　as　God　wills；　and　be　spoken　of　acceptably　to　him。　And　now　let　us



ask　the　reason　why　the　soul　loses　her　wings！



　　The　wing　is　the　corporeal　element　which　is　most　akin　to　the



divine；　and　which　by　nature　tends　to　soar　aloft　and　carry　that　which



gravitates　downwards　into　the　upper　region；　which　is　the　habitation　of



the　gods。　The　divine　is　beauty；　wisdom；　goodness；　and　the　like；　and　by



these　the　wing　of　the　soul　is　nourished；　and　grows　apace；　but　when　fed



upon　evil　and　foulness　and　the　opposite　of　good；　wastes　and　falls



away。　Zeus；　the　mighty　lord；　holding　the　reins　of　a　winged　chariot；



leads　the　way　in　heaven；　ordering　all　and　taking　care　of　all；　and



there　follows　him　the　array　of　gods　and　demigods；　marshalled　in　eleven



bands；　Hestia　alone　abides　at　home　in　the　house　of　heaven；　of　the　rest



they　who　are　reckoned　among　the　princely　twelve　march　in　their



appointed　order。　They　see　many　blessed　sights　in　the　inner　heaven；　and



there　are　many　ways　to　and　fro；　along　which　the　blessed　gods　are



passing；　every　one　doing　his　own　work；　he　may　follow　who　will　and　can；



for　jealousy　has　no　place　in　the　celestial　choir。　But　when　they　go



to　banquet　and　festival；　then　they　move　up　the　steep　to　the　top　of　the



vault　of　heaven。　The　chariots　of　the　gods　in　even　poise；　obeying　the



rein；　glide　rapidly；　but　the　others　labour；　for　the　vicious　steed　goes



heavily；　weighing　down　the　charioteer　to　the　earth　when　his　steed



has　not　been　thoroughly　trained：…and　this　is　the　hour　of　agony　and



extremest　conflict　for　the　soul。　For　the　immortals；　when　they　are　at



the　end　of　their　course；　go　forth　and　stand　upon　the　outside　of



heaven；　and　the　revolution　of　the　spheres　carries　them　round；　and　they



behold　the　things　beyond。　But　of　the　heaven　which　is　above　the



heavens；　what　earthly　poet　ever　did　or　ever　will　sing　worthily？　It



is　such　as　I　will　describe；　for　I　must　dare　to　speak　the　truth；　when



truth　is　my　theme。　There　abides　the　very　being　with　which　true



knowledge　is　concerned；　the　colourless；　formless；　intangible



essence；　visible　only　to　mind；　the　pilot　of　the　soul。　The　divine



intelligence；　being　nurtured　upon　mind　and　pure　knowledge；　and　the



intelligence　of　every　soul　which　is　capable　of　receiving　the　food



proper　to　it；　rejoices　at　beholding　reality；　and　once　more　gazing　upon



truth；　is　replenished　and　made　glad；　until　the　revolution　of　the



worlds　brings　her　round　again　to　the　same　place。　In　the　revolution　she



beholds　justice；　and　temperance；　and　knowledge　absolute；　not　in　the



form　of　generation　or　of　relation；　which　men　call　existence；　but



knowledge　absolute　in　existence　absolute；　and　beholding　the　other　true



existences　in　like　manner；　and　feasting　upon　them；　she　passes　down



into　the　interior　of　the　heavens　and　returns　home；　and　there　the



charioteer　putting　up　his　horses　at　the　stall；　gives　them　ambrosia



to　eat　and　nectar　to　drink。



　　Such　is　the　life　of　the　gods；　but　of　other　souls；　that　which　follows



God　best　and　is　likest　to　him　lifts　the　head　of　the　charioteer　into



the　outer　world；　and　is　carried　round　in　the　revolution；　troubled



indeed　by　the　steeds；　and　with　difficulty　beholding　true　being；



while　another　only　rises　and　falls；　and　sees；　and　again　fails　to　see



by　reason　of　the　unruliness　of　the　steeds。　The　rest　of　the　souls　are



also　longing　after　the　upper　world　and　they　all　follow；　but　not



being　strong　enough　they　are　carried　round　below　the　surface；



plunging；　treading　on　one　another；　each　striving　to　be　first；　and



there　is　confusion　and　perspiration　and　the　extremity　of　effort；　and



many　of　them　are　lamed　or　have　their　wings　broken　through　the



ill…driving　of　the　charioteers；　and　all　of　them　after　a　fruitless



toil；　not　having　attained　to　the　mysteries　of　true　being；　go　away；　and



feed　upon　opinion。　The　reason　why　the　souls　exhibit　this　exceeding



eagerness　to　behold　the　plain　of　truth　is　that　pasturage　is　found



there；　which　is　suited　to　the　highest　part　of　the　soul；　and　the　wing



on　which　the　soul　soars　is　nourished　with　this。　And　there　is　a　law



of　Destiny；　that　the　soul　which　attains　any　vision　of　truth　in　company



with　a　god　is　preserved　from　harm　until　the　next　period；　and　if



attaining　always　is　always　unharmed。　But　when　she　is　unable　to　follow；



and　fails　to　behold　the　truth；　and　through　some　ill…hap　sinks



beneath　the　double　load　of　forgetfulness　and　vice；　and　her　wings



fall　from　her　and　she　drops　to　the　ground；　then　the　law　ordains　that



this　soul　shall　at　her　first　birth　pass；　not　into　any　other　animal；



but　only　into　man；　and　the　soul　which　has　seen　most　of　truth　shall



come　to　the　birth　as　a　philosopher；　or　artist；　or　some　musical　and



loving　nature；　that　which　has　seen　truth　in　the　second　degree　shall　be



some　righteous　king　or　warrior　chief；　the　soul　which　is　of　the　third



class　shall　be　a　politician；　or　economist；　or　trader；　the　fourth　shall



be　lover　of　gymnastic　toils；　or　a　physician；　the　fifth　shall　lead



the　life　of　a　prophet　or　hierophant；　to　the　sixth　the　character　of



poet　or　some　other　imitative　artist　will　be　assigned；　to　the　seventh



the　life　of　an　artisan　or　husbandman；　to　the　eighth　that　of　a



sophist　or　demagogue；　to　the　ninth　that　of　a　tyrant…all　these　are



states　of　probation；　in　which　he　who　does　righteously　improves；　and　he



who　does　unrighteously；　improves；　and　he　who　does　unrighteously；



deteriorates　his　lot。



　　Ten　thousand　years　must　elapse　before　the　soul　of　each　one　can



return　to　the　place　from