贝壳电子书 > 英文原著电子书 > laches >

第1章

laches-第1章

小说: laches 字数: 每页4000字

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!












Laches







by Plato







Translated by Benjamin Jowett

















INTRODUCTION。







Lysimachus; the son of Aristides the Just; and Melesias; the son of the



elder Thucydides; two aged men who live together; are desirous of educating



their sons in the best manner。  Their own education; as often happens with



the sons of great men; has been neglected; and they are resolved that their



children shall have more care taken of them; than they received themselves



at the hands of their fathers。







At their request; Nicias and Laches have accompanied them to see a man



named Stesilaus fighting in heavy armour。  The two fathers ask the two



generals what they think of this exhibition; and whether they would advise



that their sons should acquire the accomplishment。  Nicias and Laches are



quite willing to give their opinion; but they suggest that Socrates should



be invited to take part in the consultation。  He is a stranger to



Lysimachus; but is afterwards recognised as the son of his old friend



Sophroniscus; with whom he never had a difference to the hour of his death。



Socrates is also known to Nicias; to whom he had introduced the excellent



Damon; musician and sophist; as a tutor for his son; and to Laches; who had



witnessed his heroic behaviour at the battle of Delium (compare Symp。)。







Socrates; as he is younger than either Nicias or Laches; prefers to wait



until they have delivered their opinions; which they give in a



characteristic manner。  Nicias; the tactician; is very much in favour of



the new art; which he describes as the gymnastics of waruseful when the



ranks are formed; and still more useful when they are broken; creating a



general interest in military studies; and greatly adding to the appearance



of the soldier in the field。  Laches; the blunt warrior; is of opinion that



such an art is not knowledge; and cannot be of any value; because the



Lacedaemonians; those great masters of arms; neglect it。  His own



experience in actual service has taught him that these pretenders are



useless and ridiculous。  This man Stesilaus has been seen by him on board



ship making a very sorry exhibition of himself。  The possession of the art



will make the coward rash; and subject the courageous; if he chance to make



a slip; to invidious remarks。  And now let Socrates be taken into counsel。



As they differ he must decide。







Socrates would rather not decide the question by a plurality of votes:  in



such a serious matter as the education of a friend's children; he would



consult the one skilled person who has had masters; and has works to show



as evidences of his skill。  This is not himself; for he has never been able



to pay the sophists for instructing him; and has never had the wit to do or



discover anything。  But Nicias and Laches are older and richer than he is: 



they have had teachers; and perhaps have made discoveries; and he would



have trusted them entirely; if they had not been diametrically opposed。







Lysimachus here proposes to resign the argument into the hands of the



younger part of the company; as he is old; and has a bad memory。  He



earnestly requests Socrates to remain;in this showing; as Nicias says;



how little he knows the man; who will certainly not go away until he has



cross…examined the company about their past lives。  Nicias has often



submitted to this process; and Laches is quite willing to learn from



Socrates; because his actions; in the true Dorian mode; correspond to his



words。







Socrates proceeds:  We might ask who are our teachers?  But a better and



more thorough way of examining the question will be to ask; 'What is



Virtue?'or rather; to restrict the enquiry to that part of virtue which



is concerned with the use of weapons'What is Courage?'  Laches thinks



that he knows this:  (1) 'He is courageous who remains at his post。'  But



some nations fight flying; after the manner of Aeneas in Homer; or as the



heavy…armed Spartans also did at the battle of Plataea。  (2) Socrates wants



a more general definition; not only of military courage; but of courage of



all sorts; tried both amid pleasures and pains。  Laches replies that this



universal courage is endurance。  But courage is a good thing; and mere



endurance may be hurtful and injurious。  Therefore (3) the element of



intelligence must be added。  But then again unintelligent endurance may



often be more courageous than the intelligent; the bad than the good。  How



is this contradiction to be solved?  Socrates and Laches are not set 'to



the Dorian mode' of words and actions; for their words are all confusion;



although their actions are courageous。  Still they must 'endure' in an



argument about endurance。  Laches is very willing; and is quite sure that



he knows what courage is; if he could only tell。







Nicias is now appealed to; and in reply he offers a definition which he has



heard from Socrates himself; to the effect that (1) 'Courage is



intelligence。'  Laches derides this; and Socrates enquires; 'What sort of



intelligence?' to which Nicias replies; 'Intelligence of things terrible。' 



'But every man knows the things to be dreaded in his own art。'  'No they do



not。  They may predict results; but cannot tell whether they are really



terrible; only the courageous man can tell that。'  Laches draws the



inference that the courageous man is either a soothsayer or a god。







Again; (2) in Nicias' way of speaking; the term 'courageous' must be denied



to animals or children; because they do not know the danger。  Against this



inversion of the ordinary use of language Laches reclaims; but is in some



degree mollified by a compliment to his own courage。  Still; he does not



like to see an Athenian statesman and general descending to sophistries of



this sort。  Socrates resumes the argument。  Courage has been defined to be



intelligence or knowledge of the terrible; and courage is not all virtue;



but only one of the virtues。  The terrible is in the future; and therefore



the knowledge of the terrible is a knowledge of the future。  But there can



be no knowledge of future good or evil separated from a knowledge of the



good and evil of the past or present; that is to say; of all good and evil。



Courage; therefore; is the knowledge of good and evil generally。  But he



who has the knowledge of good and evil generally; must not only have



courage; but also temperance; justice; and every other virtue。  Thus; a



single virtue would be the same as all virtues (compare Protagoras)。  And



after all the two generals; and Socrates; the hero of Delium; are still in



ignorance of the nature of courage。  They must go to school again; boys;



old men and all。







Some points of resemblance; and some points of difference; appear in the



Laches when compared with the Charmides and Lysis。  There is less of



poetical and simple beauty; and more of dramatic interest and power。  They



are richer in the externals of the scene; the Laches has more play and



development of character。  In the Lysis and Charmides the youths are the



central figures; and frequent allusions are made to the place of meeting;



which is a palaestra。  Here the place of meeting; which is also a



palaestra; is quite forgotten; and the boys play a subordinate part。  The



seance is of old and elder men; of whom Socrates is the youngest。







First is the aged Lysimachus; who may be compared with Cephalus in the



Republic; and; like him; withdraws from the argument。  Melesias; who is



only his shadow; also subsides into silence。  Both of them; by their own



co

返回目录 下一页 回到顶部 0 0

你可能喜欢的