laches-第6章

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Solon；　'that　I　would　fain　grow　old；　learning　many　things。'　　But　I　must　be



allowed　to　add　'of　the　good　only。'　　Socrates　must　be　willing　to　allow　that



he　is　a　good　teacher；　or　I　shall　be　a　dull　and　uncongenial　pupil：　　but　that



the　teacher　is　younger；　or　not　as　yet　in　reputeanything　of　that　sort　is



of　no　account　with　me。　　And　therefore；　Socrates；　I　give　you　notice　that　you



may　teach　and　confute　me　as　much　as　ever　you　like；　and　also　learn　of　me



anything　which　I　know。　　So　high　is　the　opinion　which　I　have　entertained　of



you　ever　since　the　day　on　which　you　were　my　companion　in　danger；　and　gave　a



proof　of　your　valour　such　as　only　the　man　of　merit　can　give。　　Therefore；



say　whatever　you　like；　and　do　not　mind　about　the　difference　of　our　ages。







SOCRATES：　　I　cannot　say　that　either　of　you　show　any　reluctance　to　take



counsel　and　advise　with　me。







LYSIMACHUS：　　But　this　is　our　proper　business；　and　yours　as　well　as　ours；



for　I　reckon　you　as　one　of　us。　　Please　then　to　take　my　place；　and　find　out



from　Nicias　and　Laches　what　we　want　to　know；　for　the　sake　of　the　youths；



and　talk　and　consult　with　them：　　for　I　am　old；　and　my　memory　is　bad；　and　I



do　not　remember　the　questions　which　I　am　going　to　ask；　or　the　answers　to



them；　and　if　there　is　any　interruption　I　am　quite　lost。　　I　will　therefore



beg　of　you　to　carry　on　the　proposed　discussion　by　your　selves；　and　I　will



listen；　and　Melesias　and　I　will　act　upon　your　conclusions。







SOCRATES：　　Let　us；　Nicias　and　Laches；　comply　with　the　request　of　Lysimachus



and　Melesias。　　There　will　be　no　harm　in　asking　ourselves　the　question　which



was　first　proposed　to　us：　　'Who　have　been　our　own　instructors　in　this　sort



of　training；　and　whom　have　we　made　better？'　　But　the　other　mode　of　carrying



on　the　enquiry　will　bring　us　equally　to　the　same　point；　and　will　be　more



like　proceeding　from　first　principles。　　For　if　we　knew　that　the　addition　of



something　would　improve　some　other　thing；　and　were　able　to　make　the



addition；　then；　clearly；　we　must　know　how　that　about　which　we　are　advising



may　be　best　and　most　easily　attained。　　Perhaps　you　do　not　understand　what　I



mean。　　Then　let　me　make　my　meaning　plainer　in　this　way。　　Suppose　we　knew



that　the　addition　of　sight　makes　better　the　eyes　which　possess　this　gift；



and　also　were　able　to　impart　sight　to　the　eyes；　then；　clearly；　we　should



know　the　nature　of　sight；　and　should　be　able　to　advise　how　this　gift　of



sight　may　be　best　and　most　easily　attained；　but　if　we　knew　neither　what



sight　is；　nor　what　hearing　is；　we　should　not　be　very　good　medical　advisers



about　the　eyes　or　the　ears；　or　about　the　best　mode　of　giving　sight　and



hearing　to　them。







LACHES：　　That　is　true；　Socrates。







SOCRATES：　　And　are　not　our　two　friends；　Laches；　at　this　very　moment



inviting　us　to　consider　in　what　way　the　gift　of　virtue　may　be　imparted　to



their　sons　for　the　improvement　of　their　minds？







LACHES：　　Very　true。







SOCRATES：　　Then　must　we　not　first　know　the　nature　of　virtue？　　For　how　can



we　advise　any　one　about　the　best　mode　of　attaining　something　of　which　we



are　wholly　ignorant？







LACHES：　　I　do　not　think　that　we　can；　Socrates。







SOCRATES：　　Then；　Laches；　we　may　presume　that　we　know　the　nature　of　virtue？







LACHES：　　Yes。







SOCRATES：　　And　that　which　we　know　we　must　surely　be　able　to　tell？







LACHES：　　Certainly。







SOCRATES：　　I　would　not　have　us　begin；　my　friend；　with　enquiring　about　the



whole　of　virtue；　for　that　may　be　more　than　we　can　accomplish；　let　us　first



consider　whether　we　have　a　sufficient　knowledge　of　a　part；　the　enquiry　will



thus　probably　be　made　easier　to　us。







LACHES：　　Let　us　do　as　you　say；　Socrates。







SOCRATES：　　Then　which　of　the　parts　of　virtue　shall　we　select？　　Must　we　not



select　that　to　which　the　art　of　fighting　in　armour　is　supposed　to　conduce？　



And　is　not　that　generally　thought　to　be　courage？







LACHES：　　Yes；　certainly。







SOCRATES：　　Then；　Laches；　suppose　that　we　first　set　about　determining　the



nature　of　courage；　and　in　the　second　place　proceed　to　enquire　how　the　young



men　may　attain　this　quality　by　the　help　of　studies　and　pursuits。　　Tell　me；



if　you　can；　what　is　courage。







LACHES：　　Indeed；　Socrates；　I　see　no　difficulty　in　answering；　he　is　a　man　of



courage　who　does　not　run　away；　but　remains　at　his　post　and　fights　against



the　enemy；　there　can　be　no　mistake　about　that。







SOCRATES：　　Very　good；　Laches；　and　yet　I　fear　that　I　did　not　express　myself



clearly；　and　therefore　you　have　answered　not　the　question　which　I　intended



to　ask；　but　another。







LACHES：　　What　do　you　mean；　Socrates？







SOCRATES：　　I　will　endeavour　to　explain；　you　would　call　a　man　courageous　who



remains　at　his　post；　and　fights　with　the　enemy？







LACHES：　　Certainly　I　should。







SOCRATES：　　And　so　should　I；　but　what　would　you　say　of　another　man；　who



fights　flying；　instead　of　remaining？







LACHES：　　How　flying？







SOCRATES：　　Why；　as　the　Scythians　are　said　to　fight；　flying　as　well　as



pursuing；　and　as　Homer　says　in　praise　of　the　horses　of　Aeneas；　that　they



knew　'how　to　pursue；　and　fly　quickly　hither　and　thither'；　and　he　passes　an



encomium　on　Aeneas　himself；　as　having　a　knowledge　of　fear　or　flight；　and



calls　him　'an　author　of　fear　or　flight。'







LACHES：　　Yes；　Socrates；　and　there　Homer　is　right：　　for　he　was　speaking　of



chariots；　as　you　were　speaking　of　the　Scythian　cavalry；　who　have　that　way



of　fighting；　but　the　heavy…armed　Greek　fights；　as　I　say；　remaining　in　his



rank。







SOCRATES：　　And　yet；　Laches；　you　must　except　the　Lacedaemonians　at　Plataea；



who；　when　they　came　upon　the　light　shields　of　the　Persians；　are　said　not　to



have　been　willing　to　stand　and　fight；　and　to　have　fled；　but　when　the　ranks



of　the　Persians　were　broken；　they　turned　upon　them　like　cavalry；　and　won



the　battle　of　Plataea。







LACHES：　　That　is　true。







SOCRATES：　　That　was　my　meaning　when　I　said　that　I　was　to　blame　in　having



put　my　question　badly；　and　that　this　was　the　reason　of　your　answering



badly。　　For　I　meant　to　ask　you　not　only　about　the　courage　of　heavy…armed



soldiers；　but　about　the　courage　of　cavalry　and　every　other　style　of



soldier；　and　not　only　who　are　courageous　in　war；　but　who　are　courageous　in



perils　by　sea；　and　who　in　disease；　or　in　poverty；　or　again　in　politics；　are



courageous；　and　not　only　who　are　courageous　against　pain　or　fear；　but



mighty　to　contend　against　desires　and　pleasures；　either　fixed　in　their　rank



or　turning　upon　their　enemy。　　There　is　this　sort　of　courageis　there　not；



Laches？







LACHES：　　Certainly；　Socrates。







SOCRATES：　　And　all　these　are　courageous；　but　some　have　courage　in



pleasures；　and　some　in　pains：　　some　in　desires；　and　some　in　fears；　and　some



are　cowards　under　the　same　conditions；　as　I　should　imagine。







LACHES：　　Very　true。







SOCRATES：　　Now　I　was　asking　about　courage　and　cowardice　in　general。　　And　I



will　begin　with　courage；　and　once　more　ask；　What　is　that　common　quality；



which　is　the　same　in　all　these　cases；　and　which　is　called　courage？　　Do　you



now　understand　what　I　mean？







LACHES：　　Not　over　well。







SOCRATES：　　I　mean　this：　　As　I　might　ask　what　is　that　quality　which　is



called　quickness；　and　which　is　found　in　running；　in　playing　the　lyre；　in



speaking；　in　learning；　and　in　many　other　similar　actions；　or　rather　which



we　possess　in　nearly　every　action　that　is　worth　mentioning　of　arms；　legs；



mouth；　voice；　mind；would　you　not　apply　the　term　quickness　to　all　of　them？







LACHES：　　Quit