alcibiades i-第6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！
do not know this； or have you been to the schoolmaster without my
knowledge； and has he taught you to discern the just from the unjust？ Who
is he？ I wish you would tell me； that I may go and learn of himyou shall
introduce me。
ALCIBIADES： You are mocking； Socrates。
SOCRATES： No； indeed； I most solemnly declare to you by Zeus； who is the
God of our common friendship； and whom I never will forswear； that I am
not； tell me； then； who this instructor is； if he exists。
ALCIBIADES： But； perhaps； he does not exist； may I not have acquired the
knowledge of just and unjust in some other way？
SOCRATES： Yes； if you have discovered them。
ALCIBIADES： But do you not think that I could discover them？
SOCRATES： I am sure that you might； if you enquired about them。
ALCIBIADES： And do you not think that I would enquire？
SOCRATES： Yes； if you thought that you did not know them。
ALCIBIADES： And was there not a time when I did so think？
SOCRATES： Very good； and can you tell me how long it is since you thought
that you did not know the nature of the just and the unjust？ What do you
say to a year ago？ Were you then in a state of conscious ignorance and
enquiry？ Or did you think that you knew？ And please to answer truly； that
our discussion may not be in vain。
ALCIBIADES： Well； I thought that I knew。
SOCRATES： And two years ago； and three years ago； and four years ago； you
knew all the same？
ALCIBIADES： I did。
SOCRATES： And more than four years ago you were a childwere you not？
ALCIBIADES： Yes。
SOCRATES： And then I am quite sure that you thought you knew。
ALCIBIADES： Why are you so sure？
SOCRATES： Because I often heard you when a child； in your teacher's house；
or elsewhere； playing at dice or some other game with the boys； not
hesitating at all about the nature of the just and unjust； but very
confidentcrying and shouting that one of the boys was a rogue and a
cheat； and had been cheating。 Is it not true？
ALCIBIADES： But what was I to do； Socrates； when anybody cheated me？
SOCRATES： And how can you say； 'What was I to do'？ if at the time you did
not know whether you were wronged or not？
ALCIBIADES： To be sure I knew； I was quite aware that I was being cheated。
SOCRATES： Then you suppose yourself even when a child to have known the
nature of just and unjust？
ALCIBIADES： Certainly； and I did know then。
SOCRATES： And when did you discover themnot； surely； at the time when
you thought that you knew them？
ALCIBIADES： Certainly not。
SOCRATES： And when did you think that you were ignorantif you consider；
you will find that there never was such a time？
ALCIBIADES： Really； Socrates； I cannot say。
SOCRATES： Then you did not learn them by discovering them？
ALCIBIADES： Clearly not。
SOCRATES： But just before you said that you did not know them by learning；
now； if you have neither discovered nor learned them； how and whence do you
come to know them？
ALCIBIADES： I suppose that I was mistaken in saying that I knew them
through my own discovery of them； whereas； in truth； I learned them in the
same way that other people learn。
SOCRATES： So you said before； and I must again ask； of whom？ Do tell me。
ALCIBIADES： Of the many。
SOCRATES： Do you take refuge in them？ I cannot say much for your
teachers。
ALCIBIADES： Why； are they not able to teach？
SOCRATES： They could not teach you how to play at draughts； which you
would acknowledge （would you not） to be a much smaller matter than justice？
ALCIBIADES： Yes。
SOCRATES： And can they teach the better who are unable to teach the worse？
ALCIBIADES： I think that they can； at any rate； they can teach many far
better things than to play at draughts。
SOCRATES： What things？
ALCIBIADES： Why； for example； I learned to speak Greek of them； and I
cannot say who was my teacher； or to whom I am to attribute my knowledge of
Greek； if not to those good…for…nothing teachers； as you call them。
SOCRATES： Why； yes； my friend； and the many are good enough teachers of
Greek； and some of their instructions in that line may be justly praised。
ALCIBIADES： Why is that？
SOCRATES： Why； because they have the qualities which good teachers ought
to have。
ALCIBIADES： What qualities？
SOCRATES： Why； you know that knowledge is the first qualification of any
teacher？
ALCIBIADES： Certainly。
SOCRATES： And if they know； they must agree together and not differ？
ALCIBIADES： Yes。
SOCRATES： And would you say that they knew the things about which they
differ？
ALCIBIADES： No。
SOCRATES： Then how can they teach them？
ALCIBIADES： They cannot。
SOCRATES： Well； but do you imagine that the many would differ about the
nature of wood and stone？ are they not agreed if you ask them what they
are？ and do they not run to fetch the same thing； when they want a piece of
wood or a stone？ And so in similar cases； which I suspect to be pretty
nearly all that you mean by speaking Greek。
ALCIBIADES： True。
SOCRATES： These； as we were saying； are matters about which they are
agreed with one another and with themselves； both individuals and states
use the same words about them； they do not use some one word and some
another。
ALCIBIADES： They do not。
SOCRATES： Then they may be expected to be good teachers of these things？
ALCIBIADES： Yes。
SOCRATES： And if we want to instruct any one in them； we shall be right in
sending him to be taught by our friends the many？
ALCIBIADES： Very true。
SOCRATES： But if we wanted further to know not only which are men and
which are horses； but which men or horses have powers of running； would the
many still be able to inform us？
ALCIBIADES： Certainly not。
SOCRATES： And you have a sufficient proof that they do not know these
things and are not the best teachers of them； inasmuch as they are never
agreed about them？
ALCIBIADES： Yes。
SOCRATES： And suppose that we wanted to know not only what men are like；
but what healthy or diseased men are likewould the many be able to teach
us？
ALCIBIADES： They would not。
SOCRATES： And you would have a proof that they were bad teachers of these
matters； if you saw them at variance？
ALCIBIADES： I should。
SOCRATES： Well； but are the many agreed with themselves； or with one
another； about the justice or injustice of men and things？
ALCIBIADES： Assuredly not； Socrates。
SOCRATES： There is no subject about which they are more at variance？
ALCIBIADES： None。
SOCRATES： I do not suppose that you ever saw or heard of men quarrelling
over the principles of health and disease to such an extent as to go to war
and kill one another for the sake of them？
ALCIBIADES： No indeed。
SOCRATES： But of the quarrels about justice and injustice； even if you
have never seen them； you have certainly heard from many people； including
Homer； for you have heard of the Iliad and Odyssey？
ALCIBIADES： To be sure； Socrates。
SOCRATES： A difference of just and unjust is the argument of those poems？
ALCIBIADES： True。
SOCRATES： Which difference caused all the wars and deaths of Trojans and
Achaeans； and the deaths of the suitors of Penelope in their quarrel with
Odysseus。
ALCIBIADES： Very true。
SOCRATES： And when the Athenians and Lacedaemonians and Boeotians fell at
Tanagra； and afterwards in the battle of Coronea； at which your father
Cleinias met his end； the question was one of justicethis was the sole
cause of the battles； and of their deaths。
ALCIBIADES： Very true。
SOCRATES： But can they be said to understand that about which they are
quarrelling to the death？
ALCIBIADES： Clearly not。
SOCRATES： And yet those wh
