alcibiades i-第3节

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！



to　contend；　not　only　with　his　own　countrymen；　but　with　their　enemieswith

the　Spartan　kings　and　with　the　great　king　of　Persia；　and　he　can　only　attain

this　higher　aim　of　ambition　by　the　assistance　of　Socrates。　　Not　that

Socrates　himself　professes　to　have　attained　the　truth；　but　the　questions

which　he　asks　bring　others　to　a　knowledge　of　themselves；　and　this　is　the

first　step　in　the　practice　of　virtue。



The　dialogue　continues：We　wish　to　become　as　good　as　possible。　　But　to　be

good　in　what？　　Alcibiades　replies'Good　in　transacting　business。'　　But

what　business？　　'The　business　of　the　most　intelligent　men　at　Athens。'　　The

cobbler　is　intelligent　in　shoemaking；　and　is　therefore　good　in　that；　he　is

not　intelligent；　and　therefore　not　good；　in　weaving。　　Is　he　good　in　the

sense　which　Alcibiades　means；　who　is　also　bad？　　'I　mean；'　replies

Alcibiades；　'the　man　who　is　able　to　command　in　the　city。'　　But　to　command

whathorses　or　men？　and　if　men；　under　what　circumstances？　　'I　mean　to　say；

that　he　is　able　to　command　men　living　in　social　and　political　relations。'　

And　what　is　their　aim？　　'The　better　preservation　of　the　city。'　　But　when　is

a　city　better？　　'When　there　is　unanimity；　such　as　exists　between　husband

and　wife。'　　Then；　when　husbands　and　wives　perform　their　own　special　duties；

there　can　be　no　unanimity　between　them；　nor　can　a　city　be　well　ordered　when

each　citizen　does　his　own　work　only。　　Alcibiades；　having　stated　first　that

goodness　consists　in　the　unanimity　of　the　citizens；　and　then　in　each　of

them　doing　his　own　separate　work；　is　brought　to　the　required　point　of　self…

contradiction；　leading　him　to　confess　his　own　ignorance。



But　he　is　not　too　old　to　learn；　and　may　still　arrive　at　the　truth；　if　he　is

willing　to　be　cross…examined　by　Socrates。　　He　must　know　himself；　that　is　to

say；　not　his　body；　or　the　things　of　the　body；　but　his　mind；　or　truer　self。

The　physician　knows　the　body；　and　the　tradesman　knows　his　own　business；　but

they　do　not　necessarily　know　themselves。　　Self…knowledge　can　be　obtained

only　by　looking　into　the　mind　and　virtue　of　the　soul；　which　is　the　diviner

part　of　a　man；　as　we　see　our　own　image　in　another's　eye。　　And　if　we　do　not

know　ourselves；　we　cannot　know　what　belongs　to　ourselves　or　belongs　to

others；　and　are　unfit　to　take　a　part　in　political　affairs。　　Both　for　the

sake　of　the　individual　and　of　the　state；　we　ought　to　aim　at　justice　and

temperance；　not　at　wealth　or　power。　　The　evil　and　unjust　should　have　no

power；they　should　be　the　slaves　of　better　men　than　themselves。　　None　but

the　virtuous　are　deserving　of　freedom。



And　are　you；　Alcibiades；　a　freeman？　　'I　feel　that　I　am　not；　but　I　hope；

Socrates；　that　by　your　aid　I　may　become　free；　and　from　this　day　forward　I

will　never　leave　you。'



The　Alcibiades　has　several　points　of　resemblance　to　the　undoubted　dialogues

of　Plato。　　The　process　of　interrogation　is　of　the　same　kind　with　that　which

Socrates　practises　upon　the　youthful　Cleinias　in　the　Euthydemus；　and　he

characteristically　attributes　to　Alcibiades　the　answers　which　he　has

elicited　from　him。　　The　definition　of　good　is　narrowed　by　successive

questions；　and　virtue　is　shown　to　be　identical　with　knowledge。　　Here；　as

elsewhere；　Socrates　awakens　the　consciousness　not　of　sin　but　of　ignorance。

Self…humiliation　is　the　first　step　to　knowledge；　even　of　the　commonest

things。　　No　man　knows　how　ignorant　he　is；　and　no　man　can　arrive　at　virtue

and　wisdom　who　has　not　once　in　his　life；　at　least；　been　convicted　of　error。　

The　process　by　which　the　soul　is　elevated　is　not　unlike　that　which

religious　writers　describe　under　the　name　of　'conversion；'　if　we　substitute

the　sense　of　ignorance　for　the　consciousness　of　sin。



In　some　respects　the　dialogue　differs　from　any　other　Platonic　composition。

The　aim　is　more　directly　ethical　and　hortatory；　the　process　by　which　the

antagonist　is　undermined　is　simpler　than　in　other　Platonic　writings；　and

the　conclusion　more　decided。　　There　is　a　good　deal　of　humour　in　the　manner

in　which　the　pride　of　Alcibiades；　and　of　the　Greeks　generally；　is　supposed

to　be　taken　down　by　the　Spartan　and　Persian　queens；　and　the　dialogue　has

considerable　dialectical　merit。　　But　we　have　a　difficulty　in　supposing　that

the　same　writer；　who　has　given　so　profound　and　complex　a　notion　of　the

characters　both　of　Alcibiades　and　Socrates　in　the　Symposium；　should　have

treated　them　in　so　thin　and　superficial　a　manner　in　the　Alcibiades；　or　that

he　would　have　ascribed　to　the　ironical　Socrates　the　rather　unmeaning　boast

that　Alcibiades　could　not　attain　the　objects　of　his　ambition　without　his

help；　or　that　he　should　have　imagined　that　a　mighty　nature　like　his　could

have　been　reformed　by　a　few　not　very　conclusive　words　of　Socrates。　　For　the

arguments　by　which　Alcibiades　is　reformed　are　not　convincing；　the　writer　of

the　dialogue；　whoever　he　was；　arrives　at　his　idealism　by　crooked　and

tortuous　paths；　in　which　many　pitfalls　are　concealed。　　The　anachronism　of

making　Alcibiades　about　twenty　years　old　during　the　life　of　his　uncle；

Pericles；　may　be　noted；　and　the　repetition　of　the　favourite　observation；

which　occurs　also　in　the　Laches　and　Protagoras；　that　great　Athenian

statesmen；　like　Pericles；　failed　in　the　education　of　their　sons。　　There　is

none　of　the　undoubted　dialogues　of　Plato　in　which　there　is　so　little

dramatic　verisimilitude。





ALCIBIADES　I



by



Plato　（see　Appendix　I　above）



Translated　by　Benjamin　Jowett





PERSONS　OF　THE　DIALOGUE：　　Alcibiades；　Socrates。





SOCRATES：　　I　dare　say　that　you　may　be　surprised　to　find；　O　son　of　Cleinias；

that　I；　who　am　your　first　lover；　not　having　spoken　to　you　for　many　years；

when　the　rest　of　the　world　were　wearying　you　with　their　attentions；　am　the

last　of　your　lovers　who　still　speaks　to　you。　　The　cause　of　my　silence　has

been　that　I　was　hindered　by　a　power　more　than　human；　of　which　I　will　some

day　explain　to　you　the　nature；　this　impediment　has　now　been　removed；　I

therefore　here　present　myself　before　you；　and　I　greatly　hope　that　no

similar　hindrance　will　again　occur。　　Meanwhile；　I　have　observed　that　your

pride　has　been　too　much　for　the　pride　of　your　admirers；　they　were　numerous

and　high…spirited；　but　they　have　all　run　away；　overpowered　by　your　superior

force　of　character；　not　one　of　them　remains。　　And　I　want　you　to　understand

the　reason　why　you　have　been　too　much　for　them。　　You　think　that　you　have　no

need　of　them　or　of　any　other　man；　for　you　have　great　possessions　and　lack

nothing；　beginning　with　the　body；　and　ending　with　the　soul。　　In　the　first

place；　you　say　to　yourself　that　you　are　the　fairest　and　tallest　of　the

citizens；　and　this　every　one　who　has　eyes　may　see　to　be　true；　in　the　second

place；　that　you　are　among　the　noblest　of　them；　highly　connected　both　on　the

father's　and　the　mother's　side；　and　sprung　from　one　of　the　most

distinguished　families　in　your　own　state；　which　is　the　greatest　in　Hellas；

and　having　many　friends　and　kinsmen　of　the　best　sort；　who　can　assist　you

when　in　need；　and　there　is　one　potent　relative；　who　is　more　to　you　than　all

the　rest；　Pericles　the　son　of　Xanthippus；　whom　your　father　left　guardian　of

you；　and　of　your　brother；　and　who　can　do　as　he　pleases　not　only　in　this

city；　but　in　all　Hellas；　and　among　many　and　mighty　barbarous　nations。　

Moreover；　you　are　rich；　but　I　must　say　that　you　value　yourself　least　of　all

upon　your　possessions。　　And　all　these　things　have　lifted　you　up；　you　have

overcome　your　lovers；　and　they　have　acknowledged　that　you　were　too　much　for

them。　　Have　you　not　remarked　their　absence？　　And　now　I　know　that　you　wonder

why　I；　unlike　the　rest　of　them；　have　not　gone　away；　and　what　can　be　my

motive　in　remaining。



ALCIBIADES：　　Perhaps；　Socrates；　you　are　not　aware　that　I　was　just　going　to

ask　you　the　very　same　questionWhat　do　you　want？　　And　what　is　your　motive

in　annoying　me；　and　always；　wherever　I　am；　making　a　point　of　coming？　

（Compare　Symp。）　　I　do　really　wonder　what　you　mean；　and　should　greatly　like

to　know。



SOCRATES：　　Then　if；　as　you　say；　you　desire　to　know；　I　suppose　that　you　will

be　willing　to　hear；　and　I　may　consider　myself　to　be　speaking　to　an　auditor

who　will　remain；　and　will　not　run　away？



ALCIBIADES：　　Certainly；　let　me　hear。



SOCRATES：　　You　had　better　be　careful；　for　I　may　very　likely　be　as　unwilling

to　end　as　I　have　hitherto　been　to　begin。



ALCIBIADES：　　Proceed；　my　good　man；　and　I　will　listen。



SOCRATES：　　I　will　proceed；　and；　although　no　lover　likes　to　speak　with　one

who　has　no　feeling　of　love　in　him　（compare　Symp。）；　I　will　make　an　effort；

and　tell　you　what　I　meant：　　My　love；　Alcibiades；　which　I　hardly　like　to

confess；　would　long　ago　have　passed　away；　as　I　flatter　myself；　if　I　saw　you

loving　your　good　things；　or　thinking　that　you　ought　to　pass　life　in　the

enjoyment　of　them。　　But　I　shall　reveal　other　thoughts　of　yours；　which　you

keep　to　yourself；　whereby　you　will　know　that　I　have　always　had　my　eye　on

you。　　Suppose　that　at　this　moment　some　God　came　t