statesman-第10节

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another　class　and　has　thrust　himself　in；　he　must　get　enrolled　in　the

priesthood。　In　many　parts　of　Hellas；　the　duty　of　offering　the　most

solemn　propitiatory　sacrifices　is　assigned　to　the　highest

magistracies；　and　here；　at　Athens；　the　most　solemn　and　

national　of　the

ancient　sacrifices　are　supposed　to　be　celebrated　by　him　who　has　been

chosen　by　lot　to　be　the　King　Archon。

　　Y。　Soc。　Precisely。

　　Str。　But　who　are　these　other　kings　and　priests　elected　by　lot　who

now　come　into　view　followed　by　their　retainers　and　a　vast　throng；　as

the　former　class　disappears　and　the　scene　changes？

　　Y。　Soc。　Whom　can　you　mean？

　　Str。　They　are　a　strange　crew。

　　Y。　Soc。　Why　strange？

　　Str。　A　minute　ago　I　thought　that　they　were　animals　of　every　tribe；

for　many　of　them　are　like　lions　and　centaurs；　and　many　more　like

satyrs　and　such　weak　and　shifty　creatures；…Protean　shapes　quickly

changing　into　one　another's　forms　and　natures；　and　now；　Socrates；　I

begin　to　see　who　they　are。

　　Y。　Soc。　Who　are　they？　You　seem　to　be　gazing　on　some　strange　vision。

　　Str。　Yes；　every　one　looks　strange　when　you　do　not　know　

him；　and　just

now　I　myself　fell　into　this　mistake…at　first　sight；　coming　suddenly

upon　him；　I　did　not　recognize　the　politician　and　his　troop。

　　Y。　Soc。　Who　is　he？

　　Str。　The　chief　of　Sophists　and　most　accomplished　of　wizards；　who

must　at　any　cost　be　separated　from　the　true　king　or　Statesman；　if　we

are　ever　to　see　daylight　in　the　present　enquiry。

　　Y。　Soc。　That　is　a　hope　not　lightly　to　be　renounced。

　　Str。　Never；　if　I　can　help　it；　and；　first；　let　me　ask　you　a　

question。

　　Y。　Soc。　What？

　　Str。　Is　not　monarchy　a　recognized　form　of　government？

　　Y。　Soc。　Yes。

　　Str。　And；　after　monarchy；　next　in　order　comes　the　government　of

the　few？

　　Y。　Soc。　Of　course。

　　Str。　Is　not　the　third　form　of　government　the　rule　of　the

multitude；　which　is　called　by　the　name　of　democracy？

　　Y。　Soc。　Certainly。

　　Str。　And　do　not　these　three　expand　in　a　manner　into　five；

producing　out　of　themselves　two　other　names　Y。　Soc。　What　are　they？

　　Y。　Soc。　What　are　they？

　　Str。　There　is　a　criterion　of　voluntary　and　involuntary；　poverty

and　riches；　law　and　the　absence　of　law；　which　men　now…a…days　apply

to　them；　the　two　first　they　subdivide　accordingly；　and　ascribe　to

monarchy　two　forms　and　two　corresponding　names；　royalty　and　tyranny。

　　Y。　Soc。　Very　true。

　　Str。　And　the　government　of　the　few　they　distinguish　by　the　names

of　aristocracy　and　oligarchy。

　　Y。　Soc。　Certainly。

　　Str。　Democracy　alone；　whether　rigidly　observing　the　laws　

or　not；　and

whether　the　multitude　rule　over　the　men　of　property　with　

their　consent

or　against　their　consent；　always　in　ordinary　language　has　the　same

name。

　　Y。　Soc。　True。

　　Str。　But　do　you　suppose　that　any　form　of　government　which　

is　defined

by　these　characteristics　of　the　one；　the　few；　or　the　many；　of

poverty　or　wealth；　of　voluntary　or　compulsory　submission；　of　written

law　or　the　absence　of　law；　can　be　a　right　one？

　　Y。　Soc。　Why　not？

　　Str。　Reflect；　and　follow　me。

　　Y。　Soc。　In　what　direction？

　　Str。　Shall　we　abide　by　what　we　said　at　first；　or　shall　we　retract

our　words？

　　Y。　Soc。　To　what　do　you　refer？

　　Str。　If　I　am　not　mistaken；　we　said　that　royal　power　was　a　science？

　　Y。　Soc。　Yes。

　　Str。　And　a　science　of　a　peculiar　kind；　which　was　selected　

out　of　the

rest　as　having　a　character　which　is　at　once　judicial　and

authoritative？

　　Y。　Soc。　Yes。

　　Str。　And　there　was　one　kind　of　authority　over　lifeless　things　and

another　other　living　animals；　and　so　we　proceeded　in　the　

division　step

by　step　up　to　this　point；　not　losing　the　idea　of　science；　but　unable

as　yet　to　determine　the　nature　of　the　particular　science？

　　Y。　Soc。　True。

　　Str。　Hence　we　are　led　to　observe　that　the　distinguishing　principle

of　the　State　cannot　be　the　few　or　many；　the　voluntary　or

involuntary；　poverty　or　riches；　but　some　notion　of　science　must

enter　into　it；　if　we　are　to　be　consistent　with　what　has　preceded。

　　Y。　Soc。　And　we　must　be　consistent。

　　Str。　Well；　then；　in　which　of　these　various　forms　of　States　may　the

science　of　government；　which　is　among　the　greatest　of　all　

sciences　and

most　difficult　to　acquire；　be　supposed　to　reside？　That　we　must

discover；　and　then　we　shall　see　who　are　the　false　politicians　who

pretend　to　be　politicians　but　are　not；　although　they　persuade　many；

and　shall　separate　them　from　the　wise　king。

　　Y。　Soc。　That；　as　the　argument　has　already　intimated；　will　be　our

duty。

　　Str。　Do　you　think　that　the　multitude　in　a　State　can　attain　

political

science？

　　Y。　Soc。　Impossible。

　　Str。　But；　perhaps；　in　a　city　of　a　thousand　men；　there　would　be　a

hundred；　or　say　fifty；　who　could？

　　Y。　Soc。　In　that　case　political　science　would　certainly　be　the

easiest　of　all　sciences；　there　could　not　be　found　in　a　city　of　that

number　as　many　really　first…rate　draught…players；　if　judged　by　the

standard　of　the　rest　of　Hellas；　and　there　would　certainly　not　be　as

many　kings。　For　kings　we　may　truly　call　those　who　possess　royal

science；　whether　they　rule　or　not；　as　was　shown　in　the　previous

argument。

　　Str。　Thank　you　for　reminding　me；　and　the　consequence　is　that　any

true　form　of　government　can　only　be　supposed　to　be　the　government　of

one；　two；　or；　at　any　rate；　of　a　few。

　　Y。　Soc。　Certainly。

　　Str。　And　these；　whether　they　rule　with　the　will；　or　

against　the　will

of　their　subjects；　with　written　laws　or。　without　written　laws；　and

whether　they　are　poor　or　rich；　and　whatever　be　the　nature　of　their

rule；　must　be　supposed；　according　to　our　present　view；　to　

rule　on　some

scientific　principle；　just　as　the　physician；　whether　he　cures　us

against　our　will　or　with　our　will；　and　whatever　be　his　mode　of

treatment…incision；　burning；　or　the　infliction　of　some　other

pain…whether　he　practises　out　of　a　book　or　not　out　of　a　book；　and

whether　he　be　rich　or　poor；　whether　he　purges　or　reduces　in　

some　other

way；　or　even　fattens　his　patients；　is　a　physician　all　the　same；　so

long　as　he　exercises　authority　over　them　according　to　rules　

of　art；　if

he　only　does　them　good　and　heals　and　saves　them。　And　this　we　lay

down　to　be　the　only　proper　test　of　the　art　of　medicine；　or　of　any

other　art　of　command。

　　Y。　Soc。　Quite　true。

　　Str。　Then　that　can　be　the　only　true　form　of　government　in　which

the　governors　are　really　found　to　possess　science；　and　are　not　mere

pretenders；　whether　they　rule　according　to　law　or　without　law；

over…willing　or　unwilling　subjects；　and　are　rich　or　poor

themselves…none　of　these　things　can　with　any　propriety　be　included

in　the　notion　of　the　ruler。

　　Y。　Soc。　True。

　　Str。　And　whether　with　a　view　to　the　public　good　they　purge　

the　State

by　killing　some；　or　exiling　some；　whether　they　reduce　the　size　of

the　body　corporate　by　sending　out　from　the　hive　swarms　of　citizens；

or；　by　introducing　persons　from　without；　increase　it；　while　they　act

according　to　the　rules　of　wisdom　and　justice；　and　use　their　

power　with

a　view　to　the　general　security　and　improvement；　the　city　over　which

they　rule；　and　which　has　these　characteristics；　may　be　described　as

the　only　true　State。　All　other　governments　are　not　genuine　or　real；

but　only　imitations　of　this；　and　some　of　them　are　better　and　some　of

them　are　worse；　the　better　are　said　to　be　well　governed；　but　they

are　mere　imitations　like　the　others。

　　Y。　Soc。　I　agree；　Stranger；　in　the　greater　part　of　what　you　say；

but　as　to　their　ruling　without　laws…the　expression　has　a　harsh　sound。

　　Str。　You　have　been　too　quick　for　me；　Socrates；　I　was　just　going　to

ask　you　whether　you　objected　to　any　of　my　statements。　And　now　I　see

that　we　shall　have　to　consider　this　notion　of　there　being　good

government　without　laws。

　　Y。　Soc。　Certainly。

　　Str。　There　can　be　no　doubt　that　legislation　is　in　a　manner　the

business　of　a　king；　and　yet　the　best　thing　of　all　is　not　that　the

law　should　rule；　but　that　a　man　should　rule；　supposing　him　to　have

wisdom　and　royal　power。　Do　you　see　why　this　is？

　　Y。　Soc。　Why？

　　Str。　Because　the　law　does　not　perfectly　comprehend　what　is　noblest

and　most　just　for　all　and　therefore　cannot　enforce　what　is　best。　The

differences　of　men　and　actions；　and　the　endless　irregular　

movements　of

human　things；　do　not　admit　of　…any　universal　and　simple　rule。　And　no

art　whatsoever　can　lay　down　a　rule　which　will　last　for　all　time。

　　Y。　Soc。　Of　course　not。

　　Str。　But　the　law　is　always　striving　to　make　one；…like　an　obstinate

and　ignorant　tyrant；　who　will　not　allow　anything　to　be　done　contrary

to　his　appointment；　or　any　question　to　be　asked…not　even　in　sudden

changes　of　circumstances；　when　something　happens　to　be　better　than

what　he　commanded　for　some　one。

　　Y。　Soc。　Certainly；　the　law　treats　us　all　precisely　in　the　manner

which　you　describe。

　　Str。　A　perfectly　simple　principle　can　never　be　applied　to　

a　state　of

things　which　is　the　reverse　of　simple。

　　Y。　Soc。　True。

　　Str。　Then　if　the　law　is　not　the　perfection　of　right；　why　are　we

compelled　to　make　laws　at　all？　The　reason　of　this　has　next　to　be

investigated。

　　Y。　Soc。　Certainly。

　　Str。　Let　me　ask；　whether　you　have　not　meetings　for　g