statesman-第11节

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investigated。

　　Y。　Soc。　Certainly。

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

contests　in　your　city；　such　as　there　are　in　other　cities；　at　

which　men

compete　in　running；　wrestling；　and　the　like？

　　Y。　Soc。　Yes；　they　are　very　common　among　us。

　　Str。　And　what　are　the　rules　which　are　enforced　on　their　pupils　by

professional　trainers　or　by　others　having　similar　authority？　Can　you

remember？

　　Y。　Soc。　To　what　do　you　refer？

　　Str。　The　training…masters　do　not　issue　minute　rules　for　

individuals；

or　give　every　individual　what　is　exactly　suited　to　his　constitution；

they　think　that　they　ought　to　go　more　roughly　to　work；　and　to

prescribe　generally　the　regimen；　which　will　benefit　the　majority。

　　Y。　Soc。　Very　true。

　　Str。　And　therefore　they　assign　equal　amounts　of　exercise　to　them

all；　they　send　them　forth　together；　and　let　them　rest　together　from

their　running；　wrestling；　or　whatever　the　form　of　bodily　exercise

may　be。

　　Y。　So　True。

　　Str。　And　now　observe　that　the　legislator　who　has　to　

preside　over　the

herd；　and　to　enforce　justice　in　their　dealings　with　one　another；

will　not　be　able；　in　enacting　for　the　general　good；　to　

provide　exactly

what　is　suitable　for　each　particular　case。

　　Y。　Soc。　He　cannot　be　expected　to　do　so。

　　Str。　He　will　lay　down　laws　in　a　general　form　for　the　majority；

roughly　meeting　the　cases　of　individuals；　and　some　of　them　he　will

deliver　in　writing；　and　others　will　be　unwritten；　and　these　last

will　be　traditional　customs　of　the　country。

　　Y。　Soc。　He　will　be　right。

　　Str。　Yes；　quite　right；　for　how　can　he　sit　at　every　man's　side　all

through　his　life；　prescribing　for　him　the　exact　particulars　of　his

duty？　Who；　Socrates；　would　be　equal　to　such　a　task？　No　one　who

really　had　the　royal　science；　if　he　had　been　able　to　do　this；　would

have　imposed　upon　himself　the　restriction　of　a　written　law。

　　Y。　Soc。　So　I　should　infer　from　what　has　now　been　said。

　　Str。　Or　rather；　my　good　friend；　from　what　is　going　to　be　said。

　　Y。　Soc。　And　what　is　that？

　　Str。　Let　us　put　to　ourselves　the　case　of　a　physician；　or　trainer；

who　is　about　to　go　into　a　far　country；　and　is　expecting　to　be　a　long

time　away　from　his　patients…thinking　that　his　instructions　

will　not　be

remembered　unless　they　are　written　down；　he　will　leave　notes　of　them

for　the　use　of　his　pupils　or　patients。

　　Y。　Soc。　True。

　　Str。　But　what　would　you　say；　if　he　came　back　sooner　than　he　had

intended；　and；　owing　to　an　unexpected　change　of　the　winds　or　other

celestial　influences；　something　else　happened　to　be　better　for

them…would　he　not　venture　to　suggest　this　new　remedy；　although　not

contemplated　in　his　former　prescription？　Would　he　persist　in　

observing

the　original　law；　neither　himself　giving　any　few　

commandments；　nor　the

patient　daring　to　do　otherwise　than　was　prescribed；　under　the　idea

that　this　course　only　was　healthy　and　medicinal；　all　others　noxious

and　heterodox？　Viewed　in　the　light　of　science　and　true　art；　would

not　all　such　enactments　be　utterly　ridiculous？

　　Y。　Soc。　Utterly。

　　Str。　And　if　he　who　gave　laws；　written　or　unwritten；　

determining　what

was　good　or　bad；　honourable　or　dishonourable；　just　or　unjust；　to　the

tribes　of　men　who　flock　together　in　their　several　cities；　and　are

governed　accordance　with　them；　if；　I　say；　the　wise　legislator　were

suddenly　to　come　again；　or　another　like　to　him；　is　he　to　be　

prohibited

from　changing　them？…would　not　this　prohibition　be　in　reality　quite

as　ridiculous　as　the　other？

　　Y。　Soc。　Certainly。

　　Str。　Do　you　know　a　plausible　saying　of　the　common　people　

which　is　in

point？

　　Y。　Soc。　I　do　not　recall　what　you　mean　at　the　moment。

　　Str。　They　say　that　if　any　one　knows　how　the　ancient　laws　may　be

improved；　he　must　first　persuade　his　own　State　of　the　

improvement；　and

then　he　may　legislate；　but　not　otherwise。

　　Y。　Soc。　And　are　they　not　right？

　　Str。　I　dare　say。　But　supposing　that　he　does　use　some　

gentle　violence

for　their　good；　what　is　this　violence　to　be　called？　Or　rather；

before　you　answer；　let　me　ask　the　same　question　in　reference　to　our

previous　instances。

　　Y。　Soc。　What　do　you　mean？

　　Str。　Suppose　that　a　skilful　physician　has　a　patient；　of　

whatever　sex

or　age；　whom　he　compels　against　his　will　to　do　something　for　his

good　which　is　contrary　to　the　written　rules；　what　is　this　compulsion

to　be　called？　Would　you　ever　dream　of　calling　it　a　violation　of　the

art；　or　a　breach　of　the　laws　of　health？　Nothing　could　be　more　unjust

than　for　the　patient　to　whom　such　violence　is　applied；　to　charge　the

physician　who　practises　the　violence　with　wanting　skill　or　

aggravating

his　disease。

　　Y。　Soc。　Most　true。

　　Str。　In　the　political　art　error　is　not　called　disease；　but　evil；

or　disgrace；　or　injustice。

　　Y。　Soc。　Quite　true。

　　Str。　And　when　the　citizen；　contrary　to　law　and　custom；　is

compelled　to　do　what　is　juster　and　better　and　nobler　than　he　did

before；　the　last　and　most　absurd　thing　which　he　could　say　about　such

violence　is　that　he　has　incurred　disgrace　or　evil　or　injustice　at

the　hands　of　those　who　compelled　him。

　　Y。　Soc。　Very　true。

　　Str。　And　shall　we　say　that　the　violence；　if　exercised　by　a　

rich　man；

is　just；　and　if　by　a　poor　man；　unjust？　May　not　any　man；　rich　or

poor；　with　or　without　laws；　with　the　will　of　the　citizens　or　against

the　will　of　the　citizens；　do　what　is　for　their　interest？　Is　not　this

the　true　principle　of　government；　according　to　which　the　

wise　and　good

man　will　order　the　affairs　of　his　subjects？　As　the　pilot；　by

watching　continually　over　the　interests　of　the　ship　and　of　the

crew…not　by　laying　down　rules；　but　by　making　his　art　a　law…preserves

the　lives　of　his　fellow…sailors；　even　and　in　the　self…same　way；　may

there　not　be　a　true　form　of　polity　created　by　those　who　are　able　to

govern　in　a　similar　spirit；　and　who　show　a　strength　of　art　which　is

superior　to　the　law？　Nor　can　wise　rulers　ever　err　while　they；

observing　the　one　great　rule　of　distributing　justice　to　the　citizens

with　intelligence　and　skill；　are　able　to　preserve　them；　and；　

as　far　as

may　be；　to　make　them　better　from　being　worse。

　　Y。　Soc。　No　one　can　deny　what　has　been　now　said。

　　Str。　Neither；　if　you　consider；　can　any　one　deny　the　other　

statement。

　　Y。　Soc。　What　was　it？

　　Str。　We　said　that　no　great　number　of　persons；　whoever　they　may　be；

can　attain　political　knowledge；　or　order　a　State　wisely；　but　that

the　true　government　is　to　be　found　in　a　small　body；　or　in　an

individual；　and　that　other　States　are　but　imitations　of　this；　as　we

said　a　little　while　ago；　some　for　the　better　and　some　for　the　worse。

　　Y。　Soc。　What　do　you　mean？　I　cannot　have　understood　your　previous

remark　about　imitations。

　　Str。　And　yet　the　mere　suggestion　which　I　hastily　threw　out　

is　highly

important；　even　if　we　leave　the　question　where　it　is；　and　do　not

seek　by　the　discussion　of　it　to　expose　the　error　which　prevails　in

this　matter。

　　Y。　Soc。　What　do　you　mean？

　　Str。　The　idea　which　has　to　be　grasped　by　us　is　not　easy　or　

familiar；

but　we　may　attempt　to　express　it　thus：…Supposing　the　government　of

which　I　have　been　speaking　to　be　the　only　true　model；　then　the

others　must　use　the　written　laws　of　this…in　no　other　can　they　be

saved；　they　will　have　to　do　what　is　now　generally　approved；　although

not　the　best　thing　in　the　world。

　　Y。　Soc。　What　is　this？

　　Str。　No　citizen　should　do　anything　contrary　to　the　laws；　and　any

infringement　of　them　should　be　punished　with　death　and　the　most

extreme　penalties；　and　this　is　very　right　and　good　when　regarded　as

the　second　best　thing；　if　you　set　aside　the　first；　of　which　

I　was　just

now　speaking。　Shall　I　explain　the　nature　of　what　call　the　

second　best？

　　Y。　Soc。　By　all　means。

　　Str。　I　must　again　have　recourse　to　my　favourite　images；　through

them；　and　them　alone；　can　I　describe　kings　and　rulers。

　　Y。　Soc。　What　images？

　　Str。　The　noble　pilot　and　the　wise　physician；　who　〃is　worth　many

another　man〃…in　the　similitude　of　these　let　us　endeavour　to　discover

some　image　of　the　king。

　　Y。　Soc。　What　sort　of　image？

　　Str。　Well；　such　as　this：…Every　man　will　reflect　that　he　suffers

strange　things　at　the　hands　of　both　of　them；　the　physician；　saves

any　whom　he　wishes　to　save；　and　any　whom　he　wishes　to　maltreat　he

maltreats…cutting　or　burning　them；　and　at　the　same　time　

requiring　them

to　bring　him　patients；　which　are　a　sort　of　tribute；　of　which　

little　or

nothing　is　spent　upon　the　sick　man；　and　the　greater　part　is　consumed

by　him　and　his　domestics；　and　the　finale　is　that　he　receives　money

from　the　relations　of　the　sick　man　or　from　some　enemy　of　

his；　and　puts

him　out　of　the　way。　And　the　pilots　of　ships　are　guilty；　of

numberless　evil　deeds　of　the　same　kind；　they　intentionally　play

false　and　leave　you　ashore　when　the　hour　of　sailing　arrives；　or　they

cause　mishaps　at　sea　and　cast　away　their　freight；　and　are　guilty　of

other　rogueries。　Now　suppose　that　we；　bearing　all　this　in　mind；　were

to　determine；　after　consideration；　that　neither　of　these　arts　shall

any　longer　be　allowed　to　exercise　absolute　control　either　

over　freemen

or　over　slaves；