statesman-第12节

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any　longer　be　allowed　to　exercise　absolute　control　either　

over　freemen

or　over　slaves；　but　that　we　will　summon　an　assembly　either　of　all

the　people；　or　of　the　rich　only；　that　anybody　who　likes；　whatever

may　be　his　calling；　or　even　if　he　have　no　calling；　may　offer　an

opinion　either　about　seamanship　or　about　diseases…whether　as　to　the

manner　in　which　physic　or　surgical　instruments　are　to　be　applied　to

the　patient；　or　again　about　the　vessels　and　the　nautical　implements

which　are　required　in　navigation；　and　how　to　meet　the　

dangers　of　winds

and　waves　which　are　incidental　to　the　voyage；　how　to　behave　when

encountering　pirates；　and　what　is　to　be　done　with　the　old　fashioned

galleys；　if　they　have　to　fight　with　others　of　a　similar　build…and

that；　whatever　shall　be　decreed　by　the　multitude　on　these　

points；　upon

the　advice　of　persons　skilled　or　unskilled；　shall　be　written　down　on

triangular　tablets　and　columns；　or　enacted　although　unwritten　to　be

national　customs；　and　that　in　all　future　time　vessels　shall　be

navigated　and　remedies　administered　to　the　patient　after　

this　fashion。

　　Y。　Soc。　What　a　strange　notion！

　　Str。　Suppose　further；　that　the　pilots　and　physicians　are　appointed

annually；　either　out　of　the　rich；　or　out　of　the　whole　

people；　and　that

they　are　elected　by　lot；　and　that　after　their　election　they　navigate

vessels　and　heal　the　sick　according　to　the　written　rules。

　　Y。　Soc。　Worse　and　worse。

　　Str。　But　hear　what　follows：…When　the　year　of　office　has　

expired；　the

pilot　or　physician　has　to　come　before　a　court　of　review；　in　which

the　judges　are　either　selected　from　the　wealthy　classes　or　chosen　by

lot　out　of　the　whole　people；　and　anybody　who　pleases　may　be　their

accuser；　and　may　lay　to　their　charge；　that　during　the　past　year　they

have　not　navigated　their　vessels　or　healed　their　patients　

according　to

the　letter　of　the　law　and　the　ancient　customs　of　their　ancestors；

and　if　either　of　them　is　condemned；　some　of　the　judges　must　fix　what

he　is　to　suffer　or　pay。

　　Y。　Soc。　He　who　is　willing　to　take　a　command　under　such　conditions；

deserves　to　suffer　any　penalty。

　　Str。　Yet　once　more；　we　shall　have　to　enact　that　if　any　one　is

detected　enquiring　into　piloting　and　navigation；　or　into　health　and

the　true　nature　of　medicine；　or　about　the　winds；　or　other　conditions

of　the　atmosphere；　contrary　to　the　written　rules；　and　has　any

ingenious　notions　about　such　matters；　he　is　not　to　be　called　a　pilot

or　physician；　but　a　cloudy　prating　sophist；…further；　on　the　ground

that　he　is　a　corrupter　of　the　young；　who　would　persuade　them。　to

follow　the　art　of　medicine　or　piloting　in　an　unlawful　manner；　and　to

exercise　an　arbitrary　rule　over　their　patients　or　ships；　any　one　who

is　qualified　by　law　may　inform　against　him；　and　indict　him　in　some

court；　and　then　if　he　is　found　to　be　persuading　any；　whether　young

or　old；　to　act　contrary　to　the　written　law；　he　is　to　be　punished

with　the　utmost　rigour；　for　no　one　should　presume　to　be　

wiser　than　the

laws；　and　as　touching　healing　and　health　and　piloting　and

navigation；　the　nature　of　them　is　known　to　all；　for　anybody　may

learn　the　written　laws　and　the　national　customs。　If　such　

were　the　mode

of　procedure；　Socrates；　about　these　sciences　and　about　generalship；

and　any　branch　of　hunting；　or　about　painting　or　imitation　in

general；　or　carpentry；　or　any　sort　of　handicraft；　or　husbandry；　or

planting；　or　if　we　were　to　see　an　art　of　rearing　horses；　or　tending

herds；　or　divination；　or　any　ministerial　service；　or

draught…playing；　or　any　science　conversant　with　number；　

whether　simple

or　square　or　cube；　or　comprising　motion…I　say；　if　all　these　things

were　done　in　this　way　according　to　written　regulations；　and　not

according　to　art；　what　would　be　the　result？

　　Y。　Soc。　All　the　arts　would　utterly　perish；　and　could　never　be

recovered；　because　enquiry　would　be　unlawful。　And　human　

life；　which　is

bad　enough　already；　would　then　become　utterly　unendurable。

　　Str。　But　what；　if　while　compelling　all　these　operations　to　be

regulated　by　written　law；　we　were　to　appoint　as　the　guardian　of　the

laws　some　one　elected　by　a　show　of　hands；　or　by　lot；　and　he　caring

nothing　about　the　laws；　were　to　act　contrary　to　them　from　motives　of

interest　or　favour；　and　without　knowledge…would　not　this　be　a　still

worse　evil　than　the　former？

　　Y。　Soc。　Very　true。

　　Str。　To　go　against　the　laws；　which　are　based　upon　long　experience；

and　the　wisdom　of　counsellors　who　have　graciously　

recommended　them　and

persuaded　the　multitude　to　pass　them；　would　be　a　far　greater　and

more　ruinous　error　than　any　adherence　to　written　law？

　　Y。　Soc。　Certainly。

　　Str。　Therefore；　as　there　is　a　danger　of　this；　the　next　

best　thing　in

legislating　is　not　to　allow　either　the　individual　or　the　multitude

to　break　the　law　in　any　respect　whatever。

　　Y。　Soc。　True。

　　Str。　The　laws　would　be　copies　of　the　true　particulars　of　action　as

far　as　they　admit　of　being　written　down　from　the　lips　of　those　who

have　knowledge？

　　Y。　Soc。　Certainly　they　would。

　　Str。　And；　as　we　were　saying；　he　who　has　knowledge　and　is　a　true

Statesman；　will　do　many　things　within　his　own　sphere　of　action　by

his　art　without　regard　to　the　laws；　when　he　is　of　opinion　that

something　other　than　that　which　he　has　written　down　and　

enjoined　to　be

observed　during　his　absence　would　be　better。

　　Y。　Soc。　Yes；　we　said　so。

　　Str。　And　any　individual　or　any　number　of　men；　having　fixed　laws；

in　acting　contrary　to　them　with　a　view　to　something　better；　

would　only

be　acting；　as　far　as　they　are　able；　like　the　true　Statesman？

　　Y。　Soc。　Certainly。

　　Str。　If　they　had　no　knowledge　of　what　they　were　doing；　they　would

imitate　the　truth；　and　they　would　always　imitate　ill；　but　if　they

had　knowledge；　the　imitation　would　be　the　perfect　truth；　and　an

imitation　no　longer。

　　Y。　Soc。　Quite　true。

　　Str。　And　the　principle　that　no　great　number　of　men　are　able　to

acquire　a　knowledge　of　any　art　has　been　already　admitted　by　us。

　　Y。　Soc。　Yes；　it　has。

　　Str。　Then　the　royal　or　political　art；　if　there　be　such　an　art；

will　never　be　attained　either　by　the　wealthy　or　by　the　other　mob。

　　Y。　Soc。　Impossible。

　　Str。　Then　the　nearest　approach　which　these　lower　forms　of　

government

can　ever　make　to　the　true　government　of　the　one　scientific　ruler；　is

to　do　nothing　contrary　to　their　own　written　laws　and　

national　customs。

　　Y。　Soc。　Very　good。

　　Str。　When　the　rich　imitate　the　true　form；　such　a　government　is

called　aristocracy；　and　when　they　are　regardless　of　the　laws；

oligarchy。

　　Y　Soc。　True。

　　Str。　Or　again；　when　an　individual　rules　according　to　law　in

imitation　of　him　who　knows；　we　call　him　a　king；　and　if　he　rules

according　to　law；　we　give　him　the　same　name；　whether　he　rules　with

opinion　or　with　knowledge。

　　Y。　Soc。　To　be　sure。

　　Str。　And　when　an　individual　truly　possessing　knowledge　rules；　his

name　will　surely　be　the　same…he　will　be　called　a　king；　and　thus　the

five　names　of　governments；　as　they　are　now　reckoned；　become　one。

　　Y。　Soc。　That　is　true。

　　Str。　And　when　an　individual　ruler　governs　neither　by　law　nor　by

custom；　but　following　in　the　steps　of　the　true　man　of　

science　pretends

that　he　can　only　act　for　the　best　by　violating　the　laws；　while　in

reality　appetite　and　ignorance　are　the　motives　of　the　imitation；　may

not　such　an　one　be　called　a　tyrant？

　　Y。　Soc。　Certainly。

　　Str。　And　this　we　believe　to　be　the　origin　of　the　tyrant　and　the

king；　of　oligarchies；　and　aristocracies；　and　democracies…because　men

are　offended　at　the　one　monarch；　and　can　never　be　made　to　

believe　that

any　one　can　be　worthy　of　such　authority；　or　is　able　and　

willing　in　the

spirit　of　virtue　and　knowledge　to　act　justly　and　holily　to　all；　they

fancy　that　he　will　be　a　despot　who　will　wrong　and　harm　and　slay　whom

he　pleases　of　us；　for　if　there　could　be　such　a　despot　as　we

describe；　they　would　acknowledge　that　we　ought　to　be　too　glad　to

have　him；　and　that　he　alone　would　be　the　happy　ruler　of　a　true　and

perfect　State。

　　Y。　Soc。　To　be　sure。

　　Str。　But　then；　as　the　State　is　not　like　a　beehive；　and　has　no

natural　head　who　is　at　once　recognized　to　be　the　superior　

both　in　body

and　in　mind；　mankind　are　obliged　to　meet　and　make　laws；　and

endeavour　to　approach　as　nearly　as　they　can　to　the　true　form　of

government。

　　Y。　Soc。　True。

　　Str。　And　when　the　foundation　of　politics　is　in　the　letter　only　and

in　custom；　and　knowledge　is　divorced　from　action；　can　we　wonder

Socrates；　at　the　miseries　which　there　are；　and　always　will　be；　in

States？　Any　other　art；　built　on　such　a　foundation　and　thus

conducted；　would　ruin　all　that　it　touched。　Ought　we　not　rather　to

wonder　at　the　natural　strength　of　the　political　bond？　For　States

have　endured　all　this；　time　out　of　mind；　and　yet　some　of　them　still

remain　and　are　not　overthrown；　though　many　of　them；　like　

ships　at　sea；

founder　from　time　to　time；　and　perish；　and　have　perished　and　

will　hire

after　perish；　through　the　badness　of　their　pilots　and　crews；　who

have　the　worst　sort　of　ignorance　of　the　highest　truths…I　mean　to

say；　that　they　are　wholly　unaquainted　with　poli