statesman-第13节

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

say；　that　they　are　wholly　unaquainted　with　politics；　of　which；　above

all　other　sciences；　they　believe　themselves　to　have　acquired　the

most　perfect　knowledge。

　　Y。　Soc。　Very　true。

　　Str。　Then　the　question　arises：…which　of　these　untrue　forms　of

government　is　the　least　oppressive　to　their　subjects；　though　they

are　all　oppressive；　and　which　is　the　worst　of　them？　Here　is　a

consideration　which　is　beside　our　present　purpose；　and　yet　having

regard　to　the　whole　it　seems　to　influence　all　our　actions：　we　must

examine　it。

　　Y。　Soc。　Yes；　we　must。

　　Str。　You　may　say　that　of　the　three　forms；　the　same　is　at　once　the

hardest　and　the　easiest。

　　Y。　Soc。　What　do　you　mean？

　　Str。　I　am　speaking　of　the　three　forms　of　government；　which　I

mentioned　at　the　beginning　of　this　discussion…monarchy；　the　rule　of

the　few；　and　the　rule　of　the　many。

　　Y。　Soc。　True。

　　Str。　If　we　divide　each　of　these　we　shall　have　six；　from　which　the

true　one　may　be　distinguished　as　a　seventh。

　　Y。　Soc。　How　would　you　make　the　division？

　　Str。　Monarchy　divides　into　royalty　and　tyranny；　the　rule　of　the

few　into　aristocracy；　which　has　an　auspicious　name；　and　

oligarchy；　and

democracy　or　the　rule　of　the　many；　which　before　was　one；　must　now　be

divided。

　　Y。　Soc。　On　what　principle　of　division？

　　Str。　On　the　same　principle　as　before；　although　the　name　is　now

discovered　to　have　a　twofold　meaning；…For　the　distinction　of　ruling

with　law　or　without　applies　to　this　as　well　as　to　the　rest。

　　Y。　Soc。　Yes。

　　Str。　The　division　made　no　difference　when　we　were　looking　for　the

perfect　State；　as　we　showed　before。　But　now　that　this　has　been

separated　off；　and；　as　we　said；　the　others　alone　are　left　for　us；

the　principle　of　law　and　the　absence　of　law　will　bisect　them　all。

　　Y。　Soc。　That　would　seem　follow；　from　what　has　been　said。

　　Str。　Then　monarchy；　when　bound　by　good　prescriptions　or　

laws；　is　the

best　of　all　the　six；　and　when　lawless　is　the　most　bitter　and

oppressive　to　the　subject。

　　Y。　Soc。　True。

　　Str。　The　government　of　the　few　which　is　intermediate　

between　that　of

the　one　and　many；　is　also　intermediate　in　good　and　evil；　but　the

government　of　the　many　is　in　every　respect　weak　and　unable　to　do

either　any　great　good　or　any　great　evil；　when　compared　with　the

others；　because　the　offices　are　too　minutely　subdivided　and　too　many

hold　them。　And　this　therefore　is　the　worst　of　all　lawful

governments；　and　the　best　of　all　lawless　ones。　If　they　are　

all　without

the　restraints　of　law；　democracy　is　the　form　in　which　to　

live　is　best；

if　they　are　well　ordered　then　this　is　the　last　which　you　should

choose；　as　royalty；　the　first　form；　is　the　best；　with　the　

exception　of

the　seventh　for　that　excels　them　all；　and　is　among　States　what　God

is　among　men。

　　Y。　Soc。　You　are　quite　right；　and　we　should　choose　that　above　all。

　　Str。　The　members　of　all　these　States；　with　the　exception　of　the

one　which　has　knowledge　may　be　set　aside　as　being　not　Statesmen　but

partisans…upholders　of　the　most　monstrous　idols；　and　

themselves　idols；

and；　being　the　greatest　imitators　and　magicians；　they　are　also　the

greatest　of　Sophists。

　　Y。　Soc。　The　name　of　Sophist　after　many　windings　in　the　argument

appears　to　have　been　most　justly　fixed　upon　the　politicians；　as　they

are　termed。

　　Str。　And　so　our　satyric　drama　has　been　played　out；　and　the　troop

of　Centaurs　and　Satyrs；　however　unwilling　to　leave　the　stage；　have

at　last　been　separated　from　the　political　science。

　　Y。　Soc。　So　I　perceive。

　　Str。　There　remain；　however；　natures　still　more　troublesome；

because　they　are　more　nearly　akin　to　the　king；　and　more　difficult　to

discern；　the　examination　of　them　may　be　compared　to　the　process　of

refining　gold。

　　Y。　Soc。　What　is　your　meaning？

　　Str。　The　workmen　begin　by　sifting　away　the　earth　and　stones　and

the　like；　there　remain　in　a　confused　mass　the　valuable　clements　akin

to　gold；　which　can　only　be　separated　by　fire…copper；　silver；　

and　other

precious　metals；　these　are　at　last　refined　away　by　the　use　of　tests；

until　the　gold　is　left　quite　pure。

　　Y。　Soc。　Yes；　that　is　the　way　in　which　these　things　are　said　to　be

done。

　　Str。　In　like　manner；　all　alien　and　uncongenial　matter　has　been

separated　from　political　science；　and　what　is　precious　and　of　a

kindred　nature　has　been　left；　there　remain　the　nobler　arts　of　the

general　and　the　judge；　and　the　higher　sort　of　oratory　which　

is　an　ally

of　the　royal　art；　and　persuades　men　to　do　justice；　and　assists　in

guiding　the　helm　of　States：…How　can　we　best　clear　away　all　these；

leaving　him　whom　we　seek　alone　and　unalloyed？

　　Y。　Soc。　That　is　obviously　what　has　in　some　way　to　be　attempted。

　　Str。　If　the　attempt　is　all　that　is　wanting；　he　shall　certainly　be

brought　to　light；　and　I　think　that　the　illustration　of　music　may

assist　in　exhibiting　him。　Please　to　answer　me　a　question。

　　Y。　Soc。　What　question？

　　Str。　There　is　such　a　thing　as　learning　music　or　handicraft　arts　in

general？

　　Y。　Soc。　There　is。

　　Str。　And　is　there　any　higher　art　or　science；　having　power　to

decide　which　of　these　arts　are　and　are　not　to　be　learned；…what　do

you　say？

　　Y。　Soc。　I　should　answer　that　there　is。

　　Str。　And　do　we　acknowledge　this　science　to　be　different　from　the

others？

　　Y。　Soc。　Yes。

　　Str。　And　ought　the　other　sciences　to　be　superior　to　this；　or　no

single　science　to　any　other？　Or　ought　this　science　to　be　the

overseer　and　governor　of　all　the　others？

　　Y。　Soc。　The　latter。

　　Str。　You　mean　to　say　that　the　science　which　judges　whether　we

ought　to　learn　or　not；　must　be　superior　to　the　science　which　is

learned　or　which　teaches？

　　Y。　Soc。　Far　superior。

　　Str。　And　the　science　which　determines　whether　we　ought　to　persuade

or　not；　must　be　superior　to　the　science　which　is　able　to　persuade？

　　Y。　Soc。　Of　course。

　　Str。　Very　good；　and　to　what　science　do　we　assign　the　power　of

persuading　a　multitude　by　a　pleasing　tale　and　not　by　teaching？

　　Y。　Soc。　That　power；　I　think；　must　clearly　be　assigned　to　rhetoric。

　　Str。　And　to　what　science　do　we　give　the　power　of　

determining　whether

we　are　to　employ　persuasion　or　force　towards　any　one；　or　to　refrain

altogether？

　　Y。　Soc。　To　that　science　which　governs　the　arts　of　speech　and

persuasion。

　　Str。　Which；　if　I　am　not　mistaken；　will　be　politics？

　　Y。　Soc。　Very　good。

　　Str。　Rhetoric　seems　to　be　quickly　distinguished　from　

politics；　being

a　different　species；　yet　ministering　to　it。

　　Y。　Soc。　Yes。

　　Str。　But　what　would　you　think　of　another　sort　of　power　or　science？

　　Y。　Soc。　What　science？

　　Str。　The　science　which　has　to　do　with　military　operations　against

our　enemies…is　that　to　be　regarded　as　a　science　or　not？

　　Y。　Soc。　How　can　generalship　and　military　tactics　be　regarded　as

other　than　a　science？

　　Str。　And　is　the　art　which　is　able　and　knows　how　to　advise　when　we

are　to　go　to　war；　or　to　make　peace；　the　same　as　this　or　different？

　　Y。　Soc。　If　we　are　to　be　consistent；　we　must　say　different。

　　Str。　And　we　must　also　suppose　that　this　rules　the　other；　if　we　are

not　to　give　up　our　former　notion？

　　Y。　Soc。　True。

　　Str。　And；　considering　how　great　and　terrible　the　whole　art　of　war

is；　can　we　imagine　any　which　is　superior　to　it　but　the　truly　royal？

　　Y。　Soc。　No　other。

　　Str。　The　art　of　the　general　is　only　ministerial；　and　therefore　not

political？

　　Y。　Soc。　Exactly。

　　Str。　Once　more　let　us　consider　the　nature　of　the　righteous　judge。

　　Y。　Soc。　Very　good。

　　Str。　Does　he　do　anything　but　decide　the　dealings　of　men　with　one

another　to　be　just　or　unjust　in　accordance　with　the　standard　which

he　receives　from　the　king　and　legislator…showing　his　own　peculiar

virtue　only　in　this；　that　he　is　not　perverted　by　gifts；　or　fears；　or

pity；　or　by　any　sort　of　favour　or　enmity；　into　deciding　the　suits　of

men　with　one　another　contrary　to　the　appointment　of　the　legislator？

　　Y。　Soc。　No；　his　office　is　such　as　you　describe。

　　Str。　Then　the　inference　is　that　the　power　of　the　judge　is　

not　royal；

but　only　the　power　of　a　guardian　of　the　law　which　ministers　to　the

royal　power？

　　Y。　Soc。　True。

　　Str。　The　review　of　all　these　sciences　shows　that　none　of　them　is

political　or　royal。　For　the　truly　royal　ought　not　itself　to　act；　but

to　rule　over　those　who　are　able　to　act；　the　king　ought　to　

know　what　is

and　what　is　not　a　fitting　opportunity　for　taking　the　initiative　in

matters　of　the　greatest　importance；　whilst　others；　should　execute

his　orders。

　　Y。　Soc。　True。

　　Str。　And；　therefore；　the　arts　which　we　have　described；　as　they

have　no　authority　over　themselves　or　one　another；　but　are　

each　of　them

concerned　with　some　special　action　of　their　own；　have；　as　they　ought

to　have；　special　names　corresponding　to　their　several　actions。

　　Y。　Soc。　I　agree。

　　Str。　And　the　science　which　is　over　them　all；　and　has　charge　of　the

laws；　and　of　all　matters　affecting　the　State；　and　truly　weaves　them

all　into　one；　if　we　would　describe　under　a　name　characteristic　of

their　common　nature；　most　truly　we　may　call　politics。

　　Y。　Soc。　Exactly　so。

　　Str。　Then；　now　that　we　have　discovered　the