statesman-第14节

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　　Y。　Soc。　Exactly　so。

　　Str。　Then；　now　that　we　have　discovered　the　various　classes　in　a

State；　shall　I　analyse　politics　after　the　pattern　which　weaving

supplied？

　　Y。　Soc。　I　greatly　wish　that　you　would。

　　Str。　Then　I　must　describe　the　nature　of　the　royal　web；　and　show

how　the　various　threads　are　woven　into　one　piece。

　　Y。　Soc。　Clearly。

　　Str。　A　task　has　to　be　accomplished；　which　although　difficult；

appears　to　be　necessary。

　　Y。　Soc。　Certainly　the　attempt　must　be　made。

　　Str。　To　assume　that　one　part　of　virtue　differs　in　kind　

from　another；

is　a　position　easily　assailable　by　contentious　disputants；　who

appeal　to　popular　opinion。

　　Y。　Soc。　I　do　not　understand。

　　Str。　Let　me　put　the　matter　in　another　way：　I　suppose　that　you

would　consider　courage　to　be　a　part　of　virtue？

　　Y。　Soc。　Certainly　I　should。

　　Str。　And　you　would　think　temperance　to　be　different　from　courage；

and　likewise　to　be　a　part　of　virtue？

　　Y。　Soc。　True。

　　Str。　I　shall　venture　to　put　forward　a　strange　theory　about　them。

　　Y。　Soc。　What　is　it？

　　Str。　That　they　are　two　principles　which　thoroughly　hate　one

another　and　are　antagonistic　throughout　a　great　part　of　nature。

　　Y。　Soc。　How　singular！

　　Str。　Yes　very…for　all　the　parts　of　virtue　are　commonly　said　to　be

friendly　to　one　another。

　　Y。　Soc。　Yes。

　　Str。　Then　let　us　carefully　investigate　whether　this　is　universally

true；　or　whether　there　are　not　parts　of　virtue　which　are　at　war　with

their　kindred　in　some　respect。

　　Y。　Soc。　Tell　me　how　we　shall　consider　that　question。

　　Str。　We　must　extend　our　enquiry　to　all　those　things　which　we

consider　beautiful　and　at　the　same　time　place　in　two　

opposite　classes。

　　Y。　Soc。　Explain；　what　are　they？

　　Str。　Acuteness　and　quickness；　whether　in　body　or　soul　or　in　the

movement　of　sound；　and　the　imitations　of　them　which　painting　

and　music

supply；　you　must　have　praised　yourself　before　now；　or　been　present

when　others　praised　them。

　　Y。　Soc。　Certainly。

　　Str。　And　do　you　remember　the　terms　in　which　they　are　praised？

　　Y。　Soc。　I　do　not。

　　Str。　I　wonder　whether　I　can　explain　to　you　in　words　the　thought

which　is　passing　in　my　mind。

　　Y。　Soc。　Why　not？

　　Str。　You　fancy　that　this　is　all　so　easy：　Well；　let　us　

consider　these

notions　with　reference　to　the　opposite　classes　of　action　under　which

they　fall。　When　we　praise　quickness　and　energy　and　acuteness；

whether　of　mind　or　body　or　sound；　we　express　our　praise　of　

the　quality

which　we　admire　by　one　word；　and　that　one　word　is　manliness　or

courage。

　　Y。　Soc。　How？

　　Str。　We　speak　of　an　action　as　energetic　and　brave；　quick　and

manly；　and　vigorous　too；　and　when　we　apply　the　name　of　which　I　speak

as　the　common　attribute　of　all　these　natures；　we　certainly　praise

them。

　　Y。　Soc。　True。

　　Str。　And　do　we　not　often　praise　the　quiet　strain　of　action　also？

　　Y。　Soc。　To　be　sure。

　　Str。　And　do　we　not　then　say　the　opposite　of　what　we　said　of　the

other？

　　Y。　Soc。　How　do　you　mean？

　　Str。　We　exclaim　How　calm！　How　temperate！　in　admiration　of　the　slow

and　quiet　working　of　the　intellect；　and　of　steadiness　and　gentleness

in　action；　of　smoothness　and　depth　of　voice；　and　of　all　rhythmical

movement　and　of　music　in　general；　when　these　have　a　proper

solemnity。　Of　all　such　actions　we　predicate　not　courage；　but　a　name

indicative　of　order。

　　Y。　Soc。　Very　true。

　　Str。　But　when；　on　the　other　hand；　either　of　these　is　out　of　place；

the　names　of　either　are　changed　into　terms　of　censure。

　　Y。　Soc。　How　so？

　　Str。　Too　great　sharpness　or　quickness　or　hardness　is　

termed　violence

or　madness；　too　great　slowness　or　gentleness　is　called　cowardice　or

sluggishness；　and　we　may　observe；　that　for　the　most　part　these

qualities；　and　the　temperance　and　manliness　of　the　opposite

characters；　are　arrayed　as　enemies　on　opposite　sides；　and　do　not

mingle　with　one　another　in　their　respective　actions；　and　if　we

pursue　the　enquiry；　we　shall　find　that　men　who　have　these　different

qualities　of　mind　differ　from　one　another。

　　Y。　Soc。　In　what　respect？

　　Str。　In　respect　of　all　the　qualities　which　I　mentioned；　and　very

likely　of　many　others。　According　to　their　respective　affinities　to

either　class　of　actions　they　distribute　praise　and　

blame…praise　to　the

actions　which　are　akin　to　their　own；　blame　to　those　of　the　opposite

party…and　out　of　this　many　quarrels　and　occasions　of　quarrel　arise

among　them。

　　Y。　Soc。　True。

　　Str。　The　difference　between　the　two　classes　is　often　a　trivial

concern；　but　in　a　state；　and　when　affecting　really　important

matters；　becomes　of　all　disorders　the　most　hateful。

　　Y。　Soc。　To　what　do　you　refer？

　　Str。　To　nothing　short　of　the　whole　regulation　of　human　

life。　For　the

orderly　class　are　always　ready　to　lead　a　peaceful　life；　quietly

doing　their　own　business；　this　is　their　manner　of　behaving　with　all

men　at　home；　and　they　are　equally　ready　to　find　some　way　of　keeping

the　peace　with　foreign　States。　And　on　account　of　this　fondness　of

theirs　for　peace；　which　is　often　out　of　season　where　their　influence

prevails；　they　become　by　degrees　unwarlike；　and　bring　up　their　young

men　to　be　like　themselves；　they　are　at　the　mercy　of　their　enemies；

whence　in　a　few　years　they　and　their　children　and　the　whole　

city　often

pass　imperceptibly　from　the　condition　of　freemen　into　that　of　slaves。

　　Y。　Soc。　What　a　cruel　fate！

　　Str。　And　now　think　of　what　happens　with　the　more　

courageous　natures。

Are　they　not　always　inciting　their　country　to　go　to　war；　owing　to

their　excessive　love　of　the　military　life？　they　raise　up　enemies

against　themselves　many　and　mighty；　and　either　utterly　ruin　their

native　land　or　enslave　and　subject　it　to　its　foes？

　　Y。　Soc。　That；　again；　is　true。

　　Str。　Must　we　not　admit；　then；　that　where　these　two　classes　exist。

they　always　feel　the　greatest　antipathy　and　antagonism　towards　one

another？

　　Y。　Soc。　We　cannot　deny　it。

　　Str。　And　returning　to　the　enquiry　with　which　we　began；　have　we　not

found　that　considerable　portions　of　virtue　are　at　variance　with　one

another；　and　give　rise　to　a　similar　opposition　in　the　characters　who

are　endowed　with　them？

　　Y。　Soc。　True。

　　Str。　Let　us　consider　a　further　point。

　　Y。　Soc。　What　is　it？

　　Str。　I　want　to　know；　whether　any　constructive　art　will　make　any；

even　the　most　trivial　thing；　out　of　bad　and　good　materials

indifferently；　if　this　can　be　helped？　does　not　all　art　rather　reject

the　bad　as　far　as　possible；　and　accept　the　good　and　fit　

materials；　and

from　these　elements；　whether　like　or　unlike；　gathering　them　all　into

one；　work　out　some　nature　or　idea？

　　Y。　Soc。　To；　be　sure。

　　Str。　Then　the　true　and　natural　art　of　statesmanship　will　

never　allow

any　State　to　be　formed　by　a　combination　of　good　and　bad　men；　if　this

can　be　avoided；　but　will　begin　by　testing　human　natures　in　play；　and

after　testing　them；　will　entrust　them　to　proper　teachers　who　are　the

ministers　of　her　purposes…she　will　herself　give　orders；　and　maintain

authority；　just　as　the　art　of　weaving　continually　gives　orders　and

maintains　authority　over　the　carders　and　all　the　others　who　prepare

the　material　for　the　work；　commanding　the　subsidiary　arts　to　execute

the　works　which　she　deems　necessary　for　making　the　web。

　　Y。　Soc。　Quite　true。

　　Str。　In　like　manner；　the　royal　science　appears　to　me　to　be　the

mistress　of　all　lawful　educators　and　instructors；　and　having　this

queenly　power；　will　not　permit　them　to　train　men　in　what　will

produce　characters　unsuited　to　the　political　constitution　which　she

desires　to　create；　but　only　in　what　will　produce　such　as　are　

suitable。

Those　which　have　no　share　of　manliness　and　temperance；　or　any　other

virtuous　inclination；　and；　from　the　necessity　of　an　evil　nature；　are

violently　carried　away　to　godlessness　and　insolence　and　

injustice；　she

gets　rid　of　by　death　and　exile；　and　punishes　them　with　the　

greatest　of

disgraces。

　　Y。　Soc。　That　is　commonly　said。

　　Str。　But　those　who　are　wallowing　in　ignorance　and　baseness　she

bows　under　the　yoke　of　slavery。

　　Y。　Soc。　Quite　right。

　　Str。　The　rest　of　the　citizens；　out　of　whom；　if　they　have

education；　something　noble　may　be　made；　and　who　are　capable　of　being

united　by　the　Statesman；　the　kingly　art　blends　and　weaves　together；

taking　on　the　one　hand　those　whose　natures　tend　rather　to　courage；

which　is　the　stronger　element　and　may　be　regarded　as　the　warp；　and

on　the　other　hand　those　which　incline　to　order　and　gentleness；　and

which　are　represented　in　the　figure　as　spun　thick　and　soft　after　the

manner　of　the　woof…these；　which　are　naturally　opposed；　she　seeks　to

bind　and　weave　together　in　the　following　manner：

　　Y。　Soc。　In　what　manner？

　　Str。　First　of　all；　she　takes　the　eternal　element　of　the　soul　and

binds　it　with　a　divine　cord；　to　which　it　is　akin；　and　then　the

animal　nature；　and　binds　that　with　human　cords。

　　Y。　Soc。　I　do　not　understand　what　you　mean。

　　Str。　The　meaning　is；　that　the　opinion　about　the　honourable　and　the

just　and　good　and　their　opposites；　which　is　true　and　confirmed　by

reason；　is　a　divine　principle；　and　when　implanted　in　the　soul；　is

implanted；　as　I　maintain；　in　a　nature　of　heavenly　birt