phaedo-第3节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！




　　And　what　do　you　say　of　the　pleasures　of　love…should　he　care　about



them？



　　By　no　means。



　　And　will　he　think　much　of　the　other　ways　of　indulging　the　body…for



example；　the　acquisition　of　costly　raiment；　or　sandals；　or　other



adornments　of　the　body？　Instead　of　caring　about　them；　does　he　not



rather　despise　anything　more　than　nature　needs？　What　do　you　say？



　　I　should　say　the　true　philosopher　would　despise　them。



　　Would　you　not　say　that　he　is　entirely　concerned　with　the　soul　and



not　with　the　body？　He　would　like；　as　far　as　he　can；　to　be　quit　of



the　body　and　turn　to　the　soul。



　　That　is　true。



　　In　matters　of　this　sort　philosophers；　above　all　other　men；　may　be



observed　in　every　sort　of　way　to　dissever　the　soul　from　the　body。



　　That　is　true。



　　Whereas；　Simmias；　the　rest　of　the　world　are　of　opinion　that　a　life



which　has　no　bodily　pleasures　and　no　part　in　them　is　not　worth　having；



but　that　he　who　thinks　nothing　of　bodily　pleasures　is　almost　as　though



he　were　dead。



　　That　is　quite　true。



　　What　again　shall　we　say　of　the　actual　acquirement　of　knowledge？…is



the　body；　if　invited　to　share　in　the　inquiry；　a　hinderer　or　a



helper？　I　mean　to　say；　have　sight　and　hearing　any　truth　in　them？　Are



they　not；　as　the　poets　are　always　telling　us；　inaccurate　witnesses？



and　yet；　if　even　they　are　inaccurate　and　indistinct；　what　is　to　be



said　of　the　other　senses？…for　you　will　allow　that　they　are　the　best　of



them？



　　Certainly；　he　replied。



　　Then　when　does　the　soul　attain　truth？…for　in　attempting　to



consider　anything　in　company　with　the　body　she　is　obviously　deceived。



　　Yes；　that　is　true。



　　Then　must　not　existence　be　revealed　to　her　in　thought；　if　at　all？



　　Yes。



　　And　thought　is　best　when　the　mind　is　gathered　into　herself　and



none　of　these　things　trouble　her…neither　sounds　nor　sights　nor　pain



nor　any　pleasure…when　she　has　as　little　as　possible　to　do　with　the



body；　and　has　no　bodily　sense　or　feeling；　but　is　aspiring　after　being？



　　That　is　true。



　　And　in　this　the　philosopher　dishonors　the　body；　his　soul　runs　away



from　the　body　and　desires　to　be　alone　and　by　herself？



　　That　is　true。



　　Well；　but　there　is　another　thing；　Simmias：　Is　there　or　is　there



not　an　absolute　justice？



　　Assuredly　there　is。



　　And　an　absolute　beauty　and　absolute　good？



　　Of　course。



　　But　did　you　ever　behold　any　of　them　with　your　eyes？



　　Certainly　not。



　　Or　did　you　ever　reach　them　with　any　other　bodily　sense？　（and　I　speak



not　of　these　alone；　but　of　absolute　greatness；　and　health；　and



strength；　and　of　the　essence　or　true　nature　of　everything）。　Has　the



reality　of　them　ever　been　perceived　by　you　through　the　bodily



organs？　or　rather；　is　not　the　nearest　approach　to　the　knowledge　of



their　several　natures　made　by　him　who　so　orders　his　intellectual



vision　as　to　have　the　most　exact　conception　of　the　essence　of　that



which　he　considers？



　　Certainly。



　　And　he　attains　to　the　knowledge　of　them　in　their　highest　purity



who　goes　to　each　of　them　with　the　mind　alone；　not　allowing　when　in　the



act　of　thought　the　intrusion　or　introduction　of　sight　or　any　other



sense　in　the　company　of　reason；　but　with　the　very　light　of　the　mind　in



her　clearness　penetrates　into　the　very　fight　of　truth　in　each；　he



has　got　rid；　as　far　as　he　can；　of　eyes　and　ears　and　of　the　whole　body；



which　he　conceives　of　only　as　a　disturbing　element；　hindering　the　soul



from　the　acquisition　of　knowledge　when　in　company　with　her…is　not　this



the　sort　of　man　who；　if　ever　man　did；　is　likely　to　attain　the



knowledge　of　existence？



　　There　is　admirable　truth　in　that；　Socrates；　replied　Simmias。



　　And　when　they　consider　all　this；　must　not　true　philosophers　make　a



reflection；　of　which　they　will　speak　to　one　another　in　such　words　as



these：　We　have　found；　they　will　say；　a　path　of　speculation　which　seems



to　bring　us　and　the　argument　to　the　conclusion　that　while　we　are　in



the　body；　and　while　the　soul　is　mingled　with　this　mass　of　evil；　our



desire　will　not　be　satisfied；　and　our　desire　is　of　the　truth。　For



the　body　is　a　source　of　endless　trouble　to　us　by　reason　of　the　mere



requirement　of　food；　and　also　is　liable　to　diseases　which　overtake　and



impede　us　in　the　search　after　truth：　and　by　filling　us　so　full　of



loves；　and　lusts；　and　fears；　and　fancies；　and　idols；　and　every　sort　of



folly；　prevents　our　ever　having；　as　people　say；　so　much　as　a



thought。　For　whence　come　wars；　and　fightings；　and　factions？　whence　but



from　the　body　and　the　lusts　of　the　body？　For　wars　are　occasioned　by



the　love　of　money；　and　money　has　to　be　acquired　for　the　sake　and　in



the　service　of　the　body；　and　in　consequence　of　all　these　things　the



time　which　ought　to　be　given　to　philosophy　is　lost。　Moreover；　if　there



is　time　and　an　inclination　toward　philosophy；　yet　the　body



introduces　a　turmoil　and　confusion　and　fear　into　the　course　of



speculation；　and　hinders　us　from　seeing　the　truth：　and　all



experience　shows　that　if　we　would　have　pure　knowledge　of　anything　we



must　be　quit　of　the　body；　and　the　soul　in　herself　must　behold　all



things　in　themselves：　then　I　suppose　that　we　shall　attain　that　which



we　desire；　and　of　which　we　say　that　we　are　lovers；　and　that　is　wisdom；



not　while　we　live；　but　after　death；　as　the　argument　shows；　for　if



while　in　company　with　the　body　the　soul　cannot　have　pure　knowledge；



one　of　two　things　seems　to　follow…either　knowledge　is　not　to　be



attained　at　all；　or；　if　at　all；　after　death。　For　then；　and　not　till



then；　the　soul　will　be　in　herself　alone　and　without　the　body。　In



this　present　life；　I　reckon　that　we　make　the　nearest　approach　to



knowledge　when　we　have　the　least　possible　concern　or　interest　in　the



body；　and　are　not　saturated　with　the　bodily　nature；　but　remain　pure



until　the　hour　when　God　himself　is　pleased　to　release　us。　And　then　the



foolishness　of　the　body　will　be　cleared　away　and　we　shall　be　pure



and　hold　converse　with　other　pure　souls；　and　know　of　ourselves　the



clear　light　everywhere；　and　this　is　surely　the　light　of　truth。　For



no　impure　thing　is　allowed　to　approach　the　pure。　These　are　the　sort　of



words；　Simmias；　which　the　true　lovers　of　wisdom　cannot　help　saying



to　one　another；　and　thinking。　You　will　agree　with　me　in　that？



　　Certainly；　Socrates。



　　But　if　this　is　true；　O　my　friend；　then　there　is　great　hope　that；



going　whither　I　go；　I　shall　there　be　satisfied　with　that　which　has



been　the　chief　concern　of　you　and　me　in　our　past　lives。　And　now　that



the　hour　of　departure　is　appointed　to　me；　this　is　the　hope　with



which　I　depart；　and　not　I　only；　but　every　man　who　believes　that　he　has



his　mind　purified。



　　Certainly；　replied　Simmias。



　　And　what　is　purification　but　the　separation　of　the　soul　from　the



body；　as　I　was　saying　before；　the　habit　of　the　soul　gathering　and



collecting　herself　into　herself；　out　of　all　the　courses　of　the　body；



the　dwelling　in　her　own　place　alone；　as　in　another　life；　so　also　in



this；　as　far　as　she　can；　the　release　of　the　soul　from　the　chains　of



the　body？



　　Very　true；　he　said。



　　And　what　is　that　which　is　termed　death；　but　this　very　separation　and



release　of　the　soul　from　the　body？



　　To　be　sure；　he　said。



　　And　the　true　philosophers；　and　they　only；　study　and　are　eager　to



release　the　soul。　Is　not　the　separation　and　release　of　the　soul　from



the　body　their　especial　study？



　　That　is　true。



　　And　as　I　was　saying　at　first；　there　would　be　a　ridiculous



contradiction　in　men　studying　to　live　as　nearly　as　they　can　in　a　state



of　death；　and　yet　repining　when　death　comes。



　　Certainly。



　　Then；　Simmias；　as　the　true　philosophers　are　ever　studying　death；



to　them；　of　all　men；　death　is　the　least　terrible。　Look　at　the　matter



in　this　way：　how　inconsistent　of　them　to　have　been　always　enemies　of



the　body；　and　wanting　to　have　the　soul　alone；　and　when　this　is　granted



to　them；　to　be　trembling　and　repining；　instead　of　rejoicing　at　their



departing　to　that　place　where；　when　they　arrive；　they　hope　to　gain



that　which　in　life　they　loved　（and　this　was　wisdom）；　and　at　the　same



time　to　be　rid　of　the　company　of　their　enemy。　Many　a　man　has　been



willing　to　go　to　the　world　below　in　the　hope　of　seeing　there　an



earthly　love；　or　wife；　or　son；　and　conversing　with　them。　And　will　he



who　is　a　true　lover　of　wisdom；　and　is　persuaded　in　like　manner　that



only　in　the　world　below　he　can　worthily　enjoy　her；　still　repine　at



death？　Will　he　not　depart　with　joy？　Surely　he　will；　my　friend；　if　he



be　a　true　philosopher。　For　he　will　have　a　firm　conviction　that　there



only；　and　nowhere　else；　he　can　find　wisdom　in　her　purity。　And　if



this　be　true；　he　would　be　very　absurd；　as　I　was　saying；　if　he　were



to　fear　death。



　　He　would；　indeed；　replied　Simmias。



　　And　when　you　see　a　man　who　is　repining　at　the　approach　of　death；



i