alexandria and her schools-第10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！
ce； or as Socrates； Plato； and Aristotle。 In these three last indeed； Greek thought reached not merely its greatest height； but the edge of a precipice； down which it rolled headlong after their decease。 The intellectual defects of the Greek mind； of which I have already spoken； were doubtless one great cause of this decay： but； to my mind； moral causes had still more to do with it。 The more cultivated Greek states； to judge from the writings of Plato； had not been an over… righteous people during the generation in which he lived。 And in the generations which followed； they became an altogether wicked people； immoral； unbelieving； hating good； and delighting in all which was evil。 And it was in consequence of these very sins of theirs； as I think； that the old Hellenic race began to die out physically； and population throughout Greece to decrease with frightful rapidity； after the time of the Achaean league。 The facts are well known； and foul enough they are。 When the Romans destroyed Greece； God was just and merciful。 The eagles were gathered together only because the carrion needed to be removed from the face of God's earth。 And at the time of which I now speak； the signs of approaching death were fearfully apparent。 Hapless and hopeless enough were the clique of men out of whom the first two Ptolemies hoped to form a school of philosophy； men certainly clever enough； and amusing withal； who might give the kings of Egypt many a shrewd lesson in king…craft； and the ways of this world； and the art of profiting by the folly of fools； and the selfishness of the selfish； or who might amuse them； in default of fighting…cocks； by puns and repartees； and battles of logic； 〃how one thing cannot be predicated of another；〃 or 〃how the wise man is not only to overcome every misfortune； but not even to feel it；〃 and other such mighty questions； which in those days hid that deep unbelief in any truth whatsoever which was spreading fast over the minds of men。 Such word…splitters were Stilpo and Diodorus； the slayer and the slain。 They were of the Megaran school； and were named Dialectics； and also； with more truth； Eristics； or quarrellers。 Their clique had professed to follow Zeno and Socrates in declaring the instability of sensible presumptions and conclusions； in preaching an absolute and eternal Being。 But there was this deep gulf between them and Socrates； that while Socrates professed to be seeking for the Absolute and Eternal； for that which is； they were content with affirming that it exists。 With him； as with the older sages； philosophy was a search for truth。 With them it was a scheme of doctrines to be defended。 And the dialectic on which they prided themselves so much； differed from his accordingly。 He used it inductively； to seek out； under the notions and conceptions of the mind； certain absolute truths and laws of which they were only the embodiment。 Words and thought were to him a field for careful and reverent induction； as the phenomena of nature are to us the disciples of Bacon。 But with these hapless Megarans； who thought that they had found that for which Socrates professed only to seek dimly and afar off； and had got it safe in a dogma； preserved as it were in spirits； and put by in a museum； the great use of dialectic was to confute opponents。 Delight in their own subtlety grew on them； the worship not of objective truth； but of the forms of the intellect whereby it may be demonstrated； till they became the veriest word…splitters； rivals of the old sophists whom their master had attacked； and justified too often Aristophanes' calumny； which confounded Socrates with his opponents； as a man whose aim was to make the worse appear the better reason。
We have here； in both parties； all the marks of an age of exhaustion； of scepticism； of despair about finding any real truth。 No wonder that they were superseded by the Pyrrhonists； who doubted all things； and by the Academy； which prided itself on setting up each thing to knock it down again； and so by prudent and well…bred and tolerant qualifying of every assertion； neither affirming too much； nor denying too much； keep their minds in a wholesomeor unwholesomestate of equilibrium； as stagnant pools are kept； that everything may have free toleration to rot undisturbed。
These hapless caricaturists of the dialectic of Plato； and the logic of Aristotle； careless of any vital principles or real results； ready enough to use fallacies each for their own party； and openly proud of their success in doing so； were assisted by worthy compeers of an outwardly opposite tone of thought； the Cyrenaics； Theodorus and Hegesias。 With their clique； as with their master Aristippus； the senses were the only avenues to knowledge； man was the measure of all things； and 〃happiness our being's end and aim。〃 Theodorus was surnamed the Atheist； and； it seems； not without good reason； for he taught that there was no absolute or eternal difference between good and evil； nothing really disgraceful in crimes； no divine ground for laws； which according to him had been invented by men to prevent fools from making themselves disagreeable； on which theory； laws must be confessed to have been in all ages somewhat of a failure。 He seems to have been； like his master； an impudent light…hearted fellow； who took life easily enough； laughed at patriotism； and all other high…flown notions； boasted that the world was his country； and was no doubt excellent after…dinner company for the great king。 Hegesias； his fellow Cyrenaic； was a man of a darker and more melancholic temperament； and while Theodorus contented himself with preaching a comfortable selfishness； and obtaining pleasure； made it rather his study to avoid pain。 Doubtless both their theories were popular enough at Alexandria； as they were in France during the analogous period； the Siecle Louis Quinze。 The 〃Contrat Social；〃 and the rest of their doctrines； moral and metaphysical； will always have their admirers on earth； as long as that variety of the human species exists for whose especial behoof Theodorus held that laws were made； and the whole form of thought met with great approbation in after years at Rome； where Epicurus carried it to its highest perfection。 After that； under the pressure of a train of rather severe lessons； which Gibbon has detailed in his 〃Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire；〃 little or nothing was heard of it； save sotto voce； perhaps； at the Papal courts of the sixteenth century。 To revive it publicly； or at least as much of it as could be borne by a world now for seventeen centuries Christian； was the glory of the eighteenth century。 The moral scheme of Theodorus has now nearly vanished among us； at least as a confessed creed； and； in spite of the authority of Mr。 Locke's great and good name； his metaphysical scheme is showing signs of a like approaching disappearance。 Let us hope that it may be a speedy one； for if the senses be the only avenues to knowledge； if man be the measure of all things； and if law have not； as Hooker says； her fount and home in the very bosom of God himself； then was Homer's Zeus right in declaring man to be 〃the most wretched of all the beasts of the field。〃
And yet one cannot help looking with a sort of awe （I dare not call it respect） at that melancholic faithless Hegesias。 Doubtless he； like his compeers； and indeed all Alexandria for three hundred years； cultivated philosophy with no more real purpose than it was cultivated by the graceless beaux…esprits of Louis XV。's court； and with as little practical effect on morality； but of this Hegesias alone it stands written； that his teaching actually made men do something； and moreover； do the most solemn and important thing which any man can do； excepting always doing right。 I must confess； however； that the result of his teaching took so unexpected a form； that the reigning Ptolemy； apparently Philadelphus； had to interfere with the sacred right of every man to talk as much nonsense as he likes； and forbade Hegesias to teach at Alexandria。 For Hegesias； a Cyrenaic like Theodorus； but a rather more morose pedant than that saucy and happy scoffer； having discovered that the great end of man was to avoid pain； also discovered （his digestion being probably in a disordered state） that there was so much more pain than pleasure in the world； as to make it a thoroughly disagreeable place； of which man was well rid at any price。 Whereon he wrote a book called； ＇Greek text： apokarteroon＇； in which a man who had determined to starve himself； preached the miseries of human life； and the blessings of death； with such overpowering force； that the book actually drove many persons to commit suicide； and escape from a world which was not fit to dwell in。 A fearful proof of how rotten the state of society was becoming； how desperate the minds of men； during those frightful centuries which immediately preceded the Christian era； and how fast was approaching that dark chaos of unbelief and unrighteousness； which Paul of Tarsus so analyses and describes in the first chapter of his Epistle to the Romanswhen the old light was lost； the old faiths extinct； the old reverence for the laws of family and national life； destroyed； yea even the n
