the memorabilia-第34节

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　　　　he　who　does　so　involuntarily　is　illiterate　and　a　bad　grammarian？〃

Euth。　True；　he　must　be。　I　do　not　see　how　to　escape　from　that
conclusion。

Soc。　And　which　of　the　two　knows　what　is　righthe　who　intentionally
lies　and　deceives；　or　he　who　lies　and　deceives　unconsciously？＇36＇

＇36＇　Or；　Soc。　And　does　he　who　lies　and　deceives　with　intent　know　what
　　　　is　right　rather　than　he　who　does　either　or　both　unconsciously？

　　　　Euth。　Clearly　he　does。

Euth。　The　intentional　and　conscious　liar　clearly。

Soc。　Well　then；　your　statement　is　this：　on　the　one　hand；　the　man　who
has　the　knowledge　of　letters　is　more　lettered　than　he　who　has　no　such
knowledge？＇37＇

＇37＇　　Or；　Soc。　It　is　a　fair　inference；　is　it　not；　that　he　who　has　the
　　　　｛episteme｝　of　grammar　is　more　grammatical　than　he　who　has　no　such
　　　　｛episteme｝？

　　　　Euth。　Yes。

　　　　Soc。　And　he　who　has　the　｛episteme｝　of　things　rightful　is　more
　　　　righteous　than　he　who　lacks　the　｛episteme｝？　See　Plat。　〃Hipp。
　　　　min。〃；　Arist。　〃Eth。　Eud。〃　VI。　v。　7。

Euth。　Yes。

Soc。　And；　on　the　other；　he　who　has　the　knowledge　of　what　is　right　is
more　righteous　than　he　who　lacks　that　knowledge？

Euth。　I　suppose　it　is；　but　for　the　life　of　me　I　cannot　make　head　or
tail　of　my　own　admission。＇38＇

＇38＇　Lit。　〃Apparently；　but　I　appear　to　myself　to　be　saying　this　also；
　　　　heaven　knows　how。〃　See　Jowett；　〃Plato；〃　ii。　p。　416　（ed。　2）。

Soc。　Well　（look　at　it　like　this）。　Suppose　a　man　to　be　anxious　to　speak
the　truth；　but　he　is　never　able　to　hold　the　same　language　about　a
thing　for　two　minutes　together。　First　he　says：　〃The　road　is　towards
the　east；〃　and　then　he　says；　〃No；　it's　towards　the　west〃；　or；　running
up　a　column　of　figures；　now　he　makes　the　product　this；　and　again　he
makes　it　that；　now　more；　now　lesswhat　do　you　think　of　such　a　man？

Euth。　Heaven　help　us！　clearly　he　does　not　know　what　he　thought　he
knew。

Soc。　And　you　know　the　appellation　given　to　certain　people
〃slavish；〃＇39＇　or；　〃little　better　than　a　slave？〃

＇39＇　｛andropododeis｝；　which　has　the　connotation　of　mental　dulness；　and
　　　　a　low　order　of　intellect；　cf。　〃boorish；'　〃rustic；〃　〃loutish；〃
　　　　（〃pariah；〃　conceivably）。　〃Slavish；〃　〃servile；〃　with　us　connote
　　　　moral　rather　than　intellectual　deficiency；　I　suppose。　Hence　it　is
　　　　impossible　to　preserve　the　humour　of　the　Socratic　argument。　See
　　　　Newman；　op。　cit。　i。　107。

Euth。　I　do。

Soc。　Is　it　a　term　suggestive　of　the　wisdom　or　the　ignorance　of　those
to　whom　it　is　applied？

Euth。　Clearly　of　their　ignorance。

Soc。　Ignorance；　for　instance；　of　smithying？

Euth。　No；　certainly　not。

Soc。　Then　possibly　ignorance　of　carpentering？

Euth。　No；　nor　yet　ignorance　of　carpentering。

Soc。　Well；　ignorance　of　shoemaking？

Euth。　No；　nor　ignorance　of　any　of　these：　rather　the　reverse；　for　the
majority　of　those　who　do　know　just　these　matters　are　〃little　better
than　slaves。〃

Soc。　You　mean　it　is　a　title　particularly　to　those　who　are　ignorant　of
the　beautiful；　the　good；　the　just？＇40＇

＇40＇　Cf。　Goethe's　〃Im　Ganzen　Guten　Schonen　resolut　zu　leben。〃

It　is；　in　my　opinion　（he　replied）。

Soc。　Then　we　must　in　every　way　strain　every　nerve　to　avoid　the
imputation　of　being　slaves？

Euth。　Nay；　Socrates；　by　all　that　is　holy；　I　did　flatter　myself　that　at
any　rate　I　was　a　student　of　philosophy；　and　on　the　right　road　to　be
taught　everything　essential　to　one　who　would　fain　make　beauty　and
goodness　his　pursuit。＇41＇　So　that　now　you　may　well　imagine　my　despair
when；　for　all　my　pains　expended；　I　cannot　even　answer　the　questions
put　to　me　about　what　most　of　all　a　man　should　know；　and　there　is　no
path　of　progress　open　to　me；　no　avenue　of　improvement　left。

＇41＇　｛tes　kalokagathias｝；　the　virtue　of　the　｛kalos　te　kagathos｝
　　　　nobility　of　soul。　Cf。　above；　I。　vi。　14。

Thereupon　Socrates：　Tell　me；　Euthydemus；　have　you　ever　been　to　Delphi？

Yes；　certainly；　twice　（said　he）。

Soc。　And　did　you　notice　an　inscription　somewhere　on　the　temple：　｛GNOMI
　　　　SEAUTON｝KNOW　THYSELF？

Euth。　I　did。

Soc。　Did　you；　possibly；　pay　no　regard　to　the　inscription？　or　did　you
give　it　heed　and　try　to　discover　who　and　what　you　were？

I　can　safely　say　I　did　not　（he　answered）。　That　much　I　made　quite　sure
I　knew；　at　any　rate；　since　if　I　did　not　know　even　myself；　what　in　the
world　did　I　know？

Soc。　Can　a　man　be　said；　do　you　think；　to　know　himself　who　knows　his
own　name　and　nothing　more？　or　must　he　not　rather　set　to　work　precisely
like　the　would…be　purchaser　of　a　horse；　who　certainly　does　not　think
that　he　has　got　the　knowledge　he　requires　until　he　has　discovered
whether　the　beast　is　tractable　or　stubborn；　strong　or　weak；　quick　or
slow；　and　how　it　stands　with　the　other　points；　serviceable　or　the
reverse；　in　reference　to　the　use　and　purpose　of　a　horse？　So；　I　say；
must　a　man　in　like　manner　interrogate　his　own　nature　in　reference　to　a
man's　requirements；　and　learn　to　know　his　own　capacities；　must　he　not？

Euth。　Yes；　so　it　strikes　me：　he　who　knows　not　his　own　ability　knows
not　himself。

Soc。　And　this　too　is　plain；　is　it　not：　that　through　self…knowledge　men
meet　with　countless　blessings；　and　through　ignorance　of　themselves
with　many　evils？　Because；　the　man　who　knows　himself　knows　what　is
advantageous　to　himself；　he　discerns　the　limits　of　his　powers；　and　by
doing　what　he　knows；　he　provides　himself　with　what　he　needs　and　so
does　well；　or；　conversely；　by　holding　aloof　from　what　he　knows　not；　he
avoids　mistakes　and　thereby　mishaps。　And　having　now　a　test　to　gauge
other　human　beings　he　uses　their　need　as　a　stepping…stone　to　provide
himself　with　good　and　to　avoid　evil。　Whereas　he　who　does　not　know
himself；　but　is　mistaken　as　to　his　own　capacity；　is　in　like
predicament　to　the　rest　of　mankind　and　all　human　matters　else；　he
neither　knows　what　he　wants；　nor　what　he　is　doing；　nor　the　people　whom
he　deals　with；　and　being　all　abroad　in　these　respects；　he　misses　what
is　good　and　becomes　involved　in　what　is　ill。

Again；　he　that　knows　what　he　is　doing　through　the　success　of　his
performance　attains　to　fame　and　honour；　his　peers　and　co…mates　are
glad　to　make　use　of　him；　whilst　his　less　successful　neighbours；
failing　in　their　affairs；　are　anxious　to　secure　his　advice；　his
guidance；　his　protection；＇42＇　they　place　their　hopes　of　happiness　in
him；　and　for　all　these　causes＇43＇　single　him　out　as　the　chief　object
of　their　affection。　He；　on　the　contrary；　who　knows　not　what　he　does；
who　chooses　amiss　and　fails　in　what　he　puts　his　hands　to；　not　only
incurs　loss　and　suffers　chastisement　through　his　blunders；　but　step　by
step　loses　reputation　and　becomes　a　laughing…stock；　and　in　the　end　is
doomed　to　a　life　of　dishonour　and　contempt。

＇42＇　Cf。　Dante；　〃Tu　duca；　tu　maestro；　tu　signore。〃

＇43＇　Reading；　｛dia　panta　tauta｝；　or　if　｛dia　tauta｝；　translate　〃and
　　　　therefore。〃

What　is　true　of　individuals　is　true　also　of　communities。＇44＇　That
state　which　in　ignorance　of　its　power　goes　to　war　with　a　stronger　than
itself　ends　by　being　uprooted　or　else　reduced　to　slavery。

＇44＇　Or；　more　lit。　〃A　law　which　applies；　you　will　observe；　to　bodies
　　　　politic。〃

Thereupon　Euthydemus：　Be　assured　I　fully　concur　in　your　opinion；　the
precept　KNOW　THYSELF　cannot　be　too　highly　valued；　but　what　is　the
application？　What　the　starting…point　of　self…examination？　I　look　to
you　for　an　explanation；　if　you　would　kindly　give　one。＇45＇

＇45＇　Or；　〃at　what　point　to　commence　the　process　of　self…inspection？
　　　　there　is　the　mystery。　I　look　to　you；　if　you　are　willing；　to
　　　　interpret　it。〃

Well　（replied　Socrates）；　I　presume　you　know　quite　well　the　distinction
between　good　and　bad　things：　your　knowledge　may　be　relied　upon　so　far？

Why；　yes；　to　be　sure　（replied　the　youth）；　for　without　that　much
discernment　I　should　indeed　be　worse　than　any　slave。＇46＇

＇46＇　Lit。　〃if　I　did　not　know　even　that。〃

Come　then　（said　he）；　do　you　give　me　an　explanation　of　the　things　so
termed。

That　is　fortunately　not　hard　（replied　the　youth）。　First　of　all；　health
in　itself　I　hold　to　be　a　good；　and　disease　in　itself　an　evil；　and　in
the　next　place　the　sources　of　either　of　those　aforenamed；　meats　and
drinks；　and　habits　of　life；＇47＇　I　regard　as　good　or　evil　according　as
they　contribute　either　to　health　or　to　disease。

＇47＇　Or；　〃pursuits　and　occupations〃；　〃manners　and　customs。〃

Soc。　Then　health　and　disease　themselves　when　they　prove　to　be　soruces
of　any　good　are　good；　but　when　of　any　evil；　evil？

And　when　（asked　he）；　can　health　be　a　source　of　evil；　or　disease　a
source　of　good？

Why；　bless　me！　often　enough　（replied　Socrates）。　In　the　event；　for
instance；　of　some　ill…starred　expedition　or　of　some　disastrous　voyage
or　other　incident　of　the　sort；　of　which　veritably　there　are　enough　to
sparewhen　those　who　owing　to　their　health　and　strength　take　a　part
in　the　affair　are　lost；　whilst　those　who　were　left　behindas　hors　de
combat；　on　account　of　ill…health　of　other　feeblenessare　saved。

Euth。　Yes；　you　are　right；　but　you　will　admit　that　there　are　advantages
to　be　got　from　strength　and　lost　through　weakness。

Soc。　Even　so；　but　ought　we　to　regard　those　things　which　at　one　moment
benefit　and　at　another　moment　injure　us　in　any　strict　sense　good
rather　than　evil？

Euth。　No；　certainly　not；　according　to　that　line　of　argumen