gorgias-第7章

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！


ood　we　do　not　will　it；　for　we　will；　as　you　say；　that　which　is　our　good；　but　that　which　is　neither　good　nor　evil；　or　simply　evil；　we　do　not　will。　Why　are　you　silent；　Polus？　Am　I　not　right？　　　Pol。　You　are　right。　　　Soc。　Hence　we　may　infer；　that　if　any　one；　whether　he　be　a　tyrant　or　a　rhetorician；　kills　another　or　exiles　another　or　deprives　him　of　his　property；　under　the　idea　that　the　act　is　for　his　own　interests　when　really　not　for　his　own　interests；　he　may　be　said　to　do　what　seems　best　to　him？　　　Pol。　Yes。　　　Soc。　But　does　he　do　what　he　wills　if　he　does　what　is　evil？　Why　do　you　not　answer？　　　Pol。　Well；　I　suppose　not。　　　Soc。　Then　if　great　power　is　a　good　as　you　allow；　will　such　a　one　have　great　power　in　a　state？　　　Pol。　He　will　not。　　　Soc。　Then　I　was　right　in　saying　that　a　man　may　do　what　seems　good　to　him　in　a　state；　and　not　have　great　power；　and　not　do　what　he　wills？　　　Pol。　As　though　you；　Socrates；　would　not　like　to　have　the　power　of　doing　what　seemed　good　to　you　in　the　state；　rather　than　not；　you　would　not　be　jealous　when　you　saw　any　one　killing　or　despoiling　or　imprisoning　whom　he　pleased；　Oh；　no！　　　Soc。　Justly　or　unjustly；　do　you　mean？　　　Pol。　In　either　case　is　he　not　equally　to　be　envied？　　　Soc。　Forbear；　Polus！　　　Pol。　Why　〃forbear〃？　　　Soc。　Because　you　ought　not　to　envy　wretches　who　are　not　to　be　envied；　but　only　to　pity　them。　　　Pol。　And　are　those　of　whom　spoke　wretches？　　　Soc。　Yes；　certainly　they　are。　　　Pol。　And　so　you　think　that　he　who　slays　any　one　whom　he　pleases；　and　justly　slays　him；　is　pitiable　and　wretched？　　　Soc。　No；　I　do　not　say　that　of　him：　but　neither　do　I　think　that　he　is　to　be　envied。　　　Pol。　Were　you　not　saying　just　now　that　he　is　wretched？　　　Soc。　Yes；　my　friend；　if　he　killed　another　unjustly；　in　which　case　he　is　also　to　be　pitied；　and　he　is　not　to　be　envied　if　he　killed　him　justly。　　　Pol。　At　any　rate　you　will　allow　that　he　who　is　unjustly　put　to　death　is　wretched；　and　to　be　pitied？　　　Soc。　Not　so　much；　Polus；　as　he　who　kills　him；　and　not　so　much　as　he　who　is　justly　killed。　　　Pol。　How　can　that　be；　Socrates？　　　Soc。　That　may　very　well　be；　inasmuch　as　doing　injustice　is　the　greatest　of　evils。　　　Pol。　But　is　it　the　greatest？　Is　not　suffering　injustice　a　greater　evil？　　　Soc。　Certainly　not。　　　Pol。　Then　would　you　rather　suffer　than　do　injustice？　　　Soc。　I　should　not　like　either；　but　if　I　must　choose　between　them；　I　would　rather　suffer　than　do。　　　Pol。　Then　you　would　not　wish　to　be　a　tyrant？　　　Soc。　Not　if　you　mean　by　tyranny　what　I　mean。　　　Pol。　I　mean；　as　I　said　before；　the　power　of　doing　whatever　seems　good　to　you　in　a　state；　killing；　banishing；　doing　in　all　things　as　you　like。　　　Soc。　Well　then；　illustrious　friend；　when　I　have　said　my　say；　do　you　reply　to　me。　Suppose　that　I　go　into　a　crowded　Agora；　and　take　a　dagger　under　my　arm。　Polus；　I　say　to　you；　I　have　just　acquired　rare　power；　and　become　a　tyrant；　for　if　I　think　that　any　of　these　men　whom　you　see　ought　to　be　put　to　death；　the　man　whom　I　have　a　mind　to　kill　is　as　good　as　dead；　and　if　I　am　disposed　to　break　his　head　or　tear　his　garment；　he　will　have　his　head　broken　or　his　garment　torn　in　an　instant。　Such　is　my　great　power　in　this　city。　And　if　you　do　not　believe　me；　and　I　show　you　the　dagger；　you　would　probably　reply：　Socrates；　in　that　sort　of　way　any　one　may　have　great　power…he　may　burn　any　house　which　he　pleases；　and　the　docks　and　triremes　of　the　Athenians；　and　all　their　other　vessels；　whether　public　or　private…but　can　you　believe　that　this　mere　doing　as　you　think　best　is　great　power？　　　Pol。　Certainly　not　such　doing　as　this。　　　Soc。　But　can　you　tell　me　why　you　disapprove　of　such　a　power？　　　Pol。　I　can。　　　Soc。　Why　then？　　　Pol。　Why；　because　he　who　did　as　you　say　would　be　certain　to　be　punished。　　　Soc。　And　punishment　is　an　evil？　　　Pol。　Certainly。　　　Soc。　And　you　would　admit　once　more；　my　good　sir；　that　great　power　is　a　benefit　to　a　man　if　his　actions　turn　out　to　his　advantage；　and　that　this　is　the　meaning　of　great　power；　and　if　not；　then　his　power　is　an　evil　and　is　no　power。　But　let　us　look　at　the　matter　in　another　way　do　we　not　acknowledge　that　the　things　of　which　we　were　speaking；　the　infliction　of　death；　and　exile；　and　the　deprivation　of　property　are　sometimes　a　good　and　sometimes　not　a　good？　　　Pol。　Certainly。　　　Soc。　About　that　you　and　I　may　be　supposed　to　agree？　　　Pol。　Yes。　　　Soc。　Tell　me；　then；　when　do　you　say　that　they　are　good　and　when　that　they　are　evil…what　principle　do　you　lay　down？　　　Pol。　I　would　rather；　Socrates；　that　you　should　answer　as　well　as　ask　that　question。　　　Soc。　Well；　Polus；　since　you　would　rather　have　the　answer　from　me；　I　say　that　they　are　good　when　they　are　just；　and　evil　when　they　are　unjust。　　　Pol。　You　are　hard　of　refutation；　Socrates；　but　might　not　a　child　refute　that　statement？　　　Soc。　Then　I　shall　be　very　grateful　to　the　child；　and　equally　grateful　to　you　if　you　will　refute　me　and　deliver　me　from　my　foolishness。　And　I　hope　that　refute　me　you　will；　and　not　weary　of　doing　good　to　a　friend。　　　Pol。　Yes；　Socrates；　and　I　need　not　go　far　or　appeal　to　antiquity；　events　which　happened　only　a　few　days　ago　are　enough　to　refute　you；　and　to　prove　that　many　men　who　do　wrong　are　happy。　　　Soc。　What　events？　　　Pol。　You　see；　I　presume；　that　Archelaus　the　son　of　Perdiccas　is　now　the　ruler　of　Macedonia？　　　Soc。　At　any　rate　I　hear　that　he　is。　　　Pol。　And　do　you　think　that　he　is　happy　or　miserable？　　　Soc。　I　cannot　say；　Polus；　for　I　have　never　had　any　acquaintance　with　him。　　　Pol。　And　cannot　you　tell　at　once；　and　without　having　an　acquaintance　with　him；　whether　a　man　is　happy？　　　Soc。　Most　certainly　not。　　　Pol。　Then　clearly；　Socrates；　you　would　say　that　you　did　not　even　know　whether　the　great　king　was　a　happy　man？　　　Soc。　And　I　should　speak　the　truth；　for　I　do　not　know　how　he　stands　in　the　matter　of　education　and　justice。　　　Pol。　What！　and　does　all　happiness　consist　in　this？　　　Soc。　Yes；　indeed；　Polus；　that　is　my　doctrine；　the　men　and　women　who　are　gentle　and　good　are　also　happy；　as　I　maintain；　and　the　unjust　and　evil　are　miserable。　　　Pol。　Then；　according　to　your　doctrine；　the　said　Archelaus　is　miserable？　　　Soc。　Yes；　my　friend；　if　he　is　wicked。　　　Pol。　That　he　is　wicked　I　cannot　deny；　for　he　had　no　title　at　all　to　the　throne　which　he　now　occupies；　he　being　only　the　son　of　a　woman　who　was　the　slave　of　Alcetas　the　brother　of　Perdiccas；　he　himself　therefore　in　strict　right　was　the　slave　of　Alcetas；　and　if　he　had　meant　to　do　rightly　he　would　have　remained　his　slave；　and　then；　according　to　your　doctrine；　he　would　have　been　happy。　But　now　he　is　unspeakably　miserable；　for　he　has　been　guilty　of　the　greatest　crimes：　in　the　first　place　he　invited　his　uncle　and　master；　Alcetas；　to　come　to　him；　under　the　pretence　that　he　would　restore　to　him　the　throne　which　Perdiccas　has　usurped；　and　after　entertaining　him　and　his　son　Alexander；　who　was　his　own　cousin；　and　nearly　of　an　age　with　him；　and　making　them　drunk；　he　threw　them　into　a　waggon　and　carried　them　off　by　night；　and　slew　them；　and　got　both　of　them　out　of　the　way；　and　when　he　had　done　all　this　wickedness　he　never　discovered　that　he　was　the　most　miserable　of　all　men；　was　very　far　from　repenting：　shall　I　tell　you　how　he　showed　his　remorse？　he　had　a　younger　brother；　a　child　of　seven　years　old；　who　was　the　legitimate　son　of　Perdiccas；　and　to　him　of　right　the　kingdom　belonged；　Archelaus；　however；　had　no　mind　to　bring　him　up　as　he　ought　and　restore　the　kingdom　to　him；　that　was　not　his　notion　of　happiness；　but　not　long　afterwards　he　threw　him　into　a　well　and　drowned　him；　and　declared　to　his　mother　Cleopatra　that　he　had　fallen　in　while　running　after　a　goose；　and　had　been　killed。　And　now　as　he　is　the　greatest　criminal　of　all　the　Macedonians；　he　may　be　supposed　to　be　the　most　miserable　and　not　the　happiest　of　them；　and　I　dare　say　that　there　are　many　Athenians；　and　you　would　be　at　the　head　of　them；　who　would　rather　be　any　other　Macedonian　than　Archelaus！　　　Soc。　I　praised　you　at　first；　Polus；　for　being　a　rhetorician　rather　than　a　reasoner。　And　this；　as　I　suppose；　is　the　sort　of　argument　with　which　you　fancy　that　a　child　might　refute　me；　and　by　which　I　stand　refuted　when　I　say　that　the　unjust　man　is　not　happy。　But；　my　good　friend；　where　is　the　refutation？　I　cannot　admit　a　word　which　you　have　been　saying。　　　Pol。　That　is　because　you　will　not；　for　you　surely　must