alexandria and her schools-第10部分

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aiths　extinct；　the　old　reverence　for　the　laws　of　family　and　national　life；　destroyed；　yea　even　the　natural　instincts　themselves　perverted；　that　chaos　whose　darkness　Juvenal；　and　Petronius；　and　Tacitus　have　proved；　in　their　fearful　pages；　not　to　have　been　exaggerated　by　the　more　compassionate　though　more　righteous　Jew。

And　now　observe；　that　this　selfishnessthis　wholesome　state　of　equilibriumthis　philosophic　calm；　which　is　really　only　a　lazy　pride；　was；　as　far　as　we　can　tell；　the　main　object　of　all　the　schools　from　the　time　of　Alexander　to　the　Christian　era。　　We　know　very　little　of　those　Sceptics；　Cynics；　Epicureans；　Academics；　Peripatetics；　Stoics；　of　whom　there　has　been　so　much　talk；　except　at　second…hand；　through　the　Romans；　from　whom　Stoicism　in　after　ages　received　a　new　and　not　ignoble　life。　But　this　we　do　know　of　the　later　sets；　that　they　gradually　gave　up　the　search　for　truth；　and　propounded　to　themselves　as　the　great　type　for　a　philosopher；　How　shall　a　man　save　his　own　soul　from　this　evil　world？　They　may　have　been　right；　it　may　have　been　the　best　thing　to　think　about　in　those　exhausted　and　decaying　times：　　but　it　was　a　question　of　ethics；　not　of　philosophy；　in　the　sense　which　the　old　Greek　sages　put　on　that　latter　word。　　Their　object　was；　not　to　get　at　the　laws　of　all　things；　but　to　fortify　themselves　against　all　things；　each　according　to　his　scheme；　and　so　to　be　self…sufficient　and　alone。　　Even　in　the　Stoics；　who　boldly　and　righteously　asserted　an　immutable　morality；　this　was　the　leading　conception。　　As　has　been　well　said　of　them：

〃If　we　reflect　how　deeply　the　feeling　of　an　intercourse　between　men　and　a　divine　race　superior　to　themselves　had　worked　itself　into　the　Greek　characterwhat　a　number　of　fables；　some　beautiful；　some　impure；　it　had　impregnated　and　procured　credence　forhow　it　sustained　every　form　of　polity　and　every　system　of　laws；　we　may　imagine　what　the　effects　must　have　been　of　its　disappearance。　　If　it　is　possible　for　any　man；　it　was　not；　certainly；　possible　for　a　Greek；　to　feel　himself　connected　by　any　real　bonds　with　his　fellow…creatures　around　him；　while　he　felt　himself　utterly　separated　from　any　being　above　his　fellow…creatures。　　But　the　sense　of　that　isolation　would　affect　different　minds　very　differently。　It　drove　the　Epicurean　to　consider　how　he　might　make　a　world　in　which　he　should　live　comfortably；　without　distracting　visions　of　the　past　and　future；　and　the　dread　of　those　upper　powers　who　no　longer　awakened　in　him　any　feelings　of　sympathy。　　It　drove　Zeno　the　Stoic　to　consider　whether　a　man　may　not　find　enough　in　himself　to　satisfy　him；　though　what　is　beyond　him　be　ever　so　unfriendly。　。　。　。　We　may　trace　in　the　productions　which　are　attributed　to　Zone　a　very　clear　indication　of　the　feeling　which　was　at　work　in　his　mind。　　He　undertook；　for　instance；　among　other　tasks；　to　answer　Plato's　'Republic。'　　The　truth　that　a　man　is　a　political　being；　which　informs　and　pervades　that　book；　was　one　which　must　have　been　particularly　harassing　to　his　mind；　and　which　he　felt　must　be　got　rid　of；　before　he　could　hope　to　assert　his　doctrine　of　a　man's　solitary　dignity。〃

Woe　to　the　nation　or　the　society　in　which　this　individualising　and　separating　process　is　going　on　in　the　human　mind！　　Whether　it　take　the　form　of　a　religion　or　of　a　philosophy；　it　is　at　once　the　sign　and　the　cause　of　senility；　decay；　and　death。　　If　man　begins　to　forget　that　he　is　a　social　being；　a　member　of　a　body；　and　that　the　only　truths　which　can　avail　him　anything；　the　only　truths　which　are　worthy　objects　of　his　philosophical　search；　are　those　which　are　equally　true　for　every　man；　which　will　equally　avail　every　man；　which　he　must　proclaim；　as　far　as　he　can；　to　every　man；　from　the　proudest　sage　to　the　meanest　outcast；　he　enters；　I　believe；　into　a　lie；　and　helps　forward　the　dissolution　of　that　society　of　which　he　is　a　member。　　I　care　little　whether　what　he　holds　be　true　or　not。　　If　it　be　true；　he　has　made　it　a　lie　by　appropriating　it　proudly　and　selfishly　to　himself；　and　by　excluding　others　from　it。　　He　has　darkened　his　own　power　of　vision　by　that　act　of　self…appropriation；　so　that　even　if　he　sees　a　truth；　he　can　only　see　it　refractedly；　discoloured　by　the　medium　of　his　own　private　likes　and　dislikes；　and　fulfils　that　great　and　truly　philosophic　law；　that　he　who　loveth　not　his　brother　is　in　darkness；　and　knoweth　not　whither　he　goeth。　　And　so　it　befell　those　old　Greek　schools。　　It　is　out　of　our　path　to　follow　them　to　Italy；　where　sturdy　old　Roman　patriots　cursed　them；　and　with　good　reason；　as　corrupting　the　morals　of　the　young。　　Our　business　is　with　Alexandria；　and　there；　certainly；　they　did　nothing　for　the　elevation　of　humanity。　　What　culture　they　may　have　given；　probably　helped　to　make　the　Alexandrians；　what　Caesar　calls　them；　the　most　ingenious　of　all　nations：　but　righteous　or　valiant　men　it　did　not　make　them。　　When；　after　the　three　great　reigns　of　Soter；　Philadelphus；　and　Euergetes；　the　race　of　the　Ptolemies　began　to　wear　itself　out；　Alexandria　fell　morally；　as　its　sovereigns　fell；　and　during　a　miserable　and　shameful　decline　of　a　hundred　and　eighty　years；　sophists　wrangled；　pedants　fought　over　accents　and　readings　with　the　true　odium　gammaticum；　and　kings　plunged　deeper　and　deeper　into　the　abysses　of　luxury　and　incest；　laziness　and　cruelty；　till　the　flood　came；　and　swept　them　all　away。　　Cleopatra；　the　Helen　of　Egypt；　betrayed　her　country　to　the　Roman；　and　thenceforth　the　Alexandrians　became　slaves　in　all　but　name。

And　now　that　Alexandria　has　become　a　tributary　province；　is　it　to　share　the　usual　lot　of　enslaved　countries　and　lose　all　originality　and　vigour　of　thought？　　Not　so。　　From　this　point；　strangely　enough；　it　begins　to　have　a　philosophy　of　its　own。　　Hitherto　it　has　been　importing　Greek　thought　into　Egypt　and　Syria；　even　to　the　furthest　boundaries　of　Persia；　and　the　whole　East　has　become　Greek：　　but　it　has　received　little　in　return。　　The　Indian　Gymnosophists；　or　Brahmins；　had　little　or　no　effect　on　Greek　philosophy；　except　in　the　case　of　Pyrrho：　　the　Persian　Dualism　still　less。　　The　Egyptian　symbolic　nature…worship　had　been　too　gross　to　be　regarded　by　the　cultivated　Alexandrian　as　anything　but　a　barbaric　superstition。　　One　eastern　nation　had　intermingled　closely　with　the　Macedonian　race；　and　from　it　Alexandrian　thought　received　a　new　impulse。

I　mentioned　in　my　first　lecture　the　conciliatory　policy　which　the　Ptolemies　had　pursued　toward　the　Jews。　　Soter　had　not　only　allowed　but　encouraged　them　to　settle　in　Alexandria　and　Egypt；　granting　them　the　same　political　privileges　with　the　Macedonians　and　other　Greeks。　　Soon　they　built　themselves　a　temple　there；　in　obedience　to　some　supposed　prophecy　in　their　sacred　writings；　which　seems　most　probably　to　have　been　a　wilful　interpolation。　　Whatsoever　value　we　may　attach　to　the　various　myths　concerning　the　translation　of　their　Scriptures　into　Greek；　there　can　be　no　doubt　that　they　were　translated　in　the　reign　of　Soter；　and　that　the　exceedingly　valuable　Septuagint　version　is　the　work　of　that　period。　　Moreover；　their　numbers　in　Alexandria　were　very　great。　　When　Amrou　took　Constantinople　in　A。D。　640；　there　were　40；000　Jews　in　it；　and　their　numbers　during　the　Ptolemaic　and　Roman　periods；　before　their　temporary　expulsion　by　Cyril　about　412；　were　probably　greater；　and　Egypt　altogether　is　said　to　have　contained　200；000　Jews。　　They　had　schools　there；　which　were　so　esteemed　by　their　whole　nation　throughout　the　East；　that　the　Alexandrian　Rabbis；　the　Light　of　Israel；　as　they　were　called；　may　be　fairly　considered　as　the　centre　of　Jewish　thought　and　learning　for　several　centuries。

We　are　accustomed；　and　not　without　reason；　to　think　with　some　contempt　of　these　old　Rabbis。　　Rabbinism；　Cabbalism；　are　become　by…words　in　the　mouths　of　men。　　It　may　be　instructive　for　usit　is　certainly　necessary　for　us；　if　we　wish　to　understand　Alexandriato　examine　a　little　how　they　became　so　fallen。

Their　philosophy　took　its　stand；　as　you　all　know；　on　certain　ancient　books　of　their　people；　histories；　laws；　poems；　philosophical　treatises；　which　all　have　one　element　peculiar　to　themselves；　namely；　the　assertion　of　a　living　personal　Ruler　and　Teacher；　not　merely　of　the　Jewish　race；　but　of　all　the　nations　of　the　earth。　　After　the　return　of　their　race　from　Babylon；　their　own　records　give　abundant　evidence　that　this　strange　people　became　the　most　exclusive　and　sectarian　which　the　world　ever　saw。　Into　the　causes　of　that　exclusiveness　I　will　not　now　enter；　suffice　it　to　say；　that　it　was　pardonable　enough　in　a　people　asserting　Monotheism　in　the　midst　of　idolatrous　nations；　and　who　knew；　from　experience　even　more　bitter　than　that　which　taught　Plato　and　Socrates；　how　directly　all　those　popular　idolatries　led　to　every　form　of　baseness　and　immorality。　But　we　may　trace　in　them；　from　the　date　of　their　return　from　Babylon；　especially　from　their　settlement　in　Alexandria；　a　singular　change　of　opinion。　　In　proportion　as　they　began　to　deny　that　their　unseen　personal　Ruler　had　anything　to　do　with　the　Gentilesthe　nations　of　the　earth；　as　they　called　themin　proportion　as　they　considered　themselves　as　His　only　subjectsor　rather；　Him　and　His　guidance　as　their　own　private　propertyexactly　in　that　proportion　they　began　to　lose　all　living　or　practical　belief　that　He　did　guide　them。　　He　became　a　being　of　the　past；　one　who　had　taught　and　governed　their　forefathers　in　old　times：　　not　one　who　was　teaching　and　governing　them　now。　　I　beg　you　to　pay　attention　to　this　curious　result；　because　you　will　see；　I　think；　the　very　same　thing　occurring　in　two　other　Alexandrian　schools；　of　which　I　shall　speak　hereafter。

The　result　to　these　Rabbis　was；　that　the　inspired　books　which　spoke　of　this　Divine　guidance　and　government　became　objects　of　superstitious　reverence；　just　in　proportion　as　they　lost　all　understanding　of　their　real　value　and　meaning。　　Nevertheless；　this　too　produced　good　results；　for　the　greatest　possible　care　was　taken　to　fix　the　Canon　of　these　books；　to　settle；　as　far　as　possible；　the　exact　time　at　which　the　Divine　guidance　was　supposed　to　have　ceased；　after　which　it　was　impious　to　claim　a　Divine　teaching；　when　their　sages　were　left　to　themselves；　as　they　fancied；　with　a　complete　body　of　knowledge；　on　which　they　were　henceforth　only　to　comment。　　Thus；　whether　or　not　t