the seventh letter-第5部分

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had　learnt　nothing　during　my　previous　visit　have　just　been　set　forth


in　the　preceding　narrative。　Accordingly；　now　that　I　was　safe　at　home


and　had　refused　his　second　invitation；　as　I　just　now　related；


Dionysios　seems　to　have　felt　all　manner　of　anxiety　lest　certain　people


should　suppose　that　I　was　unwilling　to　visit　him　again　because　I　had


formed　a　poor　opinion　of　his　natural　gifts　and　character；　and　because；


knowing　as　I　did　his　manner　of　life；　I　disapproved　of　it。


　　It　is　right　for　me　to　speak　the　truth；　and　make　no　complaint　if


anyone；　after　hearing　the　facts；　forms　a　poor　opinion　of　my


philosophy；　and　thinks　that　the　tyrant　was　in　the　right。　Dionysios　now


invited　me　for　the　third　time；　sending　a　trireme　to　ensure　me


comfort　on　the　voyage；　he　sent　also　Archedemos…one　of　those　who　had


spent　some　time　with　Archytes；　and　of　whom　he　supposed　that　I　had　a


higher　opinion　than　of　any　of　the　Sicilian　Greeks…and；　with　him；　other


men　of　repute　in　Sicily。　These　all　brought　the　same　report；　that


Dionysios　had　made　progress　in　philosophy。　He　also　sent　a　very　long


letter；　knowing　as　he　did　my　relations　with　Dion　and　Dion's


eagerness　also　that　I　should　take　ship　and　go　to　Syracuse。　The


letter　was　framed　in　its　opening　sentences　to　meet　all　these


conditions；　and　the　tenor　of　it　was　as　follows：　〃Dionysios　to


Plato；〃　here　followed　the　customary　greeting　and　immediately　after


it　he　said；　〃If　in　compliance　with　our　request　you　come　now；　in　the


first　place；　Dion's　affairs　will　be　dealt　with　in　whatever　way　you


yourself　desire；　I　know　that　you　will　desire　what　is　reasonable；　and　I


shall　consent　to　it。　But　if　not；　none　of　Dion's　affairs　will　have


results　in　accordance　with　your　wishes；　with　regard　either　to　Dion


himself　or　to　other　matters。〃　This　he　said　in　these　words；　the　rest　it


would　be　tedious　and　inopportune　to　quote。　Other　letters　arrived


from　Archytes　and　the　Tarentines；　praising　the　philosophical　studies


of　Dionysios　and　saying　that；　if　I　did　not　now　come；　I　should　cause


a　complete　rupture　in　their　friendship　with　Dionysios；　which　had


been　brought　about　by　me　and　was　of　no　small　importance　to　their


political　interests。


　　When　this　invitation　came　to　me　at　that　time　in　such　terms；　and


those　who　had　come　from　Sicily　and　Italy　were　trying　to　drag　me


thither；　while　my　friends　at　Athens　were　literally　pushing　me　out　with


their　urgent　entreaties；　it　was　the　same　old　tale…that　I　must　not


betray　Dion　and　my　Tarentine　friends　and　supporters。　Also　I　myself　had


a　lurking　feeling　that　there　was　nothing　surprising　in　the　fact　that　a


young　man；　quick　to　learn；　hearing　talk　of　the　great　truths　of


philosophy；　should　feel　a　craving　for　the　higher　life。　I　thought


therefore　that　I　must　put　the　matter　definitely　to　the　test　to　see


whether　his　desire　was　genuine　or　the　reverse；　and　on　no　account　leave


such　an　impulse　unaided　nor　make　myself　responsible　for　such　a　deep


and　real　disgrace；　if　the　reports　brought　by　anyone　were　really


true。　So　blindfolding　myself　with　this　reflection；　I　set　out；　with


many　fears　and　with　no　very　favourable　anticipations；　as　was　natural


enough。　However；　I　went；　and　my　action　on　this　occasion　at　any　rate


was　really　a　case　of　〃the　third　to　the　Preserver；〃　for　I　had　the


good　fortune　to　return　safely；　and　for　this　I　must；　next　to　the　God；


thank　Dionysios；　because；　though　many　wished　to　make　an　end　of　me；


he　prevented　them　and　paid　some　proper　respect　to　my　situation。


　　On　my　arrival；　I　thought　that　first　I　must　put　to　the　test　the


question　whether　Dionysios　had　really　been　kindled　with　the　fire　of


philosophy；　or　whether　all　the　reports　which　had　come　to　Athens　were


empty　rumours。　Now　there　is　a　way　of　putting　such　things　to　the　test


which　is　not　to　be　despised　and　is　well　suited　to　monarchs；　especially


to　those　who　have　got　their　heads　full　of　erroneous　teaching；　which


immediately　my　arrival　I　found　to　be　very　much　the　case　with


Dionysios。　One　should　show　such　men　what　philosophy　is　in　all　its


extent；　what　their　range　of　studies　is　by　which　it　is　approached；


and　how　much　labour　it　involves。　For　the　man　who　has　heard　this；　if　he


has　the　true　philosophic　spirit　and　that　godlike　temperament　which


makes　him　a　kin　to　philosophy　and　worthy　of　it；　thinks　that　he　has


been　told　of　a　marvellous　road　lying　before　him；　that　he　must


forthwith　press　on　with　all　his　strength；　and　that　life　is　not　worth


living　if　he　does　anything　else。　After　this　he　uses　to　the　full　his


own　powers　and　those　of　his　guide　in　the　path；　and　relaxes　not　his


efforts；　till　he　has　either　reached　the　end　of　the　whole　course　of


study　or　gained　such　power　that　he　is　not　incapable　of　directing　his


steps　without　the　aid　of　a　guide。　This　is　the　spirit　and　these　are　the


thoughts　by　which　such　a　man　guides　his　life；　carrying　out　his　work；


whatever　his　occupation　may　be；　but　throughout　it　all　ever　cleaving　to


philosophy　and　to　such　rules　of　diet　in　his　daily　life　as　will　give


him　inward　sobriety　and　therewith　quickness　in　learning；　a　good


memory；　and　reasoning　power；　the　kind　of　life　which　is　opposed　to　this


he　consistently　hates。　Those　who　have　not　the　true　philosophic　temper；


but　a　mere　surface　colouring　of　opinions　penetrating；　like　sunburn；


only　skin　deep；　when　they　see　how　great　the　range　of　studies　is；　how


much　labour　is　involved　in　it；　and　how　necessary　to　the　pursuit　it


is　to　have　an　orderly　regulation　of　the　daily　life；　come　to　the


conclusion　that　the　thing　is　difficult　and　impossible　for　them；　and


are　actually　incapable　of　carrying　out　the　course　of　study；　while　some


of　them　persuade　themselves　that　they　have　sufficiently　studied　the


whole　matter　and　have　no　need　of　any　further　effort。　This　is　the


sure　test　and　is　the　safest　one　to　apply　to　those　who　live　in　luxury


and　are　incapable　of　continuous　effort；　it　ensures　that　such　a　man


shall　not　throw　the　blame　upon　his　teacher　but　on　himself；　because


he　cannot　bring　to　the　pursuit　all　the　qualities　necessary　to　it。　Thus


it　came　about　that　I　said　to　Dionysios　what　I　did　say　on　that


occasion。


　　I　did　not；　however；　give　a　complete　exposition；　nor　did　Dionysios


ask　for　one。　For　he　professed　to　know　many；　and　those　the　most


important；　points；　and　to　have　a　sufficient　hold　of　them　through


instruction　given　by　others。　I　hear　also　that　he　has　since　written


about　what　he　heard　from　me；　composing　what　professes　to　be　his　own


handbook；　very　different；　so　he　says；　from　the　doctrines　which　he


heard　from　me；　but　of　its　contents　I　know　nothing；　I　know　indeed


that　others　have　written　on　the　same　subjects；　but　who　they　are；　is


more　than　they　know　themselves。　Thus　much　at　least；　I　can　say　about


all　writers；　past　or　future；　who　say　they　know　the　things　to　which　I


devote　myself；　whether　by　hearing　the　teaching　of　me　or　of　others；


or　by　their　own　discoveries…that　according　to　my　view　it　is　not


possible　for　them　to　have　any　real　skill　in　the　matter。　There


neither　is　nor　ever　will　be　a　treatise　of　mine　on　the　subject。　For


it　does　not　admit　of　exposition　like　other　branches　of　knowledge；


but　after　much　converse　about　the　matter　itself　and　a　life　lived


together；　suddenly　a　light；　as　it　were；　is　kindled　in　one　soul　by　a


flame　that　leaps　to　it　from　another；　and　thereafter　sustains　itself。


Yet　this　much　I　know…that　if　the　things　were　written　or　put　into


words；　it　would　be　done　best　by　me；　and　that；　if　they　were　written


badly；　I　should　be　the　person　most　pained。　Again；　if　they　had　appeared


to　me　to　admit　adequately　of　writing　and　exposition；　what　task　in　life


could　I　have　performed　nobler　than　this；　to　write　what　is　of　great


service　to　mankind　and　to　bring　the　nature　of　things　into　the　light


for　all　to　see？　But　I　do　not　think　it　a　good　thing　for　men　that


there　should　be　a　disquisition；　as　it　is　called；　on　this


topic…except　for　some　few；　who　are　able　with　a　little　teaching　to　find


it　out　for　themselves。　As　for　the　rest；　it　would　fill　some　of　them


quite　illogically　with　a　mistaken　feeling　of　contempt；　and　others　with


lofty　and　vain…glorious　expectations；　as　though　they　had　learnt


something　high　and　mighty。


　　On　this　point　I　intend　to　speak　a　little　more　at　length；　for


perhaps；　when　I　have　done　so；　things　will　be　clearer　with　regard　to　my


present　subject。　There　is　an　argument　which　holds　good　against　the　man


ventures　to　put　anything　whatever　into　writing　on　questions　of　this


nature；　it　has　often　before　been　stated　by　me；　and　it　seems　suitable


to　the　present　occasion。


　　For　everything　that　exists　there　are　three　instruments　by　which


the　knowledge　of　it　is　necessarily　imparted；　fourth；　there　is　the


knowledge　itself；　and；　as　fifth；　we　must　count　the　thing　itself


which　is　known　and　truly　exists。　The　first　is　the　name；　the；　second


the　definition；　the　third。　the　image；　and　the　fourth　the　knowledge。　If


you　wish　to　learn　what　I　mean；　take　these　in　the　case　of　one　instance；


and　so　understand　them　in　the　case　of　all。　A　circle　is　a　thing


spoken　of；　and　its　name　is　that　very　word　which　we　have　just


uttered。　The　second　thing　belonging　to　it　is　its　definition；　made　up


names　and　verbal　forms。　For　that　which　has　the　name　〃round；〃


〃annular；〃　or；　〃circle；〃　might　be　defined　as　that　which　has　the


distance　from　its　circumference　to　its　centre　everywhere　equal。　Third；


comes　that　which　is　drawn　and　rubbed　out　again；　or　turned　on　a　lathe


and　broken　up…none　of　which　things　can　happen　to　the　circle


itself…to　which　the　other　things；　mentioned　have　reference；　for　it


is　something　of　a　different　order　from　them。　Fourth；　comes


knowledge；　intelligence　and　right　opinion　about　these　things。　Under


this　one　head　we　must　group　everything　which　has　its　existence；　not　in


words　nor　in　bodily　shapes；　but　in　souls…from　which　it　is　dear　that　it


is　something　different　from　the　nature　of　the　circle　itself　and　from


the　three　things　mentioned　before。　Of　these　things　intelligence


comes　closest　in　kinship　and　likeness　to　the　fifth；　and　the　others　are


farther　distant。


　　The　same　ap