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phaedo-第12部分
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source of beauty; I leave all that; which is only confusing to me; and
simply and singly; and perhaps foolishly; hold and am assured in my
own mind that nothing makes a thing beautiful but the presence and
participation of beauty in whatever way or manner obtained; for as
to the manner I am uncertain; but I stoutly contend that by beauty all
beautiful things become beautiful。 That appears to me to be the only
safe answer that I can give; either to myself or to any other; and
to that I cling; in the persuasion that I shall never be overthrown;
and that I may safely answer to myself or any other that by beauty
beautiful things become beautiful。 Do you not agree to that?
Yes; I agree。
And that by greatness only great things become great and greater
greater; and by smallness the less becomes less。
True。
Then if a person remarks that A is taller by a head than B; and B
less by a head than A; you would refuse to admit this; and would
stoutly contend that what you mean is only that the greater is greater
by; and by reason of; greatness; and the less is less only by; or by
reason of; smallness; and thus you would avoid the danger of saying
that the greater is greater and the less by the measure of the head;
which is the same in both; and would also avoid the monstrous
absurdity of supposing that the greater man is greater by reason of
the head; which is small。 Would you not be afraid of that?
Indeed; I should; said Cebes; laughing。
In like manner you would be afraid to say that ten exceeded eight
by; and by reason of; two; but would say by; and by reason of; number;
or that two cubits exceed one cubit not by a half; but by
magnitude?…that is what you would say; for there is the same danger in
both cases。
Very true; he said。
Again; would you not be cautious of affirming that the addition of
one to one; or the division of one; is the cause of two? And you would
loudly asseverate that you know of no way in which anything comes into
existence except by participation in its own proper essence; and
consequently; as far as you know; the only cause of two is the
participation in duality; that is the way to make two; and the
participation in one is the way to make one。 You would say: I will let
alone puzzles of division and addition…wiser heads than mine may
answer them; inexperienced as I am; and ready to start; as the proverb
says; at my own shadow; I cannot afford to give up the sure ground
of a principle。 And if anyone assails you there; you would not mind
him; or answer him until you had seen whether the consequences which
follow agree with one another or not; and when you are further
required to give an explanation of this principle; you would go on
to assume a higher principle; and the best of the higher ones; until
you found a resting…place; but you would not refuse the principle
and the consequences in your reasoning like the Eristics…at least if
you wanted to discover real existence。 Not that this confusion
signifies to them who never care or think about the matter at all; for
they have the wit to be well pleased with themselves; however great
may be the turmoil of their ideas。 But you; if you are a
philosopher; will; I believe; do as I say。
What you say is most true; said Simmias and Cebes; both speaking
at once。
Ech。 Yes; Phaedo; and I don't wonder at their assenting。 Anyone
who has the least sense will acknowledge the wonderful clear。 of
Socrates' reasoning。
Phaed。 Certainly; Echecrates; and that was the feeling of the
whole company at the time。
Ech。 Yes; and equally of ourselves; who were not of the company; and
are now listening to your recital。 But what followed?
Phaedo。 After all this was admitted; and they had agreed about the
existence of ideas and the participation in them of the other things
which derive their names from them; Socrates; if I remember rightly;
said:…
This is your way of speaking; and yet when you say that Simmias is
greater than Socrates and less than Phaedo; do you not predicate of
Simmias both greatness and smallness?
Yes; I do。
But still you allow that Simmias does not really exceed Socrates; as
the words may seem to imply; because he is Simmias; but by reason of
the size which he has; just as Simmias does not exceed Socrates
because he is Simmias; any more than because Socrates is Socrates; but
because he has smallness when compared with the greatness of Simmias?
True。
And if Phaedo exceeds him in size; that is not because Phaedo is
Phaedo; but because Phaedo has greatness relatively to Simmias; who is
comparatively smaller?
That is true。
And therefore Simmias is said to be great; and is also said to be
small; because he is in a mean between them; exceeding the smallness
of the one by his greatness; and allowing the greatness of the other
to exceed his smallness。 He added; laughing; I am speaking like a
book; but I believe that what I am now saying is true。
Simmias assented to this。
The reason why I say this is that I want you to agree with me in
thinking; not only that absolute greatness will never be great and
also small; but that greatness in us or in the concrete will never
admit the small or admit of being exceeded: instead of this; one of
two things will happen…either the greater will fly or retire before
the opposite; which is the less; or at the advance of the less will
cease to exist; but will not; if allowing or admitting smallness; be
changed by that; even as I; having received and admitted smallness
when compared with Simmias; remain just as I was; and am the same
small person。 And as the idea of greatness cannot condescend ever to
be or become small; in like manner the smallness in us cannot be or
become great; nor can any other opposite which remains the same ever
be or become its own opposite; but either passes away or perishes in
the change。
That; replied Cebes; is quite my notion。
One of the company; though I do not exactly remember which of
them; on hearing this; said: By Heaven; is not this the direct
contrary of what was admitted before…that out of the greater came
the less and out of the less the greater; and that opposites are
simply generated from opposites; whereas now this seems to be
utterly denied。
Socrates inclined his head to the speaker and listened。 I like
your courage; he said; in reminding us of this。 But you do not observe
that there is a difference in the two cases。 For then we were speaking
of opposites in the concrete; and now of the essential opposite which;
as is affirmed; neither in us nor in nature can ever be at variance
with itself: then; my friend; we were speaking of things in which
opposites are inherent and which are called after them; but now
about the opposites which are inherent in them and which give their
name to them; these essential opposites will never; as we maintain;
admit of generation into or out of one another。 At the same time;
turning to Cebes; he said: Were you at all disconcerted; Cebes; at our
friend's objection?
That was not my feeling; said Cebes; and yet I cannot deny that I am
apt to be disconcerted。
Then we are agreed after all; said Socrates; that the opposite
will never in any case be opposed to itself?
To that we are quite agreed; he replied。
Yet once more let me ask you to consider the question from another
point of view; and see whether you agree with me: There is a thing
which you term heat; and another thing which you term cold?
Certainly。
But are they the same as fire and snow?
Most assuredly not。
Heat is not the same as fire; nor is cold the same as snow?
No。
And yet you will surely admit that when snow; as before said; is
under the influence of heat; they will not remain snow and heat; but
at the advance of the heat the snow will either retire or perish?
Very true; he replied。
And the fire too at the advance of the cold will either retire or
perish; and when the fire is under the influence of the cold; they
will not remain; as before; fire and cold。
That is true; he said。
And in some cases the name of the idea is not confined to the
idea; but anything else which; not being the idea; exists only in
the form of the idea; may also lay claim to it。 I will try to make
this clearer by an example: The odd number is always called by the
name of odd?
Very true。
But is this the only thing which is called odd? Are there not
other things which have their own name; and yet are called odd;
because; although not the same as oddness; they are never without
oddness?…that is what I mean to ask…whether numbers such as the number
three are not of the class of odd。 And there are many other
examples: would you not say; for example; that three may be called
by its proper name; and also be called odd; which is not the same with
three? and this may be said not only of three but also of five; and
every alternate number…each of them without being oddness is odd;
and in the same way two and four; and the whole series of alternate
numbers; has every number even; without being evenness。 Do you admit
that?
Yes; he said; how can I deny that?
Then now mark the point at which I am aiming: not only do
essential opposites exclude one another; but also concrete things;
which; although not in themselves opposed; contain opposites; these; I
say; also reject the idea which is opposed to that which is
contained in them; and at the advance of that they either perish or
withdraw。 There is the number three for example; will not that
endure annihilation or anything sooner than be converted int
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