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phaedo-第3部分

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body; and has no bodily sense or feeling; but is aspiring after being?



  That is true。



  And in this the philosopher dishonors the body; his soul runs away



from the body and desires to be alone and by herself?



  That is true。



  Well; but there is another thing; Simmias: Is there or is there



not an absolute justice?



  Assuredly there is。



  And an absolute beauty and absolute good?



  Of course。



  But did you ever behold any of them with your eyes?



  Certainly not。



  Or did you ever reach them with any other bodily sense? (and I speak



not of these alone; but of absolute greatness; and health; and



strength; and of the essence or true nature of everything)。 Has the



reality of them ever been perceived by you through the bodily



organs? or rather; is not the nearest approach to the knowledge of



their several natures made by him who so orders his intellectual



vision as to have the most exact conception of the essence of that



which he considers?



  Certainly。



  And he attains to the knowledge of them in their highest purity



who goes to each of them with the mind alone; not allowing when in the



act of thought the intrusion or introduction of sight or any other



sense in the company of reason; but with the very light of the mind in



her clearness penetrates into the very fight of truth in each; he



has got rid; as far as he can; of eyes and ears and of the whole body;



which he conceives of only as a disturbing element; hindering the soul



from the acquisition of knowledge when in company with her…is not this



the sort of man who; if ever man did; is likely to attain the



knowledge of existence?



  There is admirable truth in that; Socrates; replied Simmias。



  And when they consider all this; must not true philosophers make a



reflection; of which they will speak to one another in such words as



these: We have found; they will say; a path of speculation which seems



to bring us and the argument to the conclusion that while we are in



the body; and while the soul is mingled with this mass of evil; our



desire will not be satisfied; and our desire is of the truth。 For



the body is a source of endless trouble to us by reason of the mere



requirement of food; and also is liable to diseases which overtake and



impede us in the search after truth: and by filling us so full of



loves; and lusts; and fears; and fancies; and idols; and every sort of



folly; prevents our ever having; as people say; so much as a



thought。 For whence come wars; and fightings; and factions? whence but



from the body and the lusts of the body? For wars are occasioned by



the love of money; and money has to be acquired for the sake and in



the service of the body; and in consequence of all these things the



time which ought to be given to philosophy is lost。 Moreover; if there



is time and an inclination toward philosophy; yet the body



introduces a turmoil and confusion and fear into the course of



speculation; and hinders us from seeing the truth: and all



experience shows that if we would have pure knowledge of anything we



must be quit of the body; and the soul in herself must behold all



things in themselves: then I suppose that we shall attain that which



we desire; and of which we say that we are lovers; and that is wisdom;



not while we live; but after death; as the argument shows; for if



while in company with the body the soul cannot have pure knowledge;



one of two things seems to follow…either knowledge is not to be



attained at all; or; if at all; after death。 For then; and not till



then; the soul will be in herself alone and without the body。 In



this present life; I reckon that we make the nearest approach to



knowledge when we have the least possible concern or interest in the



body; and are not saturated with the bodily nature; but remain pure



until the hour when God himself is pleased to release us。 And then the



foolishness of the body will be cleared away and we shall be pure



and hold converse with other pure souls; and know of ourselves the



clear light everywhere; and this is surely the light of truth。 For



no impure thing is allowed to approach the pure。 These are the sort of



words; Simmias; which the true lovers of wisdom cannot help saying



to one another; and thinking。 You will agree with me in that?



  Certainly; Socrates。



  But if this is true; O my friend; then there is great hope that;



going whither I go; I shall there be satisfied with that which has



been the chief concern of you and me in our past lives。 And now that



the hour of departure is appointed to me; this is the hope with



which I depart; and not I only; but every man who believes that he has



his mind purified。



  Certainly; replied Simmias。



  And what is purification but the separation of the soul from the



body; as I was saying before; the habit of the soul gathering and



collecting herself into herself; out of all the courses of the body;



the dwelling in her own place alone; as in another life; so also in



this; as far as she can; the release of the soul from the chains of



the body?



  Very true; he said。



  And what is that which is termed death; but this very separation and



release of the soul from the body?



  To be sure; he said。



  And the true philosophers; and they only; study and are eager to



release the soul。 Is not the separation and release of the soul from



the body their especial study?



  That is true。



  And as I was saying at first; there would be a ridiculous



contradiction in men studying to live as nearly as they can in a state



of death; and yet repining when death comes。



  Certainly。



  Then; Simmias; as the true philosophers are ever studying death;



to them; of all men; death is the least terrible。 Look at the matter



in this way: how inconsistent of them to have been always enemies of



the body; and wanting to have the soul alone; and when this is granted



to them; to be trembling and repining; instead of rejoicing at their



departing to that place where; when they arrive; they hope to gain



that which in life they loved (and this was wisdom); and at the same



time to be rid of the company of their enemy。 Many a man has been



willing to go to the world below in the hope of seeing there an



earthly love; or wife; or son; and conversing with them。 And will he



who is a true lover of wisdom; and is persuaded in like manner that



only in the world below he can worthily enjoy her; still repine at



death? Will he not depart with joy? Surely he will; my friend; if he



be a true philosopher。 For he will have a firm conviction that there



only; and nowhere else; he can find wisdom in her purity。 And if



this be true; he would be very absurd; as I was saying; if he were



to fear death。



  He would; indeed; replied Simmias。



  And when you see a man who is repining at the approach of death;



is not his reluctance a sufficient proof that he is not a lover of



wisdom; but a lover of the body; and probably at the same time a lover



of either money or power; or both?



  That is very true; he replied。



  There is a virtue; Simmias; which is named courage。 Is not that a



special attribute of the philosopher?



  Certainly。



  Again; there is temperance。 Is not the calm; and control; and



disdain of the passions which even the many call temperance; a quality



belonging only to those who despise the body and live in philosophy?



  That is not to be denied。



  For the courage and temperance of other men; if you will consider



them; are really a contradiction。



  How is that; Socrates?



  Well; he said; you are aware that death is regarded by men in



general as a great evil。



  That is true; he said。



  And do not courageous men endure death because they are afraid of



yet greater evils?



  That is true。



  Then all but the philosophers are courageous only from fear; and



because they are afraid; and yet that a man should be courageous



from fear; and because he is a coward; is surely a strange thing。



  Very true。



  And are not the temperate exactly in the same case? They are



temperate because they are intemperate…which may seem to be a



contradiction; but is nevertheless the sort of thing which happens



with this foolish temperance。 For there are pleasures which they



must have; and are afraid of losing; and therefore they abstain from



one class of pleasures because they are overcome by another: and



whereas intemperance is defined as 〃being under the dominion of



pleasure;〃 they overcome only because they are overcome by pleasure。



And that is what I mean by saying that they are temperate through



intemperance。



  That appears to be true。



  Yet the exchange of one fear or pleasure or pain for another fear or



pleasure or pain; which are measured like coins; the greater with



the less; is not the exchange of virtue。 O my dear Simmias; is there



not one true coin for which all things ought to exchange?…and that



is wisdom; and only in exchange for this; and in company with this; is



anything truly bought or sold; whether courage or temperance or



justice。 And is not all true virtue the companion of wisdom; no matter



what fears or pleasures or other similar goods or evils may or may not



attend her? But the virtue which is made up of these goods; when



they are severed from wisdom and exchanged with one another; is a



shadow of virtue only; nor is there any freedom or health or truth



in her; but in the true exchange there is a purging away of all



these things; and temperance; and justice; and courage; and wisdom



herself are a purgation of them。 And I conceive that the founders of



the mysteries had a real meaning and were not mere triflers when



they intimated in a figure long ago that he who pas
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