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phaedo-第6部分

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result which happily agrees with my own notion。 For there is nothing



which to my mind is so evident as that beauty; goodness; and other



notions of which you were just now speaking have a most real and



absolute existence; and I am satisfied with the proof。



  Well; but is Cebes equally satisfied? for I must convince him too。



  I think; said Simmias; that Cebes is satisfied: although he is the



most incredulous of mortals; yet I believe that he is convinced of the



existence of the soul before birth。 But that after death the soul will



continue to exist is not yet proven even to my own satisfaction。 I



cannot get rid of the feeling of the many to which Cebes was



referring…the feeling that when the man dies the soul may be



scattered; and that this may be the end of her。 For admitting that she



may be generated and created in some other place; and may have existed



before entering the human body; why after having entered in and gone



out again may she not herself be destroyed and come to an end?



  Very true; Simmias; said Cebes; that our soul existed before we were



born was the first half of the argument; and this appears to have been



proven; that the soul will exist after death as well as before birth



is the other half of which the proof is still wanting; and has to be



supplied。



  But that proof; Simmias and Cebes; has been already given; said



Socrates; if you put the two arguments together…I mean this and the



former one; in which we admitted that everything living is born of the



dead。 For if the soul existed before birth; and in coming to life



and being born can be born only from death and dying; must she not



after death continue to exist; since she has to be born again?



surely the proof which you desire has been already furnished。 Still



I suspect that you and Simmias would be glad to probe the argument



further; like children; you are haunted with a fear that when the soul



leaves the body; the wind may really blow her away and scatter her;



especially if a man should happen to die in stormy weather and not



when the sky is calm。



  Cebes answered with a smile: Then; Socrates; you must argue us out



of our fears…and yet; strictly speaking; they are not our fears; but



there is a child within us to whom death is a sort of hobgoblin; him



too we must persuade not to be afraid when he is alone with him in the



dark。



  Socrates said: Let the voice of the charmer be applied daily until



you have charmed him away。



  And where shall we find a good charmer of our fears; Socrates;



when you are gone?



  Hellas; he replied; is a large place; Cebes; and has many good



men; and there are barbarous races not a few: seek for him among



them all; far and wide; sparing neither pains nor money; for there



is no better way of using your money。 And you must not forget to



seek for him among yourselves too; for he is nowhere more likely to be



found。



  The search; replied Cebes; shall certainly be made。 And now; if



you please; let us return to the point of the argument at which we



digressed。



  By all means; replied Socrates; what else should I please?



  Very good; he said。



  Must we not; said Socrates; ask ourselves some question of this



sort?…What is that which; as we imagine; is liable to be scattered



away; and about which we fear? and what again is that about which we



have no fear? And then we may proceed to inquire whether that which



suffers dispersion is or is not of the nature of soul…our hopes and



fears as to our own souls will turn upon that。



  That is true; he said。



  Now the compound or composite may be supposed to be naturally



capable of being dissolved in like manner as of being compounded;



but that which is uncompounded; and that only; must be; if anything



is; indissoluble。



  Yes; that is what I should imagine; said Cebes。



  And the uncompounded may be assumed to be the same and unchanging;



where the compound is always changing and never the same?



  That I also think; he said。



  Then now let us return to the previous discussion。 Is that idea or



essence; which in the dialectical process we define as essence of true



existence…whether essence of equality; beauty; or anything else: are



these essences; I say; liable at times to some degree of change? or



are they each of them always what they are; having the same simple;



self…existent and unchanging forms; and not admitting of variation



at all; or in any way; or at any time?



  They must be always the same; Socrates; replied Cebes。



  And what would you say of the many beautiful…whether men or horses



or garments or any other things which may be called equal or



beautiful…are they all unchanging and the same always; or quite the



reverse? May they not rather be described as almost always changing



and hardly ever the same either with themselves or with one another?



  The latter; replied Cebes; they are always in a state of change。



  And these you can touch and see and perceive with the senses; but



the unchanging things you can only perceive with the mind…they are



invisible and are not seen?



  That is very true; he said。



  Well; then; he added; let us suppose that there are two sorts of



existences; one seen; the other unseen。



  Let us suppose them。



  The seen is the changing; and the unseen is the unchanging。



  That may be also supposed。



  And; further; is not one part of us body; and the rest of us soul?



  To be sure。



  And to which class may we say that the body is more alike and akin?



  Clearly to the seen: no one can doubt that。



  And is the soul seen or not seen?



  Not by man; Socrates。



  And by 〃seen〃 and 〃not seen〃 is meant by us that which is or is



not visible to the eye of man?



  Yes; to the eye of man。



  And what do we say of the soul? is that seen or not seen?



  Not seen。



  Unseen then?



  Yes。



  Then the soul is more like to the unseen; and the body to the seen?



  That is most certain; Socrates。



  And were we not saying long ago that the soul when using the body as



an instrument of perception; that is to say; when using the sense of



sight or hearing or some other sense (for the meaning of perceiving



through the body is perceiving through the senses)…were we not



saying that the soul too is then dragged by the body into the region



of the changeable; and wanders and is confused; the world spins



round her; and she is like a drunkard when under their influence?



  Very true。



  But when returning into herself she reflects; then she passes into



the realm of purity; and eternity; and immortality; and



unchangeableness; which are her kindred; and with them she ever lives;



when she is by herself and is not let or hindered; then she ceases



from her erring ways; and being in communion with the unchanging is



unchanging。 And this state of the soul is called wisdom?



  That is well and truly said; Socrates; he replied。



  And to which class is the soul more nearly alike and akin; as far as



may be inferred from this argument; as well as from the preceding one?



  I think; Socrates; that; in the opinion of everyone who follows



the argument; the soul will be infinitely more like the unchangeable



even the most stupid person will not deny that。



  And the body is more like the changing?



  Yes。



  Yet once more consider the matter in this light: When the soul and



the body are united; then nature orders the soul to rule and govern;



and the body to obey and serve。



  Now which of these two functions is akin to the divine? and which to



the mortal? Does not the divine appear to you to be that which



naturally orders and rules; and the mortal that which is subject and



servant?



  True。



  And which does the soul resemble?



  The soul resembles the divine and the body the mortal…there can be



no doubt of that; Socrates。



  Then reflect; Cebes: is not the conclusion of the whole matter



this?…that the soul is in the very likeness of the divine; and



immortal; and intelligible; and uniform; and indissoluble; and



unchangeable; and the body is in the very likeness of the human; and



mortal; and unintelligible; and multiform; and dissoluble; and



changeable。 Can this; my dear Cebes; be denied?



  No; indeed。



  But if this is true; then is not the body liable to speedy



dissolution?



  and is not the soul almost or altogether indissoluble?



  Certainly。



  And do you further observe; that after a man is dead; the body;



which is the visible part of man; and has a visible framework; which



is called a corpse; and which would naturally be dissolved and



decomposed and dissipated; is not dissolved or decomposed at once; but



may remain for a good while; if the constitution be sound at the



time of death; and the season of the year favorable? For the body when



shrunk and embalmed; as is the custom in Egypt; may remain almost



entire through infinite ages; and even in decay; still there are



some portions; such as the bones and ligaments; which are



practically indestructible。 You allow that?



  Yes。



  And are we to suppose that the soul; which is invisible; in



passing to the true Hades; which like her is invisible; and pure;



and noble; and on her way to the good and wise God; whither; if God



will; my soul is also soon to go…that the soul; I repeat; if this be



her nature and origin; is blown away and perishes immediately on



quitting the body as the many say? That can never be; dear Simmias and



Cebes。 The truth rather is that the soul which is pure at departing



draws after her no bodily taint; having never voluntarily had



connection with the body; which she is ever avoiding; herself gathered



into herself (for such abstraction has been the study of her life)。



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