phaedo-第3章

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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　passes　unsanctified



and　uninitiated　into　the　world　below　will　live　in　a　slough；　but　that



he　who　arrives　there　after　initiation　and　purification　will　dwell　with



the　gods。　For　〃many；〃　as　they　say　in　the　mysteries；　〃are　the　thyrsus



bearers；　but　few　are　the　mystics；〃…meaning；　as　I　interpret　the



words；　the　true　philosophers。　In　the　number　of　whom　I　have　been



seeking；　according　to　my　ability；　to　find　a　place　during　my　whole



life；　whether　I　have　sought　in　a　right　way　or　not；　and　whether　I



have　succeeded　or　not；　I　shall　truly　know　in　a　little　while；　if　God



will；　when　I　myself　arrive　in　the　other　world：　that　is　my　belief。



And　now；　Simmias　and　Cebes；　I　have　answered　those　who　charge　me　with



not　grieving　or　repining　at　parting　from　you　and　my　masters　in　this



world；　and　I　am　right　in　not　repining；　for　I　believe　that　I　shall　find



other　masters　and　friends　who　are　as　good　in　the　world　below。　But



all　men　cannot　believe　this；　and　I　shall　be　glad　if　my　words　have



any　more　success　with　you　than　with　the　judges　of　the　Athenians。



　　Cebes　answered：　I　agree；　Socrates；　in　the　greater　part　of　what　you



say。　But　in　what　relates　to　the　soul；　men　are　apt　to　be　incredulous；



they　fear　that　when　she　leaves　the　body　her　place　may　be　nowhere；



and　that　on　the　very　day　of　death　she　may　be　destroyed　and



perish…immediately　on　her　release　from　the　body；　issuing　forth　like



smoke　or　air　and　vanishing　away　into　nothingness。　For　if　she　could



only　hold　together　and　be　herself　after　she　was　released　from　the



evils　of　the　body；　there　would　be　good　reason　to　hope；　Socrates；



that　what　you　say　is　true。　But　much　persuasion　and　many　arguments



are　required　in　order　to　prove　that　when　the　man　is　dead　the　soul



yet　exists；　and　has　any　force　of　intelligence。



　　True；　Cebes；　said　Socrates；　and　shall　I　suggest　that　we　talk　a



little　of　the　probabilities　of　these　things？



　　I　am　sure；　said　Cebes；　that　I　should　gready　like　to　know　your



opinion　about　them。



　　I　reckon；　said　Socrates；　that　no　one　who　heard　me　now；　not　even　if



he　were　one　of　my　old　enemies；　the　comic　poets；　could　accuse　me　of



idle　talking　about　matters　in　which　I　have　no　concern。　Let　us；　then；



if　you　please；　proceed　with　the　inquiry。



　　Whether　the　souls　of　men　after　death　are　or　are　not　in　the　world



below；　is　a　question　which　may　be　argued　in　this　manner：　The　ancient



doctrine　of　which　I　have　been　speaking　affirms　that　they　go　from



this　into　the　other　world；　and　return　hither；　and　are　born　from　the



dead。　Now　if　this　be　true；　and　the　living　come　from　the　dead；　then　our



souls　must　be　in　the　other　world；　for　if　not；　how　could　they　be　born



again？　And　this　would　be　conclusive；　if　there　were　any　real　evidence



that　the　living　are　only　born　from　the　dead；　but　if　there　is　no



evidence　of　this；　then　other　arguments　will　have　to　be　adduced。



　　That　is　very　true；　replied　Cebes。



　　Then　let　us　consider　this　question