the seventh letter-第5章

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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　applies　to　straight　as　well　as　to　circular　form；　to


colours；　to　the　good；　the；　beautiful；　the　just；　to　all　bodies


whether　manufactured　or　coming　into　being　in　the　course　of　nature；


to　fire；　water；　and　all　such　things；　to　every　living　being；　to


character　in　souls；　and　to　all　things　done　and　suffered。　For　in　the


case　of　all　these；　no　one；　if　he　has　not　some　how　or　other　got　hold　of


the　four　things　first　mentioned；　can　ever　be　completely　a　partaker


of　knowledge　of　the　fifth。　Further；　on　account　of　the　weakness　of


language；　these　（i。e。；　the　four）　attempt　to　show　what　each　thing　is


like；　not　less　than　what　each　thing　is。　For　this　reason　no　man　of


intelligence　will　venture　to　express　his　philosophical　views　in


language；　especially　not　in　language　that　is　unchangeable；　which　is


true　of　that　which　is　set　down　in　written　characters。


　　Again　you　must　learn　the　point　which　comes　next。　Every　circle；　of


those　which　are　by　the　act　of　man　drawn　or　even　turned　on　a　lathe；


is　full　of　that　which　is　opposite　to　the　fifth　thing。　For　everywhere


it　has　contact　with　the　straight。　But　the　circle　itself；　we　say；　has


nothing　in　either　smaller　or　greater；　of　that　which　is　its　opposite。


We　say　also　that　the　name　is　not　a　thing　of　permanence　for　any　of


them；　and　that　nothing　prevents　the　things　now　called　round　from　being


called　straight；　and　the　straight　things　round；　for　those　who　make


changes　and　call　things　by　opposite　names；　nothing　will　be　less


permanent　（than　a　name）。　Again　with　regard　to　the　definition；　if　it　is


made　up　of　names　and　verbal　forms；　the　same　remark　holds　that　there　is


no　sufficiently　durable　permanence　in　it。　And　there　is　no　end　to　the


instances　of　the　ambiguity　from　which　each　of　the　four　suffers；　but


the　greatest　of　them　is　that　which　we　mentioned　a　little　earlier；


that；　whereas　there　are　two　things；　that　which　has　real　being；　and


that　which　is　only　a　quality；　when　the　soul　is　seeking　to　know；　not


the　quality；　but　the　essence；　each　of　the　four；　presenting　to　the　soul


by　word　and　in　act　that　which　it　is　not　seeking　（i。e。；　the　quality）；　a


thing　open　to　refutation　by　the　senses；　being　merely　the　thing


presented　to　the　soul　in　each　particular　case　whether　by　statement


or　the　act　of　showing；　fills；　one　may　say；　every　man　with　puzzlement


and　perplexity。


　　Now　in　subjects　in　which；　by　reason　of　our　defective　education；　we


have　not　been　accustomed　even　to　search　for　the　truth；　but　are


satisfied　with　whatever　images　are　presented　to　us；　we　are　not　held　up


to　ridicule　by　one　another；　the　questioned　by　questioners；　who　can


pull　to　pieces　and　criticise　the　four　things。　But　in　subjects　where　we


try　to　compel　a　man　to　give　a　clear　answer　about　the　fifth；　any　one　of


those　who　are　capable　of　overthrowing　an　antagonist　gets　the　better　of


us；　and　makes　the　man；　who　gives　an　exposition　in　speech　or　writing　or


in　replies　to　questions；　appear　to　most　of　his　hearers　to　know　nothing


of　the　things　on　which　he　is　attempting　to　write　or　speak；　for　they


are　sometimes　not　aware　that　it　is　not　the　mind　of　the　writer　or


speaker　which　is　proved　to　be　at　fault；　but　the　defective　nature　of


each　of　the　four　instruments。　The　process　however　of　dealing　with


all　of　these；　as　the　mind　moves　up　and　down　to　each　in　turn；　does


after　much　effort　give　birth　in　a　well…constituted　mind　to　knowledge


of　that　which　is　well　constituted。　But　if　a　man　is　ill…constituted


by　nature　（as　the　state　of　the　soul　is　naturally　in　the　majority


both　in　its　capacity　for　learning　and　in　what　is　called　moral


character）…or　it　may　have　become　so　by　deterioration…not　even


Lynceus　could　endow　such　men　with　the　power　of　sight。


　　In　one　word；　the　man　who　has　no　natural　kinship　with　this　matter


cannot　be　made　akin　to　it　by　quickness　of　learning　or　memory；　for　it


cannot　be　engendered　at　all　in　natures　which　are　foreign　to　it。


Therefore；　if　men　are　not　by　nature　kinship　allied　to　justice　and


all　other　things　that　are　honourable；　though　they　may　be　good　at


learning　and　remembering　other　knowledge　of　various　kinds…or　if　they


have　the　kinship　but　are　slow　learners　and　have　no　memory…none　of


all　these　will　ever　learn　to　the　full　the　truth　about　virtue　and　vice。


For　both　must　be　learnt　together；　and　together　also　must　be　learnt；　by


complete　and　long　continued　study；　as　I　said　at　the　beginning；　the


true　and　the　false　about　all　that　has　real　being。　After　much　effort；


as　names；　definitions；　sights；　and　other　data　of　sense；　are　brought


into　contact　and　friction　one　with　another；　in　the　course　of


scrutiny　and　kindly　testing　by　men　who　proceed　by　question　and


answer　without　ill　will；　with　a　sudden　flash　there　shines　forth


understanding　about　every　problem；　and　an　intelligence　whose　efforts


reach　the　furthest　limits　of　human　powers。　Therefore　every　man　of


worth；　when　dealing　with　matters　of　worth；　will　be　far　from　exposing


them　to　ill　feeling　and　misunderstanding　among　men