sophist-第3章

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termed　loquacity：　such　is　my　opinion。

　　Theaet。　That　is　the　common　name　for　it。

　　Str。　But　now　who　the　other　is；　who　makes　money　out　of　private

disputation；　it　is　your　turn　to　say。

　　Theaet。　There　is　only　one　true　answer：　he　is　the　wonderful

Sophist；　of　whom　we　are　in　pursuit；　and　who　reappears　again　for　the

fourth　time。

　　Str。　Yes；　and　with　a　fresh　pedigree；　for　he　is　the　money…making

species　of　the　Eristic；　disputatious；　controversial。　pugnacious；

combative；　acquisitive　family；　as　the　argument　has　already　proven。

　　Theaet。　Certainly。

　　Str。　How　true　was　the　observation　that　he　was　a　many…sided　animal；

and　not　to　be　caught　with　one　hand；　as　they　say！

　　Theaet。　Then　you　must　catch　him　with　two。

　　Str。　Yes；　we　must；　if　we　can。　And　therefore　let　us　try；　another

track　in　our　pursuit　of　him：　You　are　aware　that　there　are　certain

menial　occupations　which　have　names　among　servants？

　　Theaet。　Yes；　there　are　many　such；　which　of　them　do　you　mean？

　　Str。　I　mean　such　as　sifting；　straining；　winnowing；　threshing。

　　Theaet。　Certainly。

　　Str。　And　besides　these　there　are　a　great　many　more；　such　

as　carding；

spinning；　adjusting　the　warp　and　the　woof；　and　thousands　of　similar

expressions　are　used　in　the　arts。

　　Theaet。　Of　what　are　they　to　be　patterns；　and　what　are　we　

going　to　do

with　them　all？

　　Str。　I　think　that　in　all　of　these　there　is　implied　a　notion　of

division。

　　Theaet。　Yes。

　　Str。　Then　if；　as　I　was　saying；　there　is　one　art　which　includes　all

of　them；　ought　not　that　art　to　have　one　name？

　　Theaes。　And　what　is　the　name　of　the　art？

　　Str。　The　art　of　discerning　or　discriminating。

　　Theaet。　Very　good。

　　Str。　Think　whether　you　cannot　divide　this。

　　Theaet。　I　should　have　to　think　a　long　while。

　　Str。　In　all　the　previously　named　processes　either　like　has　been

separated　from　like　or　the　better　from　the　worse。

　　Theaet。　I　see　now　what　you　mean。

　　Str；　There　is　no　name　for　the　first　kind　of　separation；　of　the

second；　which　throws　away　the　worse　and　preserves　the　better；　I　do

know　a　name。

　　Theaet。　What　is　it？

　　Str。　Every　discernment　or　discrimination　of　that　kind；　as　I　have

observed；　is　called　a　purification。

　　Theaet。　Yes；　that　is　the　usual　expression。

　　Str。　And　any　one　may　see　that　purification　is　of　two　kinds。

　　Theaet。　Perhaps　so；　if　he　were　allowed　time　to　think；　but　I　do　not

see　at　this　moment。

　　Str。　There　are　many　purifications　of　bodies　which　may　with　

propriety

be　comprehended　under　a　single　name。

　　Theaet。　What　are　they；　and　what　is　their　name？

　　Str。　There　is　the　purification　of　living　bodies　in　their　inward

and　in　their　outward　parts；　of　which　the　former　is　duly　effected　by

medicine　and　gymnastic；　the　latter　by　the　not　very　dignified　art　of

the　bath…man；　and　there　is　the　purification　of　inanimate　

substances…to

this　the　arts　of　fulling　and　of　furbishing　in　general　attend　in　a

number　of　minute　particulars；　having　a　variety　of　names　which　are

thought　ridiculous。

　　Theaet。　Very　true。

　　Str。　There　can　be　no　doubt　that　they　are　thought　ridiculous；

Theaetetus；　but　then　the　dialectical　art　never　considers　whether　the

benefit　to　be　derived　from　the　purge　is　greater　or　less　than　that　to

be　derived　from　the　sponge；　and　has　not　more　interest　in　the　one

than　in　the　other；　her　endeavour　is　to　know　what　is　and　is　

not　kindred

in　all　arts；　with　a　view　to　the　acquisition　of　intelligence；　and

having　this　in　view；　she　honours　them　all　alike；　and　when　she　makes

comparisons；　she　counts　one　of　them　not　a　whit　more　ridiculous　than

another；　nor　does　she　esteem　him　who　adduces　as　his　example　of

hunting；　the　general's　art；　at　all　more　decorous　than　another　who

cites　that　of　the　vermin…destroyer；　but　only　as　the　greater

pretender　of　the　two。　And　as　to　your　question　concerning　the　name

which　was　to　comprehend　all　these　arts　of　purification；　whether　of

animate　or　inanimate　bodies；　the　art　of　dialectic　is　in　no　wise

particular　about　fine　words；　if　she　maybe　only　allowed　to　have　a

general　name　for　all　other　purifications；　binding　them　up　

together　and

separating　them　off　from　the　purification　of　the　soul　or　intellect。

For　this　is　the　purification　at　which　she　wants　to　arrive；　

and　this　we

should　understand　to　be　her　aim。

　　Theaet。　Yes；　I　understand；　and　I　agree　that　there　are　two　sorts　of

purification　and　that　one　of　them　is　concerned　with　the　

soul；　and　that

there　is　another　which　is　concerned　with　the　body。

　　Str。　Excellent；　and　now　listen　to　what　I　am　going　to　say；　

and　try　to

divide　further　the　first　of　the　two。

　　Theaet。　Whatever　line　of　division　you　suggest；　I　will　endeavour　to

assist　you。

　　Str。　Do　we　admit　that　virtue　is　distinct　from　vice　in　the　soul？

　　Theaet。　Certainly。

　　Str。　And　purification　was　to　leave　the　good　and　to　cast　

out　whatever

is　bad？

　　Theaet。　True。

　　Str。　Then　any　taking　away　of　evil　from　the　soul　may　be　properly

called　purification？

　　Theaet。　Yes。

　　Str。　And　in　the　soul　there　are　two　kinds　of　evil。

　　Theaet。　What　are　they？

　　Str。　The　one　may　be　compared　to　disease　in　the　body；　the　other　to

deformity。

　　Theaet。　I　do　not　understand。

　　Str。　Perhaps　you　have　never　reflected　that　disease　and　discord　are

the　same。

　　Theaet。　To　this；　again；　I　know　not　what　I　should　reply。

　　Str。　Do　you　not　conceive　discord　to　be　a　dissolution　of　kindred

clements；　originating　in　some　disagreement？

　　Theaet。　Just　that。

　　Str。　And　is　deformity　anything　but　the　want　of　measure；　which　is

always　unsightly？

　　Theaet。　Exactly。

　　Str。　And　do　we　not　see　that　opinion　is　opposed　to　desire；　pleasure

to　anger；　reason　to　pain；　and　that　all　these　elements　are　opposed　to

one　another　in　the　souls　of　bad　men？

　　Theaet。　Certainly。

　　Str。　And　yet　they　must　all　be　akin？

　　Theaet。　Of　course。

　　Str。　Then　we　shall　be　right　in　calling　vice　a　discord　and　

disease　of

the　soul？

　　Theaet。　Most　true。

　　Str。　And　when　things　having　motion；　an　aiming　at　an　appointed

mark；　continually　miss　their　aim　and　glance　aside；　shall　we　say　that

this　is　the　effect　of　symmetry　among　them；　or　of　the　want　of　

symmetry？

　　Theaet。　Clearly　of　the　want　of　symmetry。

　　Str。　But　surely　we　know　that　no　soul　is　voluntarily　ignorant　of

anything？

　　Theaet。　Certainly　not。

　　Str。　And　what　is　ignorance　but　the　aberration　of　a　mind　which　is

bent　on　truth；　and　in　which　the　process　of　understanding　is　

perverted？

　　Theaet。　True。

　　Str。　Then　we　are　to　regard　an　unintelligent　soul　as　deformed　and

devoid　of　symmetry？

　　Theaet。　Very　true。

　　Str。　Then　there　are　these　two　kinds　of　evil　in　the　soul…the　one

which　is　generally　called　vice；　and　is　obviously　a　disease　of　the

soul。。。

　　Theaet。　Yes。

　　Str。　And　there　is　the　other；　which　they　call　ignorance；　and　which；

because　existing　only　in　the　soul；　they　will　not　allow　to　be　vice。

　　Theaet。　I　certainly　admit　what　I　at　first　disputed…that　there　are

two　kinds　of　vice　in　the　soul；　and　that　we　ought　to　consider

cowardice；　intemperance；　and　injustice　to　be　alike　forms　of　

disease　in

the　soul；　and　ignorance；　of　which　there　are　all　sorts　of　

varieties；　to

be　deformity。

　　Str。　And　in　the　case　of　the　body　are　there　not　two　arts；　which

have　to　do　with　the　two　bodily　states？

　　Theaet。　What　are　they？

　　Str。　There　is　gymnastic；　which　has　to　do　with　deformity；　and

medicine；　which　has　to　do　with　disease。

　　Theaet。　True。

　　Str。　And　where　there　is　insolence　and　injustice　and　cowardice；　is

not　chastisement　the　art　which　is　most　required？

　　Theaet。　That　certainly　appears　to　be　the　opinion　of　mankind。

　　Str。　Again；　of　the　various　kinds　of　ignorance；　may　not　instruction

be　rightly　said　to　be　the　remedy？

　　Theaet。　True。

　　Str。　And　of　the　art　of　instruction；　shall　we　say　that　there　is　one

or　many　kinds？　At　any　rate　there　are　two　principal　ones。　Think。

　　Theaet。　I　will。

　　Str。　I　believe　that　I　can　see　how　we　shall　soonest　arrive　at　the

answer　to　this　question。

　　Theaet。　How？

　　Str。　If　we　can　discover　a　line　which　divides　ignorance　into　two

halves。　For　a　division　of　ignorance　into　two　parts　will　certainly

imply　that　the　art　of　instruction　is　also　twofold；　answering　to　the

two　divisions　of　ignorance。

　　Theaet。　Well；　and　do　you　see　what　you　are　looking　for？

　　Str。　I　do　seem　to　myself　to　see　one　very　large　and　bad　sort　of

ignorance　which　is　quite　separate；　and　may　be　weighed　in　the　scale

against　all　other　sorts　of　ignorance　put　together。

　　Theaet。　What　is　it？

　　Str。　When　a　person　supposes　that　he　knows；　and　does　not　know　this

appears　to　be　the　great　source　of　all　the　errors　of　the　intellect。

　　Theaet。　True。

　　Str。　And　this；　if　I　am　not　mistaken；　is　the　kind　of　ignorance

which　specially　earns　the　title　of　stupidity。

　　Theaet。　True。

　　Str。　What　name；　then；　shall　be　given　to　the　sort　of　instruction

which　gets　rid　of　this？

　　Theaet。　The　instruction　which　you　mean；　Stranger；　is；　I　should

imagine；　not　the　teaching　of　handicraft　arts；　but　what；　thanks　to

us；　has　been　termed　education　in　this　part　the　world。

　　Str。　Yes；　Theaetetus；　and　by　nearly　all　Hellenes。　But　we　have

still　to　consider　whether　education　admits　of　any　further　division。

　　Theaet。　We　have。

　　Str。　I　think　that　there　is　a　point　at　which　such　a　division　is

possible。

　　Theaet。　Where？

　　Str。　Of　education；　one　method　appears　to　be　rougher；　and　another

smoother。

　　Theaet。　How　are　we　to　distinguish　the　two？

　　Str。　There　is　the　time…honoured　mode　which　our　fathers　commonly

practised　towards　their　sons；　and　which　is　still　adopted　by

many…either　of　roughly　reproving　their　errors；　or　of　gently　advising

them；　which　varieties　may　be　correctly　included　under　the　

general　term

of　admonition。

　　Theaet。　True。

　　Str。　But　whereas　some　appear　to　have　arrived　at　the　conclusion

that　all　ignorance　is　involuntary；　and　that　no　one　who　thinks

himself　wise　is　willing　to　learn　any　of　those　things　in　which　he　is

conscious　of　his　own　cleverness；　and　that　the　admonitory　sort　of

instruction　gives　much　trouble　and　does　little　good…

　　Theaet。　There　they　are　quite　right。

　　Str。　Accordingly；　they　set　to　work　to　eradicate　the　spirit　of

conceit　in　another　way。

　　Theaet。　In　what　way？

　　Str。　They　cross…examine　a　man's　words；　when　he　thinks　that　he　is

saying　something　and　is　really　saying　nothing；　and　easily　convict

him　of　inconsistencies　in　his　opinions；　these　they　then　

collect　by　the

dialectical　process；　and　placing　them　side　by　side；　show　that　they

contradict　one　another　about　the　same　things；　in　relation　to　the

same　things；　and　in　the　same　respect。　He；　seeing　this；　is　angry　with

himself；　and　grows　gentle　towards　others；　and　thus　is　entirely

delivered　from　great　prejudices　and　harsh　notions；　in　a　way　which　is

most　amusing　to　the　hearer；　and　produces　the　most　lasting　good

effect　on　the　person　who　is　the　subject　of　the　operation。　For　as　the

physician　considers　that　the　body　will　receive　no　benefit　from

taking　food　until　the　internal　obstacles　have　been　removed；　so　the

purifier　of　the　soul　is　conscious　that　his　patient　will　receive　no

benefit　from　the　application　of　knowledge　until　he　is　refuted；　and

from　refutation　learns　modesty；　he　must　be　purged　of　hi