首页 >出版文学> LAWS>第6章

第6章

  Ath。Anddoesnotthelegislatorandeveryonewhoisgoodforanything,holdthisfearinthegreatesthonour?Thisiswhathetermsreverence,andtheconfidencewhichisthereverseofthishetermsinsolence;andthelatterhealwaysdeemstobeaverygreatevilbothtoindividualsandtostates。
  Cle。True。
  Ath。Doesnotthiskindoffearpreserveusinmanyimportantways?Whatistherewhichsosurelygivesvictoryandsafetyinwar?
  Fortherearetwothingswhichgivevictory-confidencebeforeenemies,andfearofdisgracebeforefriends。
  Cle。Thereare。
  Ath。Theneachofusshouldbefearlessandalsofearful;andwhyweshouldbeeitherhasnowbeendetermined。
  Cle。Certainly。
  Ath。Andwhenwewanttomakeanyonefearless,weandthelawbringhimfacetofacewithmanyfears。
  Cle。Clearly。
  Ath。Andwhenwewanttomakehimrightlyfearful,mustwenotintroducehimtoshamelesspleasures,andtrainhimtotakeuparmsagainstthem,andtoovercomethem?Ordoesthisprincipleapplytocourageonly,andmusthewhowouldbeperfectinvalourfightagainstandovercomehisownnaturalcharacter-sinceifhebeunpractisedandinexperiencedinsuchconflicts,hewillnotbehalfthemanwhichhemighthavebeen-andarewetosuppose,thatwithtemperanceitisotherwise,andthathewhohasneverfoughtwiththeshamelessandunrighteoustemptationsofhispleasuresandlusts,andconqueredthem,inearnestandinplay,byword,deed,andact,willstillbeperfectlytemperate?
  Cle。Amostunlikelysupposition。
  Ath。SupposethatsomeGodhadgivenafear-potiontomen,andthatthemoreamandrankofthisthemoreheregardedhimselfateverydraughtasachildofmisfortune,andthathefearedeverythinghappeningorabouttohappentohim;andthatatlastthemostcourageousofmenutterlylosthispresenceofmindforatime,andonlycametohimselfagainwhenhehadsleptofftheinfluenceofthedraught。
  Cle。Buthassuchadraught,Stranger,everreallybeenknownamongmen?
  Ath。No;but,iftherehadbeen,mightnotsuchadraughthavebeenofusetothelegislatorasatestofcourage?Mightwenotgoandsaytohim,“Olegislator,whetheryouarelegislatingfortheCretan,orforanyotherstate,wouldyounotliketohaveatouchstoneofthecourageandcowardiceofyourcitizens?“
  Cle。“Ishould,“willbetheanswerofeveryone。
  Ath。“Andyouwouldratherhaveatouchstoneinwhichthereisnoriskandnogreatdangerthanthereverse?“
  Cle。Inthatpropositioneveryonemaysafelyagree。
  Ath。“Andinordertomakeuseofthedraught,youwouldleadthemamidtheseimaginaryterrors,andprovethem,whentheaffectionoffearwasworkinguponthem,andcompelthemtobefearless,exhortingandadmonishingthem;andalsohonouringthem,butdishonouringanyonewhowillnotbepersuadedbyyoutobeinallrespectssuchasyoucommandhim;andifheunderwentthetrialwellandmanfully,youwouldlethimgounscathed;butifill,youwouldinflictapunishmentuponhim?Orwouldyouabstainfromusingthepotionaltogether,althoughyouhavenoreasonforabstaining?“
  Cle。Hewouldbecertain,Stranger,tousethepotion。
  Ath。Thiswouldbeamodeoftestingandtrainingwhichwouldbewonderfullyeasyincomparisonwiththosenowinuse,andmightbeappliedtoasingleperson,ortoafew,orindeedtoanynumber;
  andhewoulddowellwhoprovidedhimselfwiththepotiononly,ratherthanwithanynumberofotherthings,whetherhepreferredtobebyhimselfinsolitude,andtherecontendwithhisfears,becausehewasashamedtobeseenbytheeyeofmanuntilhewasperfect;ortrustingtotheforceofhisownnatureandhabits,andbelievingthathehadbeenalreadydisciplinedsufficiently,hedidnothesitatetotrainhimselfincompanywithanynumberofothers,anddisplayhispowerinconqueringtheirresistiblechangeeffectedbythedraught-hisvirtuebeingsuch,thatheneverinanyinstancefellintoanygreatunseemliness,butwasalwayshimself,andleftoffbeforehearrivedatthelastcup,fearingthathe,likeallothermen,mightbeovercomebythepotion。
  Cle。Yes,Stranger,inthatlastcase,too,hemightequallyshowhisself-control。
  Ath。Letusreturntothelawgiver,andsaytohim:-“Well,lawgiver,thereiscertainlynosuchfear-potionwhichmanhaseitherreceivedfromtheGodsorhimselfdiscovered;forwitchcrafthasnoplaceatourboard。Butisthereanypotionwhichmightserveasatestofoverboldnessandexcessiveandindiscreetboasting?
  Cle。Isupposethathewillsay,Yes-meaningthatwineissuchapotion。
  Ath。Isnottheeffectofthisquitetheoppositeoftheeffectoftheother?Whenamandrinkswinehebeginstobebetterpleasedwithhimself,andthemorehedrinksthemoreheisfilledfullofbravehopes,andconceitofhispower,andatlastthestringofhistongueisloosened,andfancyinghimselfwise,heisbrimmingoverwithlawlessness,andhasnomorefearorrespect,andisreadytodoorsayanything。
  Cle。Ithinkthateveryonewilladmitthetruthofyourdescription。
  Meg。Certainly。
  Ath。Now,letusremember,asweweresaying,thattherearetwothingswhichshouldbecultivatedinthesoul:first,thegreatestcourage;secondly,thegreatestfear-
  Cle。Whichyousaidtobecharacteristicofreverence,ifIamnotmistaken。
  Ath。Thankyouforremindingme。Butnow,asthehabitofcourageandfearlessnessistobetrainedamidfears,letusconsiderwhethertheoppositequalityisnotalsotobetrainedamongopposites。
  Cle。Thatisprobablythecase。
  Ath。Therearetimesandseasonsatwhichwearebynaturemorethancommonlyvaliantandbold;nowweoughttotrainourselvesontheseoccasionstobeasfreefromimpudenceandshamelessnessaspossible,andtobeafraidtosayorsufferordoanythingthatisbase。
  Cle。True。
  Ath。Arenotthemomentsinwhichweareapttobeboldandshamelesssuchasthese?-whenweareundertheinfluenceofanger,love,pride,ignorance,avarice,cowardice?orwhenwealth,beauty,strength,andalltheintoxicatingworkingsofpleasuremaddenus?
  Whatisbetteradaptedthanthefestiveuseofwine,inthefirstplacetotest,andinthesecondplacetotrainthecharacterofaman,ifcarebetakenintheuseofit?Whatistherecheaper,ormoreinnocent?Fordobutconsiderwhichisthegreaterrisk:-Wouldyourathertestamanofamoroseandsavagenature,whichisthesourceoftenthousandactsofinjustice,bymakingbargainswithhimatarisktoyourself,orbyhavinghimasacompanionatthefestivalofDionysus?Orwouldyou,ifyouwantedtoapplyatouchstonetoamanwhoispronetolove,entrustyourwife,oryoursons,ordaughterstohim,perillingyourdearestinterestsinordertohaveaviewoftheconditionofhissoul?Imightmentionnumberlesscases,inwhichtheadvantagewouldbemanifestofgettingtoknowacharacterinsport,andwithoutpayingdearlyforexperience。AndIdonotbelievethateitheraCretan,oranyotherman,willdoubtthatsuchatestisafairtest,andsafer,cheaper,andspeedierthananyother。
  Cle。Thatiscertainlytrue。
  Ath。Andthisknowledgeofthenaturesandhabitsofmen’ssoulswillbeofthegreatestuseinthatartwhichhasthemanagementofthem;andthatart,ifIamnotmistaken,ispolitics。
  Cle。Exactlyso。
  BOOKII
  AthenianStranger。Andnowwehavetoconsiderwhethertheinsightintohumannatureistheonlybenefitderivedfromwellorderedpotations,orwhethertherearenototheradvantagesgreatandmuchtobedesired。Theargumentseemstoimplythatthereare。Buthowandinwhatwaythesearetobeattained,willhavetobeconsideredattentively,orwemaybeentangledinerror。
  Cleinias。Proceed。
  Ath。Letmeoncemorerecallourdoctrineofrighteducation;which,ifIamnotmistaken,dependsonthedueregulationofconvivialintercourse。
  Cle。Youtalkrathergrandly。
  Ath。PleasureandpainImaintaintobethefirstperceptionsofchildren,andIsaythattheyaretheformsunderwhichvirtueandviceareoriginallypresenttothem。Astowisdomandtrueandfixedopinions,happyisthemanwhoacquiresthem,evenwhendeclininginyears;andwemaysaythathewhopossessesthem,andtheblessingswhicharecontainedinthem,isaperfectman。NowImeanbyeducationthattrainingwhichisgivenbysuitablehabitstothefirstinstinctsofvirtueinchildren;-whenpleasure,andfriendship,andpain,andhatred,arerightlyimplantedinsoulsnotyetcapableofunderstandingthenatureofthem,andwhofindthem,aftertheyhaveattainedreason,tobeinharmonywithher。Thisharmonyofthesoul,takenasawhole,isvirtue;buttheparticulartraininginrespectofpleasureandpain,whichleadsyoualwaystohatewhatyououghttohate,andlovewhatyououghttolovefromthebeginningoflifetotheend,maybeseparatedoff;and,inmyview,willberightlycallededucation。
  Cle。Ithink,Stranger,thatyouarequiterightinallthatyouhavesaidandaresayingabouteducation。