第 4 节
作者:阎王      更新:2021-12-07 09:36      字数:9320
  excellent instruction in all that could be learned from masters; in
  his own department of politics neither taught them; nor gave them
  teachers; but they were allowed to wander at their own free will in
  a sort of hope that they would light upon virtue of their own
  accord。 Or take another example: there was Cleinias the younger
  brother of our friend Alcibiades; of whom this very same Pericles
  was the guardian; and he being in fact under the apprehension that
  Cleinias would be corrupted by Alcibiades; took him away; and placed
  him in the house of Ariphron to be educated; but before six months had
  elapsed; Ariphron sent him back; not knowing what to do with him。
  And I could mention numberless other instances of persons who were
  good themselves; and never yet made any one else good; whether
  friend or stranger。 Now I; Protagoras; having these examples before
  me; am inclined to think that virtue cannot be taught。 But then again;
  when I listen to your words; I waver; and am disposed to think that
  there must be something in what you say; because I know that you
  have great experience; and learning; and invention。 And I wish that
  you would; if possible; show me a little more clearly that virtue
  can be taught。 Will you be so good?
  That I will; Socrates; and gladly。 But what would you like? Shall I;
  as an elder; speak to you as younger men in an apologue or myth; or
  shall I argue out the question?
  To this several of the company answered that he should choose for
  himself。
  Well; then; he said; I think that the myth will be more interesting。
  Once upon a time there were gods only; and no mortal creatures。
  But when the time came that these also should be created; the gods
  fashioned them out of earth and fire and various mixtures of both
  elements in the interior of the earth; and when they were about to
  bring them into the light of day; they ordered Prometheus and
  Epimetheus to equip them; and to distribute to them severally their
  proper qualities。 Epimetheus said to Prometheus: 〃Let me distribute;
  and do you inspect。〃 This was agreed; and Epimetheus made the
  distribution。 There were some to whom he gave strength without
  swiftness; while he equipped the weaker with swiftness; some he armed;
  and others he left unarmed; and devised for the latter some other
  means of preservation; making some large; and having their size as a
  protection; and others small; whose nature was to fly in the air or
  burrow in the ground; this was to be their way of escape。 Thus did
  he compensate them with the view of preventing any race from
  becoming extinct。 And when he had provided against their destruction
  by one another; he contrived also a means of protecting them against
  the seasons of heaven; clothing them with close hair and thick skins
  sufficient to defend them against the winter cold and able to resist
  the summer heat; so that they might have a natural bed of their own
  when they wanted to rest; also he furnished them with hoofs and hair
  and hard and callous skins under their feet。 Then he gave them
  varieties of food…herb of the soil to some; to others fruits of trees;
  and to others roots; and to some again he gave other animals as
  food。 And some he made to have few young ones; while those who were
  their prey were very prolific; and in this manner the race was
  preserved。 Thus did Epimetheus; who; not being very wise; forgot
  that he had distributed among the brute animals all the qualities
  which he had to give…and when he came to man; who was still
  unprovided; he was terribly perplexed。 Now while he was in this
  perplexity; Prometheus came to inspect the distribution; and he
  found that the other animals were suitably furnished; but that man
  alone was naked and shoeless; and had neither bed nor arms of defence。
  The appointed hour was approaching when man in his turn was to go
  forth into the light of day; and Prometheus; not knowing how he
  could devise his salvation; stole the mechanical arts of Hephaestus
  and Athene; and fire with them (they could neither have been
  acquired nor used without fire); and gave them to man。 Thus man had
  the wisdom necessary to the support of life; but political wisdom he
  had not; for that was in the keeping of Zeus; and the power of
  Prometheus did not extend to entering into the citadel of heaven;
  where Zeus dwelt; who moreover had terrible sentinels; but he did
  enter by stealth into the common workshop of Athene and Hephaestus; in
  which they used to practise their favourite arts; and carried off
  Hephaestus' art of working by fire; and also the art of Athene; and
  gave them to man。 And in this way man was supplied with the means of
  life。 But Prometheus is said to have been afterwards prosecuted for
  theft; owing to the blunder of Epimetheus。
  Now man; having a share of the divine attributes; was at first the
  only one of the animals who had any gods; because he alone was of
  their kindred; and he would raise altars and images of them。 He was
  not long in inventing articulate speech and names; and he also
  constructed houses and clothes and shoes and beds; and drew sustenance
  from the earth。 Thus provided; mankind at first lived dispersed; and
  there were no cities。 But the consequence was that they were destroyed
  by the wild beasts; for they were utterly weak in comparison of
  them; and their art was only sufficient to provide them with the means
  of life; and did not enable them to carry on war against the
  animals: food they had; but not as yet the art of government; of which
  the art of war is a part。 After a while the desire of
  self…preservation gathered them into cities; but when they were
  gathered together; having no art of government; they evil intreated
  one another; and were again in process of dispersion and
  destruction。 Zeus feared that the entire race would be exterminated;
  and so he sent Hermes to them; bearing reverence and justice to be the
  ordering principles of cities and the bonds of friendship and
  conciliation。 Hermes asked Zeus how he should impart justice and
  reverence among men:…Should he distribute them as the arts are
  distributed; that is to say; to a favoured few only; one skilled
  individual having enough of medicine or of any other art for many
  unskilled ones? 〃Shall this be the manner in which I am to
  distribute justice and reverence among men; or shall I give them to
  all?〃 〃To all;〃 said Zeus; 〃I should like them all to have a share;
  for cities cannot exist; if a few only share in the virtues; as in the
  arts。 And further; make a law by my order; that he who has no part
  in reverence and justice shall be put to death; for he is a plague
  of the state。〃
  And this is the reason; Socrates; why the Athenians and mankind in
  general; when the question relates to carpentering or any other
  mechanical art; allow but a few to share in their deliberations; and
  when any one else interferes; then; as you say; they object; if he
  be not of the favoured few; which; as I reply; is very natural。 But
  when they meet to deliberate about political virtue; which proceeds
  only by way of justice and wisdom; they are patient enough of any
  man who speaks of them; as is also natural; because they think that
  every man ought to share in this sort of virtue; and that states could
  not exist if this were otherwise。 I have explained to you; Socrates;
  the reason of this phenomenon。
  And that you may not suppose yourself to be deceived in thinking
  that all men regard every man as having a share of justice or
  honesty and of every other political virtue; let me give you a further
  proof; which is this。 In other cases; as you are aware; if a man
  says that he is a good flute…player; or skilful in any other art in
  which he has no skill; people either laugh at him or are angry with
  him; and his relations think that he is mad and go and admonish him;
  but when honesty is in question; or some other political virtue;
  even if they know that he is dishonest; yet; if the man comes publicly
  forward and tells the truth about his dishonesty; then; what in the
  other case was held by them to be good sense; they now deem to be
  madness。 They say that all men ought to profess honesty whether they
  are honest or not; and that a man is out of his mind who says anything
  else。 Their notion is; that a man must have some degree of honesty;
  and that if he has none at all he ought not to be in the world。
  I have been showing that they are right in admitting every man as
  a counsellor about this sort of virtue; as they are of opinion that
  every man is a partaker of it。 And I will now endeavour to show
  further that they do not conceive this virtue to be given by nature;
  or to grow spontaneously; but to be a thing which may be taught; and