euthydemus-第2章

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h　the　greatness　of　their　professions　does　arouse　in　his　mind　a　temporary　incredulity。

A　circle　gathers　round　them；　in　the　midst　of　which　are　Socrates；　the　two　brothers；　the　youth　Cleinias；　who　is　watched　by　the　eager　eyes　of　his　lover　Ctesippus；　and　others。　　The　performance　begins；　and　such　a　performance　as　might　well　seem　to　require　an　invocation　of　Memory　and　the　Muses。　　It　is　agreed　that　the　brothers　shall　question　Cleinias。　　'Cleinias；'　says　Euthydemus；　'who　learn；　the　wise　or　the　unwise？'　　'The　wise；'　is　the　reply；　given　with　blushing　and　hesitation。　　'And　yet　when　you　learned　you　did　not　know　and　were　not　wise。'　　Then　Dionysodorus　takes　up　the　ball：　　'Who　are　they　who　learn　dictation　of　the　grammar…master；　the　wise　or　the　foolish　boys？'　　'The　wise。'　　'Then；　after　all；　the　wise　learn。'　　'And　do　they　learn；'　said　Euthydemus；　'what　they　know　or　what　they　do　not　know？'　　'The　latter。'　　'And　dictation　is　a　dictation　of　letters？'　　'Yes。'　　'And　you　know　letters？'　　'Yes。'　　'Then　you　learn　what　you　know。'　　'But；'　retorts　Dionysodorus；　'is　not　learning　acquiring　knowledge？'　　'Yes。'　　'And　you　acquire　that　which　you　have　not　got　already？'　　'Yes。'　　'Then　you　learn　that　which　you　do　not　know。'

Socrates　is　afraid　that　the　youth　Cleinias　may　be　discouraged　at　these　repeated　overthrows。　　He　therefore　explains　to　him　the　nature　of　the　process　to　which　he　is　being　subjected。　　The　two　strangers　are　not　serious；　there　are　jests　at　the　mysteries　which　precede　the　enthronement；　and　he　is　being　initiated　into　the　mysteries　of　the　sophistical　ritual。　　This　is　all　a　sort　of　horse…play；　which　is　now　ended。　　The　exhortation　to　virtue　will　follow；　and　Socrates　himself　（if　the　wise　men　will　not　laugh　at　him）　is　desirous　of　showing　the　way　in　which　such　an　exhortation　should　be　carried　on；　according　to　his　own　poor　notion。　　He　proceeds　to　question　Cleinias。　　The　result　of　the　investigation　may　be　summed　up　as　follows：

All　men　desire　good；　and　good　means　the　possession　of　goods；　such　as　wealth；　health；　beauty；　birth；　power；　honour；　not　forgetting　the　virtues　and　wisdom。　　And　yet　in　this　enumeration　the　greatest　good　of　all　is　omitted。　　What　is　that？　　Good　fortune。　　But　what　need　is　there　of　good　fortune　when　we　have　wisdom　already：in　every　art　and　business　are　not　the　wise　also　the　fortunate？　　This　is　admitted。　　And　again；　the　possession　of　goods　is　not　enough；　there　must　also　be　a　right　use　of　them　which　can　only　be　given　by　knowledge：　　in　themselves　they　are　neither　good　nor　evil　knowledge　and　wisdom　are　the　only　good；　and　ignorance　and　folly　the　only　evil。　　The　conclusion　is　that　we　must　get　'wisdom。'　　But　can　wisdom　be　taught？　　'Yes；'　says　Cleinias。　　The　ingenuousness　of　the　youth　delights　Socrates；　who　is　at　once　relieved　from　the　necessity　of　discussing　one　of　his　great　puzzles。　　'Since　wisdom　is　the　only　good；　he　must　become　a　philosopher；　or　lover　of　wisdom。'　　'That　I　will；'　says　Cleinias。

After　Socrates　has　given　this　specimen　of　his　own　mode　of　instruction；　the　two　brothers　recommence　their　exhortation　to　virtue；　which　is　of　quite　another　sort。

'You　want　Cleinias　to　be　wise？'　　'Yes。'　　'And　he　is　not　wise　yet？'　　'No。'　　'Then　you　want　him　to　be　what　he　is　not；　and　not　to　be　what　he　is？not　to　bethat　is；　to　perish。　　Pretty　lovers　and　friends　you　must　all　be！'

Here　Ctesippus；　the　lover　of　Cleinias；　interposes　in　great　excitement；　thinking　that　he　will　teach　the　two　Sophists　a　lesson　of　good　manners。　　But　he　is　quickly　entangled　in　the　meshes　of　their　sophistry；　and　as　a　storm　seems　to　be　gathering　Socrates　pacifies　him　with　a　joke；　and　Ctesippus　then　says　that　he　is　not　reviling　the　two　Sophists；　he　is　only　contradicting　them。　　'But；'　says　Dionysodorus；　'there　is　no　such　thing　as　contradiction。　When　you　and　I　describe　the　same　thing；　or　you　describe　one　thing　and　I　describe　another；　how　can　there　be　a　contradiction？'　　Ctesippus　is　unable　to　reply。

Socrates　has　already　heard　of　the　denial　of　contradiction；　and　would　like　to　be　informed　by　the　great　master　of　the　art；　'What　is　the　meaning　of　this　paradox？　　Is　there　no　such　thing　as　error；　ignorance；　falsehood？　　Then　what　are　they　professing　to　teach？'　　The　two　Sophists　complain　that　Socrates　is　ready　to　answer　what　they　said　a　year　ago；　but　is　'non…plussed'　at　what　they　are　saying　now。　　'What　does　the　word　〃non…plussed〃　mean？'　　Socrates　is　informed；　in　reply；　that　words　are　lifeless　things；　and　lifeless　things　have　no　sense　or　meaning。　　Ctesippus　again　breaks　out；　and　again　has　to　be　pacified　by　Socrates；　who　renews　the　conversation　with　Cleinias。　　The　two　Sophists　are　like　Proteus　in　the　variety　of　their　transformations；　and　he；　like　Menelaus　in　the　Odyssey；　hopes　to　restore　them　to　their　natural　form。

He　had　arrived　at　the　conclusion　that　Cleinias　must　become　a　philosopher。　　And　philosophy　is　the　possession　of　knowledge；　and　knowledge　must　be　of　a　kind　which　is　profitable　and　may　be　used。　　What　knowledge　is　there　which　has　such　a　nature？　　Not　the　knowledge　which　is　required　in　any　particular　art；　nor　again　the　art　of　the　composer　of　speeches；　who　knows　how　to　write　them；　but　cannot　speak　them；　although　he　too　must　be　admitted　to　be　a　kind　of　enchanter　of　wild　animals。　　Neither　is　the　knowledge　which　we　are　seeking　the　knowledge　of　the　general。　　For　the　general　makes　over　his　prey　to　the　statesman；　as　the　huntsman　does　to　the　cook；　or　the　taker　of　quails　to　the　keeper　of　quails；　he　has　not　the　use　of　that　which　he　acquires。　　The　two　enquirers；　Cleinias　and　Socrates；　are　described　as　wandering　about　in　a　wilderness；　vainly　searching　after　the　art　of　life　and　happiness。　　At　last　they　fix　upon　the　kingly　art；　as　having　the　desired　sort　of　knowledge。　　But　the　kingly　art　only　gives　men　those　goods　which　are　neither　good　nor　evil：　　and　if　we　say　further　that　it　makes　us　wise；　in　what　does　it　make　us　wise？　Not　in　special　arts；　such　as　cobbling　or　carpentering；　but　only　in　itself：　　or　say　again　that　it　makes　us　good；　there　is　no　answer　to　the　question；　'good　in　what？'　　At　length　in　despair　Cleinias　and　Socrates　turn　to　the　'Dioscuri'　and　request　their　aid。

Euthydemus　argues　that　Socrates　knows　something；　and　as　he　cannot　know　and　not　know；　he　cannot　know　some　things　and　not　know　others；　and　therefore　he　knows　all　things：　　he　and　Dionysodorus　and　all　other　men　know　all　things。　　'Do　they　know　shoemaking；　etc？'　　'Yes。'　　The　sceptical　Ctesippus　would　like　to　have　some　evidence　of　this　extraordinary　statement：　　he　will　believe　if　Euthydemus　will　tell　him　how　many　teeth　Dionysodorus　has；　and　if　Dionysodorus　will　give　him　a　like　piece　of　information　about　Euthydemus。　　Even　Socrates　is　incredulous；　and　indulges　in　a　little　raillery　at　the　expense　of　the　brothers。　　But　he　restrains　himself；　remembering　that　if　the　men　who　are　to　be　his　teachers　think　him　stupid　they　will　take　no　pains　with　him。　　Another　fallacy　is　produced　which　turns　on　the　absoluteness　of　the　verb　'to　know。'　　And　here　Dionysodorus　is　caught　'napping；'　and　is　induced　by　Socrates　to　confess　that　'he　does　not　know　the　good　to　be　unjust。'　　Socrates　appeals　to　his　brother　Euthydemus；　at　the　same　time　he　acknowledges　that　he　cannot；　like　Heracles；　fight　against　a　Hydra；　and　even　Heracles；　on　the　approach　of　a　second　monster；　called　upon　his　nephew　Iolaus　to　help。　　Dionysodorus　rejoins　that　Iolaus　was　no　more　the　nephew　of　Heracles　than　of　Socrates。　　For　a　nephew　is　a　nephew；　and　a　brother　is　a　brother；　and　a　father　is　a　father；　not　of　one　man　only；　but　of　all；　nor　of　men　only；　but　of　dogs　and　sea…monsters。　　Ctesippus　makes　merry　with　the　consequences　which　follow：　　'Much　good　has　your　father　got　out　of　the　wisdom　of　his　puppies。'

'But；'　says　Euthydemus；　unabashed；　'nobody　wants　much　good。'　　Medicine　is　a　good；　arms　are　a　good；　money　is　a　good；　and　yet　there　may　be　too　much　of　them　in　wrong　places。　　'No；'　says　Ctesippus；　'there　cannot　be　too　much　gold。'　　And　would　you　be　happy　if　you　had　three　talents　of　gold　in　your　belly；　a　talent　in　your　pate；　and　a　stater　in　either　eye？'　　Ctesippus；　imitating　the　new　wisdom；　replies；　'And　do　not　the　Scythians　reckon　those　to　be　the　happiest　of　men　who　have　their　skulls　gilded　and　see　the　inside　of　them？'　　'Do　you　see；'　retorts　Euthydemus；　'what　has　the　quality　of　vision　or　what　has　not　the　quali