alexandria and her schools(亚历山大和她的学校)-第11章
按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
while Theodorus contented himself with preaching a comfortable
selfishness； and obtaining pleasure； made it rather his study to avoid pain。
Doubtless both their theories were popular enough at Alexandria； as they
were in France during the analogous period； the Siecle Louis Quinze。
The 〃Contrat Social；〃 and the rest of their doctrines； moral and
metaphysical； will always have their admirers on earth； as long as that
variety of the human species exists for whose especial behoof Theodorus
held that laws were made； and the whole form of thought met with great
approbation in after years at Rome； where Epicurus carried it to its highest
perfection。 After that； under the pressure of a train of rather severe
lessons； which Gibbon has detailed in his 〃Decline and Fall of the Roman
Empire；〃 little or nothing was heard of it； save sotto voce； perhaps； at the
Papal courts of the sixteenth century。 To revive it publicly； or at least as
much of it as could be borne by a world now for seventeen centuries
Christian； was the glory of the eighteenth century。 The moral scheme of
Theodorus has now nearly vanished among us； at least as a confessed
creed； and； in spite of the authority of Mr。 Locke's great and good name；
his metaphysical scheme is showing signs of a like approaching
disappearance。 Let us hope that it may be a speedy one； for if the senses
be the only avenues to knowledge； if man be the measure of all things； and
if law have not； as Hooker says； her fount and home in the very bosom of
God himself； then was Homer's Zeus right in declaring man to be 〃the
most wretched of all the beasts of the field。〃
And yet one cannot help looking with a sort of awe （I dare not call it
respect） at that melancholic faithless Hegesias。 Doubtless he； like his
compeers； and indeed all Alexandria for three hundred years； cultivated
philosophy with no more real purpose than it was cultivated by the
40
… Page 41…
ALEXANDRIA AND HER SCHOOLS
graceless beaux…esprits of Louis XV。's court； and with as little practical
effect on morality； but of this Hegesias alone it stands written； that his
teaching actually made men do something； and moreover； do the most
solemn and important thing which any man can do； excepting always
doing right。 I must confess； however； that the result of his teaching took
so unexpected a form； that the reigning Ptolemy； apparently Philadelphus；
had to interfere with the sacred right of every man to talk as much
nonsense as he likes； and forbade Hegesias to teach at Alexandria。 For
Hegesias； a Cyrenaic like Theodorus； but a rather more morose pedant
than that saucy and happy scoffer； having discovered that the great end of
man was to avoid pain； also discovered （his digestion being probably in a
disordered state） that there was so much more pain than pleasure in the
world； as to make it a thoroughly disagreeable place； of which man was
well rid at any price。 Whereon he wrote a book called； ＇Greek text：
apokarteroon＇； in which a man who had determined to starve himself；
preached the miseries of human life； and the blessings of death； with such
overpowering force； that the book actually drove many persons to commit
suicide； and escape from a world which was not fit to dwell in。 A fearful
proof of how rotten the state of society was becoming； how desperate the
minds of men； during those frightful centuries which immediately
preceded the Christian era； and how fast was approaching that dark chaos
of unbelief and unrighteousness； which Paul of Tarsus so analyses and
describes in the first chapter of his Epistle to the Romanswhen the old
light was lost； the old faiths extinct； the old reverence for the laws of
family and national life； destroyed； yea even the natural instincts
themselves perverted； that chaos whose darkness Juvenal； and Petronius；
and Tacitus have proved； in their fearful pages； not to have been
exaggerated by the more compassionate though more righteous Jew。
And now observe； that this selfishnessthis wholesome state of
equilibriumthis philosophic calm； which is really only a lazy pride； was；
as far as we can tell； the main object of all the schools from the time of
Alexander to the Christian era。 We know very little of those Sceptics；
Cynics； Epicureans； Academics； Peripatetics； Stoics； of whom there has
been so much talk； except at second…hand； through the Romans； from
41
… Page 42…
ALEXANDRIA AND HER SCHOOLS
whom Stoicism in after ages received a new and not ignoble life。 But this
we do know of the later sets； that they gradually gave up the search for
truth； and propounded to themselves as the great type for a philosopher；
How shall a man save his own soul from this evil world？ They may have
been right； it may have been the best thing to think about in those
exhausted and decaying times： but it was a question of ethics； not of
philosophy； in the sense which the old Greek sages put on that latter word。
Their object was； not to get at the laws of all things； but to fortify
themselves against all things； each according to his scheme； and so to be
self…sufficient and alone。 Even in the Stoics； who boldly and righteously
asserted an immutable morality； this was the leading conception。 As has
been well said of them：
〃If we reflect how deeply the feeling of an intercourse between men
and a divine race superior to themselves had worked itself into the Greek
characterwhat a number of fables； some beautiful； some impure； it had
impregnated and procured credence forhow it sustained every form of
polity and every system of laws； we may imagine what the effects must
have been of its disappearance。 If it is possible for any man； it was not；
certainly； possible for a Greek； to feel himself connected by any real bonds
with his fellow…creatures around him； while he felt himself utterly
separated from any being above his fellow…creatures。 But the sense of
that isolation would affect different minds very differently。 It drove the
Epicurean to consider how he might make a world in which he should live
comfortably； without distracting visions of the past and future； and the
dread of those upper powers who no longer awakened in him any feelings
of sympathy。 It drove Zeno the Stoic to consider whether a man may not
find enough in himself to satisfy him； though what is beyond him be ever
so unfriendly。 。 。 。 We may trace in the productions which are attributed to
Zone a very clear indication of the feeling which was at work in his mind。
He undertook； for instance； among other tasks； to answer Plato's
'Republic。' The truth that a man is a political being； which informs and
pervades that book； was one which must have been particularly harassing
to his mind； and which he felt must be got rid of； before he could hope to
assert his doctrine of a man's solitary dignity。〃
42
… Page 43…
ALEXANDRIA AND HER SCHOOLS
Woe to the nation or the society in which this individualising and
separating process is going on in the human mind！ Whether it take the
form of a religion or of a philosophy； it is at once the sign and the cause of
senility； decay； and death。 If man begins to forget that he is a social
being； a member of a body； and that the only truths which can avail him
anything； the only truths which are worthy objects of his philosophical
search； are those which are equally true for every man； which will equally
avail every man； which he must proclaim； as far as he can； to every man；
from the proudest sage to the meanest outcast； he enters； I believe； into a
lie； and helps forward the dissolution of that society of which he is a
member。 I care little whether what he holds be true or not。 If it be true；
he has made it a lie by appropriating it proudly and selfishly to himself；
and by excluding others from it。 He has darkened his own power of
vision by that act of self…appropriation； so that even if he sees a truth； he
can only see it refractedly； discoloured by the medium of his own private
likes and dislikes； and fulfils that great and truly philosophic law； that he
who loveth not his brother is in darkness； and knoweth not whither he
goeth。 And so it befell those old Greek schools。 It is out of our path to
follow them to Italy； where sturdy old Roman patriots cursed them； and
with good reason； as corrupting the morals of the young。 Our business is
with Alexandria； and there； certainly； they did nothing for the elevation of
humanity。 What culture they may have given； probably helped to make
the Alexandrians； what Caesar calls them； the most ingenious of all
nations： but righteous or valiant men it did not make them。 When； after
the three great reigns of Soter； Philadelphus； and Euergetes； the race of the
Ptolemies began to wear itself out； Alexandria fell morally； as its
sovereigns fell； and during a miserable and shameful decline of a hundred
and eighty years； sophists wrangled； pedants fought over accents and
readings with the true odium gammaticum； and kings plunged deeper and
deeper into the abysses of luxury and incest； laziness and cruelty； till the
flood came； and swept them all away。 Cleopatra； the Helen of Egypt；
betrayed her country to
