charmides-第7章

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vision　of　metaphysical　philosophy；　and　such　a　science　when　brought　nearer



to　us　in　the　Philebus　and　the　Republic　will　not　be　called　by　the　name　of



（Greek）。　　Hence　we　see　with　surprise　that　Plato；　who　in　his　other　writings



identifies　good　and　knowledge；　here　opposes　them；　and　asks；　almost　in　the



spirit　of　Aristotle；　how　can　there　be　a　knowledge　of　knowledge；　and　even　if



attainable；　how　can　such　a　knowledge　be　of　any　use？







The　difficulty　of　the　Charmides　arises　chiefly　from　the　two　senses　of　the



word　（Greek）；　or　temperance。　　From　the　ethical　notion　of　temperance；　which



is　variously　defined　to　be　quietness；　modesty；　doing　our　own　business；　the



doing　of　good　actions；　the　dialogue　passes　onto　the　intellectual　conception



of　（Greek）；　which　is　declared　also　to　be　the　science　of　self…knowledge；　or



of　the　knowledge　of　what　we　know　and　do　not　know；　or　of　the　knowledge　of



good　and　evil。　　The　dialogue　represents　a　stage　in　the　history　of



philosophy　in　which　knowledge　and　action　were　not　yet　distinguished。　　Hence



the　confusion　between　them；　and　the　easy　transition　from　one　to　the　other。　



The　definitions　which　are　offered　are　all　rejected；　but　it　is　to　be



observed　that　they　all　tend　to　throw　a　light　on　the　nature　of　temperance；



and　that；　unlike　the　distinction　of　Critias　between　（Greek）；　none　of　them



are　merely　verbal　quibbles；　it　is　implied　that　this　question；　although　it



has　not　yet　received　a　solution　in　theory；　has　been　already　answered　by



Charmides　himself；　who　has　learned　to　practise　the　virtue　of　self…knowledge



which　philosophers　are　vainly　trying　to　define　in　words。　　In　a　similar



spirit　we　might　say　to　a　young　man　who　is　disturbed　by　theological



difficulties；　'Do　not　trouble　yourself　about　such　matters；　but　only　lead　a



good　life；'　and　yet　in　either　case　it　is　not　to　be　denied　that　right　ideas



of　truth　may　contribute　greatly　to　the　improvement　of　character。







The　reasons　why　the　Charmides；　Lysis；　Laches　have　been　placed　together　and



first　in　the　series　of　Platonic　dialogues；　are：　　（i）　Their　shortness　and



simplicity。　　The　Charmides　and　the　Lysis；　if　not　the　Laches；　are　of　the



same　'quality'　as　the　Phaedrus　and　Symposium：　　and　it　is　probable；　though



far　from　certain；　that　the　slighter　effort　preceded　the　greater　one。　　（ii）



Their　eristic；　or　rather　Socratic　character；　they　belong　to　the　class



called　dialogues　of　search　（Greek）；　which　have　no　conclusion。　　（iii）　The



absence　in　them　of　certain　favourite　notions　of　Plato；　such　as　the　doctrine



of　recollection　and　of　the　Platonic　ideas；　the　questions；　whether　virtue



can　be　taught；　whether　the　virtues　are　one　or　many。　　（iv）　They　have　a　want



of　depth；　when　compared　with　the　dialogues　of　the　middle　and　later　period；



and　a　youthful　beauty　and　grace　which　is　wanting　in　the　later　ones。　　（v）



Their　resemblance　to　one　another；　in　all　the　three　boyhood　has　a　great



part。　　These　reasons　have　various　degrees　of　weight　in　determining　their



place　in　the　catalogue　of　the　Platonic　writings；　though　they　are　not



conclusive。　　No　arrangement　of　the　Platonic　dialogues　can　be　strictly



chronological。　　The　order　which　has　been　adopted　is　intended　mainly　for　the



convenience　of　the　reader；　at　the　same　time；　indications　of　the　date



supplied　either　by　Plato　himself　or　allusions　found　in　the　dialogues　have



not　been　lost　sight　of。　　Much　may　be　said　about　this　subject；　but　the



results　can　only　be　probable；　there　are　no　materials　which　would　enable　us



to　attain　to　anything　like　certainty。







The　relations　of　knowledge　and　virtue　are　again　brought　forward　in　the



companion　dialogues　of　the　Lysis　and　Laches；　and　also　in　the　Protagoras　and



Euthydemus。　　The　opposition　of　abstract　and　particular　knowledge　in　this



dialogue　may　be　compared　with　a　similar　opposition　of　ideas　and　phenomena



which　occurs　in　the　Prologues　to　the　Parmenides；　but　seems　rather　to　belong



to　a　later　stage　of　the　philosophy　of　Plato。







　　　　　



CHARMIDES；　OR　TEMPERANCE







by







Plato







Translated　by　Benjamin　Jowett











PERSONS　OF　THE　DIALOGUE：　　Socrates；　who　is　the　narrator；　Charmides；



Chaerephon；　Critias。







SCENE：　　The　Palaestra　of　Taureas；　which　is　near　the　Porch　of　the　King



Archon。







Yesterday　evening　I　returned　from　the　army　at　Potidaea；　and　having　been　a



good　while　away；　I　thought　that　I　should　like　to　go　and　look　at　my　old



haunts。　　So　I　went　into　the　palaestra　of　Taureas；　which　is　over　against　the



temple　adjoining　the　porch　of　the　King　Archon；　and　there　I　found　a　number



of　persons；　most　of　whom　I　knew；　but　not　all。　　My　visit　was　unexpected；　and



no　sooner　did　they　see　me　entering　than　they　saluted　me　from　afar　on　all



sides；　and　Chaerephon；　who　is　a　kind　of　madman；　started　up　and　ran　to　me；



seizing　my　hand；　and　saying；　How　did　you　escape；　Socrates？（I　should



explain　that　an　engagement　had　taken　place　at　Potidaea　not　long　before　we



came　away；　of　which　the　news　had　only　just　reached　Athens。）







You　see；　I　replied；　that　here　I　am。







There　was　a　report；　he　said；　that　the　engagement　was　very　severe；　and　that



many　of　our　acquaintance　had　fallen。







That；　I　replied；　was　not　far　from　the　truth。







I　suppose；　he　said；　that　you　were　present。







I　was。







Then　sit　down；　and　tell　us　the　whole　story；　which　as　yet　we　have　only　heard



imperfectly。







I　took　the　place　which　he　assigned　to　me；　by　the　side　of　Critias　the　son　of



Callaeschrus；　and　when　I　had　saluted　him　and　the　rest　of　the　company；　I



told　them　the　news　from　the　army；　and　answered　their　several　enquiries。







Then；　when　there　had　been　enough　of　this；　I；　in　my　turn；　began　to　make



enquiries　about　matters　at　homeabout　the　present　state　of　philosophy；　and



about　the　youth。　　I　asked　whether　any　of　them　were　remarkable　for　wisdom　or



beauty；　or　both。　　Critias；　glancing　at　the　door；　invited　my　attention　to



some　youths　who　were　coming　in；　and　talking　noisily　to　one　another；



followed　by　a　crowd。　　Of　the　beauties；　Socrates；　he　said；　I　fancy　that　you



will　soon　be　able　to　form　a　judgment。　　For　those　who　are　just　entering　are



the　advanced　guard　of　the　great　beauty；　as　he　is　thought　to　be；　of　the　day；



and　he　is　likely　to　be　not　far　off　himself。







Who　is　he；　I　said；　and　who　is　his　father？







Charmides；　he　replied；　is　his　name；　he　is　my　cousin；　and　the　son　of　my



uncle　Glaucon：　　I　rather　think　that　you　know　him　too；　although　he　was　not



grown　up　at　the　time　of　your　departure。







Certainly；　I　know　him；　I　said；　for　he　was　remarkable　even　then　when　he　was



still　a　child；　and　I　should　imagine　that　by　this　time　he　must　be　almost　a



young　man。







You　will　see；　he　said；　in　a　moment　what　progress　he　has　made　and　what　he　is



like。　　He　had　scarcely　said　the　word；　when　Charmides　entered。







Now　you　know；　my　friend；　that　I　cannot　measure　anything；　and　of　the



beautiful；　I　am　simply　such　a　measure　as　a　white　line　is　of　chalk；　for



almost　all　young　persons　appear　to　be　beautiful　in　my　eyes。　　But　at　that



moment；　when　I　saw　him　coming　in；　I　confess　that　I　was　quite　astonished　at



his　beauty　and　stature；　all　the　world　seemed　to　be　enamoured　of　him；



amazement　and　confusion　reigned　when　he　entered；　and　a　troop　of　lovers



followed　him。　　That　grown…up　men　like　ourselves　should　have　been　affected



in　this　way　was　not　surprising；　but　I　observed　that　there　was　the　same



feeling　among　the　boys；　all　of　them；　down　to　the　very　least　child；　turned



and　looked　at　him；　as　if　he　had　been　a　statue。







Chaerephon　called　me　and　said：　　What　do　you　think　of　him；　Socrates？　　Has　he



not　a　beautiful　face？







Most　beautiful；　I　said。







But　you　would　think　nothing　of　his　face；　he　replied；　if　you　could　see　his



naked　form：　　he　is　absolutely　perfect。







And　to　this　they　all　agreed。







By　Heracles；　I　said；　there　never　was　such　a　paragon；　if　he　has　only　one



other　slight　addition。







What　is　that？　said　Critias。







If　he　has　a　noble　soul；　and　being　of　your　house；　Critias；　he　may　be



expected　to　have　this。







He　is　as　fair　and　good　within；　as　he　is　without；　replied　Critias。







Then；　before　we　see　his　body；　should　we　not　ask　him　to　show　us　his　soul；



naked　and　undisguised？　he　is　just　of　an　age　at　which　he　will　like　to　talk。







That　he　will；　said　Critias；　and　I　can　tell　you　that　he　is　a　philosopher



already；　and　also　a　considerable　poet；　not　in　his　own　opinion　only；　but　in



that　of　others。







That；　my　dear　Critias；　I　replied；　is　a　distinction　which　has　long　been　in



your　family；　and　is　inherited　by　you　from　Solon。　　But　why　do　you　not　call



him；　and　show　him　to　us？　for　even　if　he　were　younger　than　he　is；　there



could　be　no　impropriety　in　his　talking　to　us　in　the　presence　of　you；　who



are　his　guardian　and　cousin。







Very　well；　he　said；　then　I　will　call　him；　and　turning　to　the　attendant；　he



said；　Call　Charmides；　and　tell　him　that　I　want　him　to　come　and　see　a



physician　about　the　illness　of　which　he　spoke　to　me　the　day　before



yesterday。　　Then　again　addressing　me；　he　added：　　He　has　been　complaining



lately　of　having　a　headache　when　he　rises　in　the　morning：　　now　why　should



you　not　make　him　believe　that　you　know　a　cure　for　the　headache？







Why　not；　I　said；　but　will　he　come？







He　will　be　sure　to　come；　he　replied。







He　came　as　he　was　bidden；　and　sat　down　between　Critias　and　me。　　Great



amusement　was　occasioned　by　every　one　pushing　with　might　and　main　at　his



neighbour　in　order　to　make　a　place　for　him　next　to　themselves；　until　at　the



two　ends　of　the　row　one　had　to　get　up　and　the　other　was　rolled　over



sideways。　　Now　I；　my　friend；　was　beginning　to　feel　awkward；　my　former　bold



belief　in　my　powers　of　conversing　with　him　had　vanished。　　And　when　Critias



told　him　that　I　was　the　person　who　had　the　cure；　he　looked　at　me　in　such　an



indescribable　manner；　and　was　just　going　to　ask　a　question。　　And　at　that



moment　all　the　people　in　the　palaestra　crowded　about　us；　and；　O　rare！　I



caught　a　sight　of　the　inwards　of　his　garment；　and　took　the　flame。　　Then　I



could　no　longer　contain　myself。　　I　thought　how　well　Cydias　understood　the



nature　of　love；　when；　in　speaking　of　a　fair　youth；　he　warns　some　one　'not



to　bring　the　fawn　in　the　sight　of　the　lion　to　be　devoured　by　him；'　for　I



felt　that　I　had　been　overcome　by　a　sort　of　wild…beast　appetite。　　But　I



controlled　myself；　and　when　he　asked