statesman-第3章

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another　famous　jest。

　　Y。　Soc。　What　is　it？

　　Str。　Human　beings　have　come　out　in　the　same　class　with　the　freest

and　airiest　of　creation；　and　have　been　running　a　race　with　them。

　　Y。　Soc。　I　remark　that　very　singular　coincidence。

　　Str。　And　would　you　not　expect　the　slowest　to　arrive　last？

　　Y。　Soc。　Indeed　I　should。

　　Str。　And　there　is　a　still　more　ridiculous　consequence；　

that　the　king

is　found　running　about　with　the　herd　and　in　close　

competition　with　the

bird…catcher；　who　of　all　mankind　is　most　of　an　adept　at　the　

airy　life。

　　Y。　Soc。　Certainly。

　　Str。　Then　here；　Socrates；　is　still　clearer　evidence　of　the　truth

of　what　was　said　in　the　enquiry　about　the　Sophist？

　　Y。　Soc。　What？

　　Str。　That　the　dialectical　method　is　no　respecter　of　persons；　and

does　not　set　the　great　above　the　small；　but　always　arrives　in　her

own　way　at　the　truest　result。

　　Y。　Soc。　Clearly。

　　Str。　And　now；　I　will　not　wait　for　you　to　ask　the；　but　will　

of　my　own

accord　take　you　by　the　shorter　road　to　the　definition　of　a　king。

　　Y。　Soc。　By　all　means。

　　Str。　I　say　that　we　should　have　begun　at　first　by　dividing　land

animals　into　biped　and　quadruped；　and　since　the　winged　herd；　and

that　alone；　comes　out　in　the　same　class　with　man；　should　

divide　bipeds

into　those　which　have　feathers　and　those　which　have　not；　and　

when　they

have　been　divided；　and　the　art　of　the　management　of　mankind　

is　brought

to　light；　the　time　will　have　come　to　produce　our　Statesman　and

ruler；　and　set　him　like　a　charioteer　in　his　place；　and　hand　over　to

him　the　reins　of　state；　for　that　too　is　a　vocation　which　belongs　to

him。

　　Y。　Soc。　Very　good；　you　have　paid　me　the　debt…I　mean；　that　you　have

completed　the　argument；　and　I　suppose　that　you　added　the　

digression　by

way　of　interest。

　　Str。　Then　now；　let　us　go　back　to　the　beginning；　and　join　the

links；　which　together　make　the　definition　of　the　name　of　the

Statesman's　art。

　　Y。　Soc。　By　all　means。

　　Str。　The　science　of　pure　knowledge　had；　as　we　said　originally；　a

part　which　was　the　science　of　rule　or　command；　and　from　this　was

derived　another　part；　which　was　called　command…for…self；　on　the

analogy　of　selling…for…self；　an　important　section　of　this　was　the

management　of　living　animals；　and　this　again　was　further　limited　to

the　manage　merit　of　them　in　herds；　and　again　in　herds　of　pedestrian

animals。　The　chief　division　of　the　latter　was　the　art　of　managing

pedestrian　animals　which　are　without　horns；　this　again　has　a　part

which　can　only　be　comprehended　under　one　term　by　joining　together

three　names…shepherding　pure…bred　animals。　The　only　further

subdivision　is　the　art　of　man　herding…this　has　to　do　with　bipeds；

and　is　what　we　were　seeking　after；　and　have　now　found；　being　at　once

the　royal　and　political。

　　Y。　Soc。　To　be　sure。

　　Str。　And　do　you　think；　Socrates；　that　we　really　have　done　as　you

say？

　　Y。　Soc。　What？

　　Str。　Do　you　think；　I　mean；　that　we　have　really　fulfilled　our

intention？…There　has　been　a　sort　of　discussion；　and　yet　the

investigation　seems　to　me　not　to　be　perfectly　worked　out：　this　is

where　the　enquiry　fails。

　　Y。　Soc。　I　do　not　understand。

　　Str。　I　will　try　to　make　the　thought；　which　is　at　this　

moment　present

in　my　mind；　clearer　to　us　both。

　　Y。　Soc。　Let　me　hear。

　　Str。　There　were　many　arts　of　shepherding；　and　one　of　them　was　the

political；　which　had　the　charge　of　one　particular　herd？

　　Y。　Soc。　Yes。

　　Str。　And　this　the　argument　defined　to　be　the　art　of　rearing；　not

horses　or　other　brutes；　but　the　art　of　rearing　man　collectively？

　　Y。　Soc。　True。

　　Str。　Note；　however；　a　difference　which　distinguishes　the　king　from

all　other　shepherds。

　　Y。　Soc。　To　what　do　you　refer？

　　Str。　I　want　to　ask；　whether　any　one　of　the　other　herdsmen　has　a

rival　who　professes　and　claims　to　share　with　him　in　the　management

of　the　herd？

　　Y。　Soc。　What　do　you　mean？

　　Str。　I　mean　to　say　that　merchants　husbandmen；　providers　of　

food；　and

also　training…masters　and　physicians；　will　all　contend　with　the

herdsmen　of　humanity；　whom　we　call　Statesmen；　declaring　that　they

themselves　have　the　care　of　rearing　of　managing　mankind；　and　

that　they

rear　not　only　the　common　herd；　but　also　the　rulers　themselves。

　　Y。　Soc。　Are　they　not　right　in　saying　so？

　　Str。　Very　likely　they　may　be；　and　we　will　consider　their　claim。

But　we　are　certain　of　this；…that　no　one　will　raise　a　similar　claim

as　against　the　herdsman；　who　is　allowed　on　all　hands　to　be　the　sole

and　only　feeder　and　physician　of　his　herd；　he　is　also　their　

matchmaker

and　accoucheur；　no　one　else　knows　that　department　of　science。　And　he

is　their　merry…maker　and　musician；　as　far　as　their　nature　is

susceptible　of　such　influences；　and　no　one　can　console　and　soothe

his　own　herd　better　than　he　can；　either　with　the　natural　tones　of

his　voice　or　with　instruments。　And　the　same　may　be　said　of　tenders

of　animals　in　general。

　　Y。　Soc。　Very　true。

　　Str。　But　if　this　is　as　you　say；　can　our　argument　about　the　king　be

true　and　unimpeachable？　Were　we　right　in　selecting　him　out　of　ten

thousand　other　claimants　to　be　the　shepherd　and　rearer　of　the　human

flock？

　　Y。　Soc。　Surely　not。

　　Str。　Had　we　not　reason　just　to　now　apprehend；　that　although　we　may

have　described　a　sort　of　royal　form；　we　have　not　as　yet　accurately

worked　out　the　true　image　of　the　Statesman？　and　that　we　cannot

reveal　him　as　he　truly　is　in　his　own　nature；　until　we　have

disengaged　and　separated　him　from　those　who　bang　about　him　and　claim

to　share　in　his　prerogatives？

　　Y。　Soc。　Very　true。

　　Str。　And　that；　Socrates；　is　what　we　must　do；　if　we　do　not　mean　to

bring　disgrace　upon　the　argument　at　its　close。

　　Y。　Soc。　We　must　certainly　avoid　that。

　　Str。　Then　let　us　make　a　new　beginning；　and　travel　by　a　different

road。

　　Y。　Soc。　What　road？

　　Str。　I　think　that　we　may　have　a　little　amusement；　there　is　a

famous　tale；　of　which　a　good　portion　may　with　advantage　be　

interwoven；

and　then　we　may　resume　our　series　of　divisions；　and　proceed　

in　the　old

path　until　we　arrive　at　the　desired　summit。　Shall　we　do　as　I　say？

　　Y。　Soc。　By　all　means。

　　Str。　Listen；　then；　to　a　tale　which　a　child　would　love　to　hear；　and

you　are　not　too　old　for　childish　amusement。

　　Y。　Soc。　Let　me　hear。

　　Str。　There　did　really　happen；　and　will　again　happen；　like　

many　other

events　of　which　ancient　tradition　has　preserved　the　record；　the

portent　which　is　traditionally　said　to　have　occurred　in　the　

quarrel　of

Atreus　and　Thyestes。　You　have　heard　no　doubt；　and　remember　what　they

say　happened　at　that　time？

　　Y。　Soc。　I　suppose　you　to　mean　the　token　of　the　birth　of　the　golden

lamb。

　　Str。　No；　not　that；　but　another　part　of　the　story；　which　tells　how

the　sun　and　the　stars　once　rose　in　the　west；　and　set　in　the　east；

and　that　the　god　reversed　their　motion；　and　gave　them　that　which

they　now　have　as　a　testimony　to　the　right　of　Atreus。

　　Y。　Soc。　Yes；　there　is　that　legend　also。

　　Str。　Again；　we　have　been　often　told　of　the　reign　of　Cronos。

　　Y。　Soc。　Yes；　very　often。

　　Str。　Did　you　ever　hear　that　the　men　of　former　times　were

earthborn；　and　not　begotten　of　one　another？

　　Y。　Soc。　Yes；　that　is　another　old　tradition。

　　Str。　All　these　stories；　and　ten　thousand　others　which　are　

still　more

wonderful；　have　a　common　origin；　many　of　them　have　been　lost　in　the

lapse　of　ages；　or　are　repeated　only　in　a　disconnected　form；　but　the

origin　of　them　is　what　no　one　has　told；　and　may　as　well　be　told　now；

for　the　tale　is　suited　to　throw　light　on　the　nature　of　the　king。

　　Y。　Soc。　Very　good；　and　I　hope　that　you　will　give　the　whole　story；

and　leave　out　nothing。

　　Str。　Listen；　then。　There　is　a　time　when　God　himself　guides　

and　helps

to　roll　the　world　in　its　course；　and　there　is　a　time；　on　the

completion　of　a　certain　cycle；　when　he　lets　go；　and　the　world　being

a　living　creature；　and　having　originally　received　intelligence　from

its　author　and　creator　turns　about　and　by　an　inherent　necessity

revolves　in　the　opposite　direction。

　　Y。　Soc。　Why　is　that？

　　Str。　Why；　because　only　the　most　divine　things　of　all　remain　ever

unchanged　and　the　same；　and　body　is　not　included　in　this　

class。　Heaven

and　the　universe；　as　we　have　termed　them；　although　they　have　been

endowed　by　the　Creator　with　many　glories；　partake　of　a　bodily

nature；　and　therefore　cannot　be　entirely　free　from　perturbation。　But

their　motion　is；　as　far　as　possible；　single　and　in　the　same　

place；　and

of　the　same　kind；　and　is　therefore　only　subject　to　a　reversal；　which

is　the　least　alteration　possible。　For　the　lord　of　all　moving　

things　is

alone　able　to　move　of　himself；　and　to　think　that　he　moves　them　at

one　time　in　one　direction　and　at　another　time　in　another　is　

blasphemy。

Hence　we　must　not　say　that　the　world　is　either　self…moved　always；　or

all　made　to　go　round　by　God　in　two　opposite　courses；　or　that　

two　Gods；

having　opposite　purposes；　make　it　move　round。　But　as　I　have　already

said　（and　this　is　the　only　remaining　alternative）　the　world　is

guided　at　one　time　by　an　external　power　which　is　divine　and　receives

fresh　life　and　immortality　from　the　renewing　hand　of　the　Creator；

and　again；　when　let　go；　moves　spontaneously；　being　set　free　at　such

a　time　as　to　have；　during　infinite　cycles　of　years；　a　reverse

movement：　this　is　due　to　its　perfect　balance；　to　its　vast　

size；　and　to

the　fact　that　it　turns　on　the　smallest　pivot。

　　Y。　Soc。　Your　account　of　the　world　seems　to　be　very　reasonable

indeed。

　　Str。　Let　us　now　reflect　and　try　to　gather　from　what　has　been　said

the　nature　of　the　phenomenon　which　we　affirmed　to　be　the　cause　of

all　these　wonders。　It　is　this。

　　Y。　Soc。　What？

　　Str。　The　reversal　which　takes　place　from　time　to　time　of　the

motion　of　the　universe。

　　Y。　Soc。　How　is　that　the　cause？

　　Str。　Of　all　changes　of　the　heavenly　motions；　we　may　

consider　this　to

be　the　greatest　and　most　complete。

　　Y。　Soc。　I　should　imagine　so。

　　Str。　And　it　may　be　supposed　to　result　in　the　greatest　

changes　to　the

human　beings　who　are　the　inhabitants　of　the　world　at　the　time。

　　Y。　Soc。　Such　changes　would　naturally　occur。

　　Str。　And　animals；　as　we　know；　survive　with　difficulty　great　and

serious　changes　of　many　different　kinds　when　they　come　upon　them　at

once。

　　Y。　Soc。　Very　true。

　　Str。　Hence　there　necessarily　occurs　a　great　destruction　of　them；

which　extends　also　to…the　life　of　man；　few　survivors　of　the　race　are

left；　and　those　who　remain　become　the　subjects　of　several　novel　and

remarkable　phenomena；　and　of　one　in　particular；　which　takes　place　at

the　time　when　the　transition　is　made　to　the　cycle　opposite　to　that

in　which　we　are　now　living。

　　Y。　Soc。　What　is　it？

　　Str。　The　life　of　all　animals　first　came　to　a　standstill；　and　the

mortal　nature　ceased　to　be　or　look　older；　and　was　then　reversed　and

grew　young　and　delicate；　the　white　locks　of　the　aged　darkened　again；

and　the　cheeks　the　bearded　man　became　smooth；　and　recovered　their

former　bloom；　the　bodies　of　youths　in　their　prime　grew　softer　and

smaller；　continually　by　day　and　night　returning　and　becoming

assimilated　to　the　nature　of　a　newly…born　child　in　mind　as　well　as

body；　in　the　succeeding