statesman-第6章

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　　Y。　Soc。　I　understand。

　　Str。　And　we　have　subtracted　the　manufacture　of　all　articles　made

of　flax　and　cords；　and　all　that　we　just　now　metaphorically　termed

the　sinews　of　plants；　and　we　have　also　separated　off　the　process　of

felting　and　the　putting　together　of　materials　by　stitching　

and　sewing；

of　which　the　most　important　part　is　the　cobbler's　art。

　　Y。　Soc。　Precisely。

　　Str。　Then　we　separated　off　the　currier's　art；　which　prepared

coverings　in　entire　pieces；　and　the　art　of　sheltering；　and

subtracted　the　various　arts　of　making　water…tight　which　are　employed

in　building；　and　in　general　in　carpentering；　and　in　other　crafts；

and　all　such　arts　as　furnish　impediments　to　thieving　and　acts　of

violence；　and　are　concerned　with　making　the　lids　of　boxes　and　the

fixing　of　doors；　being　divisions　of　the　art　of　joining；　and　we　also

cut　off　the　manufacture　of　arms；　which　is　a　section　of　the　great　and

manifold　art　of　making　defences；　and　we　originally　began　by　parting

off　the　whole　of　the　magic　art　which　is　concerned　with　antidoter；

and　have　left；　as　would　appear；　the　very　art　of　which　we　were　in

search；　the　art　of　protection　against　winter　cold；　which　fabricates

woollen　defences；　and　has　the　name　of　weaving。

　　Y。　Soc。　Very　true。

　　Str。　Yes；　my　boy；　but　that　is　not　all；　for　the　first　process　to

which　the　material　is　subjected　is　the　opposite　of　weaving。

　　Y。　Soc。　How　so？

　　Str。　Weaving　is　a　sort　of　uniting？

　　Y。　Soc。　Yes。

　　Str。　But　the　first　process　is　a　separation　of　the　clotted　

and　matted

fibres？

　　Y。　Soc。　What　do　you　mean？

　　Str。　I　mean　the　work　of　the　carder's　art；　for　we　cannot　say　that

carding　is　weaving；　or　that　the　carder　is　a　weaver。

　　Y。　Soc。　Certainly　not。

　　Str。　Again；　if　a　person　were　to　say　that　the　art　of　making　the

warp　and　the　woof　was　the　art　of　weaving；　he　would　say　what　was

paradoxical　and　false。

　　Y。　Soc。　To　be　sure。

　　Str。　Shall　we　say　that　the　whole　art　of　the　fuller　or　of　the

mender　has　nothing　to　do　with　the　care　and　treatment　clotes；　

or　are　we

to　regard　all　these　as　arts　of　weaving？

　　Y。　Soc。　Certainly　not。

　　Str。　And　yet　surely　all　these　arts　will　maintain　that　they　are

concerned　with　the　treatment　and　production　of　clothes；　they　will

dispute　the　exclusive　prerogative　of　weaving；　and　though　assigning　a

larger　sphere　to　that；　will　still　reserve　a　considerable　field　for

themselves。

　　Y。　Soc。　Very　true。

　　Str。　Besides　these；　there　are　the　arts　which　make　tools　and

instruments　of　weaving；　and　which　will　claim　at　least　to　be

cooperative　causes　in　every　work　of　the　weaver。

　　Y。　Soc。　Most　true。

　　Str。　Well；　then；　suppose　that　we　define　weaving；　or　rather　

that　part

of　it　which　has　been　selected　by　us；　to　be　the　greatest　and　

noblest　of

arts　which　are　concerned　with　woollen　garments…shall　we　be　right？　Is

not　the　definition；　although　true；　wanting　in　clearness　and

completeness；　for　do　not　all　those　other　arts　require　to　be　first

cleared　away？

　　Y。　Soc。　True。

　　Str。　Then　the　next　thing　will　be　to　separate　them；　in　

order　that　the

argument　may　proceed　in　a　regular　manner？

　　Y。　Soc。　By　all　means。

　　Str。　Let　us　consider；　in　the　first　place；　that　there　are　two　kinds

of　arts　entering　into　everything　which　we　do。

　　Y。　Soc。　What　are　they？

　　Str。　The　one　kind　is　the　conditional　or　cooperative；　the　other　the

principal　cause。

　　Y。　Soc。　What　do　you　mean？

　　Str。　The　arts　which　do　not　manufacture　the　actual　thing；　but　which

furnish　the　necessary　tools　for　the　manufacture；　without　which　the

several　arts　could　not　fulfil　their　appointed　work；　are

co…operative；　but　those　which　make　the　things　themselves　are　causal。

　　Y。　Soc。　A　very　reasonable　distinction。

　　Str。　Thus　the　arts　which　make　spindles；　combs；　and　other　

instruments

of　the　production　of　clothes　may　be　called　co…operative；　and　those

which　treat　and　fabricate　the　things　themselves；　causal。

　　Y。　Soc。　Very　true。

　　Str。　The　arts　of　washing　and　mending；　and　the　other　

preparatory　arts

which　belong　to　the　causal　class；　and　form　a　division　of　the　

great　art

of　adornment；　may　be　all　comprehended　under　what　we　call　the

fuller's　art。

　　Y。　Soc。　Very　good。

　　Str。　Carding　and　spinning　threads　and　all　the　parts　of　the　process

which　are　concerned　with　the　actual　manufacture　of　a　woollen　garment

form　a　single　art；　which　is　one　of　thow　universally　acknowledged…the

art　of　working　in　wool。

　　Y。　Soc。　To　be　sure。

　　Str。　Of　working　in　wool　again；　there　are　two　divisions；　and　both

these　are　parts　of　two　arts　at　once。

　　Y。　Soc。　How　is　that？

　　Str。　Carding　and　one　half　of　the　use　of　the　comb；　and　the　other

processes　of　wool…working　which　separate　the　composite；　may　

be　classed

together　as　belonging　both　to　the　art　of　woolworking；　and　also　to

one　of　the　two　great　arts　which　are　of　universal　application…the　art

of　composition　and　the　art　of　division。

　　Y。　Soc。　Yes。

　　Str。　To　the　latter　belong　carding　and　the　other　processes　

of　which　I

was　just　now　speaking　the　art　of　discernment　or　division　in　wool　and

yarn；　which　is　effected　in　one　manner　with　the　comb　and　in　another

with　the　hands；　is　variously　described　under　all　the　names　which　I

just　now　mentioned。

　　Y。　Soc。　Very　true。

　　Str。　Again；　let　us　take　some　process　of　woolworking　which　is　also

a　portion　of　the　art　of　composition；　and；　dismissing　the　elements　of

division　which　we　found　there；　make　two　halves；　one　on　the　principle

of　composition；　and　the　other　on　the　principle　of　division。

　　Y。　Soc。　Let　that　be　done。

　　Str。　And　once　more；　Socrates；　we　must　divide　the　part　which

belongs　at　once　both　to　woolworking　and　composition；　if　we　

are　ever　to

discover　satisfactorily　the　aforesaid　art　of　weaving。

　　Y。　Soc。　We　must。

　　Str。　Yes；　certainly；　and　let　us　call　one　part　of　the　art　the　art

of　twisting　threads；　the　other　the　art　of　combining　them。

　　Y。　Soc。　Do　I　understand　you；　in　speaking　of　twisting；　to　be

referring　to　manufacture　of　the　warp？

　　Str。　Yes；　and　of　the　woof　too；　how；　if　not　by　twisting；　is　the

woof　made？

　　Y。　Soc。　There　is　no　other　way。

　　Str。　Then　suppose　that　you　define　the　warp　and　the　woof；　

for　I　think

that　the　definition　will　be　of　use　to　you。

　　Y。　Soc。　How　shall　I　define　them？

　　Str。　As　thus：　A　piece　of　carded　wool　which　is　drawn　out　lengthwise

and　breadth…wise　is　said　to　be　pulled　out。

　　Y。　Soc。　Yes。

　　Str。　And　the　wool　thus　prepared　when　twisted　by　the　spindle；　and

made　into　a　firm　thread；　is　called　the　warp；　And　the　art　which

regulates　these　operations　the　art　of　spinning　the　warp。

　　Y。　Soc。　True。

　　Str。　And　the　threads　which　are　more　loosely　spun；　having　a

softness　proportioned　to　the　intertexture　of　the　warp　and　to　the

degree　of　force　used　in　dressing　the　cloth…the　threads　which　are

thus　spun　are　called　the　woof；　and　the　art　which　is　set　over　them

may　be　called　the　art　of　spinning　the　woof。

　　Y。　Soc。　Very　true。

　　Str。　And；　now；　there　can　be　no　mistake　about　the　nature　of　the

part　of　weaving　which　we　have　undertaken　to　define。　For　when　

that　part

of　the　art　of　composition　which　is　employed　in　the　working　of　wool

forms　a　web　by　the　regular　intertexture　of　warp　and　woof；　the　entire

woven　substance　is　called　by　us　a　woollen　garment；　and　the　art　which

presides　over　this　is　the　art　of　weaving。

　　Y。　Soc。　Very　true。

　　Str。　But　why　did　we　not　say　at　once　that　weaving　is　the　art　of

entwining　warp　and　woof；　instead　of　making　a　long　and　

useless　circuit？

　　Y。　Soc。　I　thought；　Stranger；　that　there　was　nothing　useless　in

what　was　said。

　　Str。　Very　likely；　but　you　may　not　always　think　so；　my　sweet

friend；　and　in　case　any　feeling　of　dissatisfaction　should　hereafter

arise　in　your　mind；　as　it　very　well　may；　let　me　lay　down　a　principle

which　will　apply　to　arguments　in　general。

　　Y。　Soc。　Proceed。

　　Str。　Let　us　begin　by　considering　the　whole　nature　of　excess　and

defect；　and　then　we　shall　have　a　rational　ground　on　which　we　may

praise　or　blame　too　much　length　or　too　much　shortness　in　discussions

of　this　kind。

　　Y。　Soc。　Let　us　do　so。

　　Str。　The　points　on　which　I　think　that　we　ought　to　dwell　are　the

following：…

　　Y。　Soc。　What？

　　　Str。　Length　and　shortness；　excess　and　defect；　with　all　of　

these　the

art　of　measurement　is　conversant。

　　Y。　Soc。　Yes。

　　Str。　And　the　art　of　measurement　has　to　be　divided　into　two　parts；

with　a　view　to　our　present　purpose。

　　Y。　Soc。　Where　would　you　make　the　division？

　　Str。　As　thus：　I　would　make　two　parts；　one　having　regard　to　the

relativity　of　greatness　and　smallness　to　each　other；　and　there　is

another；　without　which　the　existence　of　production　would　be

impossible。

　　Y。　Soc。　What　do　you　mean？

　　Str。　Do　you　not　think　that　it　is　only　natural　for　the　greater　to

be　called　greater　with　reference　to　the　less　alone；　and　the　less

reference　to　the　greater　alone？

　　Y。　Soc。　Yes。

　　Str。　Well；　but　is　there　not　also　something　exceeding　and　

exceeded　by

the　principle　of　the　mean；　both　in　speech　and　action；　and　is　not

this　a　reality；　and　the　chief　mark　of　difference　between　good　and

bad　men？

　　Y。　Soc。　Plainly。

　　Str。　Then　we　must　suppose　that　the　great　and　small　exist　and　are

discerned　in　both　these　ways；　and　not；　as　we　were　saying　before；

only　relatively　to　one　another；　but　there　must　also　be　another

comparison　of　them　with　the　mean　or　ideal　standard；　would　you　like

to　hear　the　reason　why？

　　Y。　Soc。　Certainly。

　　Str。　If　we　assume　the　greater　to　exist　only　in　relation　to　

the　less；

there　will　never　be　any　comparison　of　either　with　the　mean。

　　Y。　Soc。　True。

　　Str。　And　would　not　this　doctrine　be　the　ruin　of　all　the　arts　and

their　creations；　would　not　the　art　of　the　Statesman　and　the

aforesaid　art　of　weaving　disappear？　For　all　these　arts　are　on　the

watch　against　excess　and　defect；　not　as　unrealities；　but　as　real

evils；　which　occasion　a　difficulty　in　action；　and　the　excellence　of

beauty　of　every　work　of　art　is　due　to　this　observance　of　measure。

　　Y。　Soc。　Certainly。

　　Str。　But　if　the　science　of　the　Statesman　disappears；　the　search

for　the　royal　science　will　be　impossible。

　　Y。　Soc。　Very　true。

　　Str。　Well；　then；　as　in　the　case　of　the　Sophist　we　extorted　the

inference　that　not…being　had　an　existence；　because　here　was　the

point　at　which　the　argument　eluded　our　grasp；　so　in　this　we　must

endeavour　to　show　that　the　greater　and；　less　are　not　only　to　be

measured　with　one　another；　but　also　have　to　do　with　the　production

of　the　mean；　for　if　this　is　not　admitted；　neither　a　statesman　nor

any　other　man　of　action　can　be　an　undisputed　master　of　his　science。

　　Y。　Soc。　Yes；　we　must　certainly　do　again　what　we　did　then。

　　Str。　But　this；　Socrates；　is　a　greater　work　than　the　other；　of

which　we　only　too　well　remember　the　length。　I　think；　however；　that

we　may　fairly　assume　something　of　this　sort…

　　Y。　Soc。　What？

　　Str。　That　we　shall　some　day　require　this　notion　of　a　mean　with　a

view　to　the　demonstration　of　absolute　truth；　meanwhile；　the　argument

that　the　very　existence　of　the　arts　must　be　held　to　depend　on　the

possibility　of　measuring　more　or　less；　not　only　with　one　another；

but　also　with　a　view　to　the　attainment　of　the　mean；　seems　to　afford

a　grand