phaedo-第7章

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invisible。　And　the　soul　of　the　true　philosopher　thinks　that　she



ought　not　to　resist　this　deliverance；　and　therefore　abstains　from



pleasures　and　desires　and　pains　and　fears；　as　far　as　she　is　able；



reflecting　that　when　a　man　has　great　joys　or　sorrows　or　fears　or



desires　he　suffers　from　them；　not　the　sort　of　evil　which　might　be



anticipated…as；　for　example；　the　loss　of　his　health　or　property；　which



he　has　sacrificed　to　his　lusts…but　he　has　suffered　an　evil　greater



far；　which　is　the　greatest　and　worst　of　all　evils；　and　one　of　which　he



never　thinks。



　　And　what　is　that；　Socrates？　said　Cebes。



　　Why；　this：　When　the　feeling　of　pleasure　or　pain　in　the　soul　is



most　intense；　all　of　us　naturally　suppose　that　the　object　of　this



intense　feeling　is　then　plainest　and　truest：　but　this　is　not　the　case。



　　Very　true。



　　And　this　is　the　state　in　which　the　soul　is　most　enthralled　by　the



body。



　　How　is　that？



　　Why；　because　each　pleasure　and　pain　is　a　sort　of　nail　which　nails



and　rivets　the　soul　to　the　body；　and　engrosses　her　and　makes　her



believe　that　to　be　true　which　the　body　affirms　to　be　true；　and　from



agreeing　with　the　body　and　having　the　same　delights　she　is　obliged



to　have　the　same　habits　and　ways；　and　is　not　likely　ever　to　be　pure　at



her　departure　to　the　world　below；　but　is　always　saturated　with　the



body；　so　that　she　soon　sinks　into　another　body　and　there　germinates



and　grows；　and　has　therefore　no　part　in　the　communion　of　the　divine



and　pure　and　simple。



　　That　is　most　true；　Socrates；　answered　Cebes。



　　And　this；　Cebes；　is　the　reason　why　the　true　lovers　of　knowledge



are　temperate　and　brave；　and　not　for　the　reason　which　the　world　gives。



　　Certainly　not。



　　Certainly　not！　For　not　in　that　way　does　the　soul　of　a　philosopher



reason；　she　will　not　ask　philosophy　to　release　her　in　order　that



when　released　she　may　deliver　herself　up　again　to　the　thraldom　of



pleasures　and　pains；　doing　a　work　only　to　be　undone　again；　weaving



instead　of　unweaving　her　Penelope's　web。　But　she　will　make　herself　a



calm　of　passion　and　follow　Reason；　and　dwell　in　her；　beholding　the



true　and　divine　（which　is　not　matter　of　opinion）；　and　thence　derive



nourishment。　Thus　she　seeks　to　live　while　she　lives；　and　after　death



she　hopes　to　go　to　her　own　kindred　and　to　be　freed　from　human　ills。



Never　fear；　Simmias　and　Cebes；　that　a　soul　which　has　been　thus



nurtured　and　has　had　these　pursuits；　will　at　her　departure　from　the



body　be　scattered　and　blown　away　by　the　winds　and　be　nowhere　and



nothing。



　　When　Socrates　had　done　speaking；　for　a　considerable　time　there　was



silence；　he　himself　and　most　of　us　appeared　to　be　meditating　on　what



had　been　said；　only　Cebes　and　Simmias　spoke　a　few　words　to　one



another。　And　Socrates　observing　this　asked　them　what　they　thought　of



the　argument；　and　whether　there　was　anything　wanting？　For；　said　he；



much　is　still　open　to　suspicion　and　attack；　if　anyone　were　disposed　to



sift　the　matter　thoroughly。　If　you　are　talking　of　something　else　I



would　rather　not　interrupt　you；　but　if　you　are　still　doubtful　about



the　argument　do　not　hesitate　to　say　exactly　what　you　think；　and　let　us



have　anything　better　which　you　can　suggest；　and　if　I　am　likely　to　be



of　any　use；　allow　me　to　help　you。



　　Simmias　said：　I　must　confess；　Socrates；　that　doubts　did　arise　in　our



minds；　and　each　of　us　was　urging　and　inciting　the　other　to　put　the



question　which　he　wanted　to　have　answered　and　which　neither　of　us



liked　to　ask；　fearing　that　our　importunity　might　be　troublesome



under　present　circumstances。



　　Socrates　smiled　and　said：　O　Simmias；　how　strange　that　is；　I　am　not



very　likely　to　persuade　other　men　that　I　do　not　regard　my　present



situation　as　a　misfortune；　if　I　am　unable　to　persuade　you；　and　you



will　keep　fancying　that　I　am　at　all　more　troubled　now　than　at　any



other　time。　Will　you　not　allow　that　I　have　as　much　of　the　spirit　of



prophecy　in　me　as　the　swans？　For　they；　when　they　perceive　that　they



must　die；　having　sung　all　their　life　long；　do　then　sing　more　than



ever；　rejoicing　in　the　thought　that　they　are　about　to　go　away　to　the



god　whose　ministers　they　are。　But　men；　because　they　are　themselves



afraid　of　death；　slanderously　affirm　of　the　swans　that　they　sing　a



lament　at　the　last；　not　considering　that　no　bird　sings　when　cold；　or



hungry；　or　in　pain；　not　even　the　nightingale；　nor　the　swallow；　nor　yet



the　hoopoe；　which　are　said　indeed　to　tune　a　lay　of　sorrow；　although



I　do　not　believe　this　to　be　true　of　them　any　more　than　of　the　swans。



But　because　they　are　sacred　to　Apollo　and　have　the　gift　of　prophecy



and　anticipate　the　good　things　of　another　world；　therefore　they　sing



and　rejoice　in　that　day　more　than　they　ever　did　before。　And　I；　too；



believing　myself　to　be　the　consecrated　servant　of　the　same　God；　and



the　fellow　servant　of　the　swans；　and　thinking　that　I　have　received



from　my　master　gifts　of　prophecy　which　are　not　inferior　to　theirs；



would　not　go　out　of　life　less　merrily　than　the　swans。　Cease　to　mind



then　about　this；　but　speak　and　ask　anything　which　you　like；　while



the　eleven　magistrates　of　Athens　allow。



　　Well；　Socrates；　said　Simmias；　then　I　will　tell　you　my　difficulty；



and　Cebes　will　tell　you　his。　For　I　dare　say　that　you；　Socrates；



feel；　as　I　do；　how　very　hard　or　almost　impossible　is　the　attainment　of



any　certainty　about　questions　such　as　these　in　the　present　life。　And



yet　I　should　deem　him　a　coward　who　did　not　prove　what　is　said　about



them　to　the　uttermost；　or　whose　heart　failed　him　before　he　had



examined　them　on　every　side。　For　he　should　persevere　until　he　has



attained　one　of　two　things：　either　he　should　discover　or　learn　the



truth　about　them；　or；　if　this　is　impossible；　I　would　have　him　take　the



best　and　most　irrefragable　of　human　notions；　and　let　this　be　the



raft　upon　which　he　sails　through　life…not　without　risk；　as　I　admit；　if



he　cannot　find　some　word　of　God　which　will　more　surely　and　safely



carry　him。　And　now；　as　you　bid　me；　I　will　venture　to　question　you；



as　I　should　not　like　to　reproach　myself　hereafter　with　not　having　said



at　the　time　what　I　think。　For　when　I　consider　the　matter　either



alone　or　with　Cebes；　the　argument　does　certainly　appear　to　me；



Socrates；　to　be　not　sufficient。



　　Socrates　answered：　I　dare　say；　my　friend；　that　you　may　be　right；　but



I　should　like　to　know　in　what　respect　the　argument　is　not　sufficient。



　　In　this　respect；　replied　Simmias：　Might　not　a　person　use　the　same



argument　about　harmony　and　the　lyre…might　he　not　say　that　harmony　is　a



thing　invisible；　incorporeal；　fair；　divine；　abiding　in　the　lyre



which　is　harmonized；　but　that　the　lyre　and　the　strings　are　matter



and　material；　composite；　earthy；　and　akin　to　mortality？　And　when



someone　breaks　the　lyre；　or　cuts　and　rends　the　strings；　then　he　who



takes　this　view　would　argue　as　you　do；　and　on　the　same　analogy；　that



the　harmony　survives　and　has　not　perished；　for　you　cannot　imagine；



as　we　would　say；　that　the　lyre　without　the　strings；　and　the　broken



strings　themselves；　remain；　and　yet　that　the　harmony；　which　is　of



heavenly　and　immortal　nature　and　kindred；　has　perished…and　perished



too　before　the　mortal。　The　harmony；　he　would　say；　certainly　exists



somewhere；　and　the　wood　and　strings　will　decay　before　that　decays。　For



I　suspect；　Socrates；　that　the　notion　of　the　soul　which　we　are　all　of



us　inclined　to　entertain；　would　also　be　yours；　and　that　you　too



would　conceive　the　body　to　be　strung　up；　and　held　together；　by　the



elements　of　hot　and　cold；　wet　and　dry；　and　the　like；　and　that　the　soul



is　the　harmony　or　due　proportionate　admixture　of　them。　And；　if　this　is



true；　the　inference　clearly　is　that　when　the　strings　of　the　body　are



unduly　loosened　or　overstrained　through　disorder　or　other　injury；　then



the　soul；　though　most　divine；　like　other　harmonies　of　music　or　of



the　works　of　art；　of　course　perishes　at　once；　although　the　material



remains　of　the　body　may　last　for　a　considerable　time；　until　they　are



either　decayed　or　burnt。　Now　if　anyone　maintained　that　the　soul；　being



the　harmony　of　the　elements　of　the　body；　first　perishes　in　that



which　is　called　death；　how　shall　we　answer　him？



　　Socrates　looked　round　at　us　as　his　manner　was；　and　said；　with　a



smile：　Simmias　has　reason　on　his　side；　and　why　does　not　some　one　of



you　who　is　abler　than　myself　answer　him？　for　there　is　force　in　his



attack　upon　me。　But　perhaps；　before　we　answer　him；　we　had　better



also　hear　what　Cebes　has　to　say　against　the　argument…this　will　give　us



time　for　reflection；　and　when　both　of　them　have　spoken；　we　may



either　assent　to　them　if　their　words　appear　to　be　in　consonance　with



the　truth；　or　if　not；　we　may　take　up　the　other　side；　and　argue　with



them。　Please　to　tell　me　then；　Cebes；　he　said；　what　was　the



difficulty　which　troubled　you？



　　Cebes　said：　I　will　tell　you。　My　feeling　is　that　the　argument　is



still　in　the　same　position；　and　open　to　the　same　objections　which　were



urged　before；　for　I　am　ready　to　admit　that　the　existence　of　the　soul



before　entering　into　the　bodily　form　has　been　very　ingeniously；　and；



as　I　may　be　allowed　to　say；　quite　sufficiently　proven；　but　the



existence　of　the　soul　after　death　is　still；　in　my　judgment；



unproven。　Now　my　objection　is　not　the　same　as　that　of　Simmias；　for　I



am　not　disposed　to　deny　that　the　soul　is　stronger　and　more　lasting



than　the　body；　being　of　opinion　that　in　all　such　respects　the　soul



very　far　excels　the　body。　Well；　then；　says　the　argument　to　me；　why



do　you　remain　unconvinced？　When　you　see　that　the　weaker　is　still　in



existence　after　the　man　is　dead；　will　you　not　admit　that　the　more



lasting　must　also　survive　during　the　same　period　of　time？　Now　I；



like　Simmias；　must　employ　a　figure；　and　I　shall　ask　you　to　consider



whether　the　figure　is　to　the　point。　The　parallel　which　I　will



suppose　is　that　of　an　old　weaver；　who　dies；　and　after　his　death



somebody　says：　He　is　not　dead；　he　must　be　alive；　and　he　appeals　to　the



coat　which　he　himself　wove　and　wore；　and　which　is　still　whole　and



undecayed。　And　then　he　proceeds　to　ask　of　someone　who　is



incredulous；　whether　a　man　lasts　longer；　or　the　coat　which　is　in　use



and　wear；　and　when　he　is　answered　that　a　man　lasts　far　longer；



thinks　that　he　has　thus　certainly　demonstrated　the　survival　of　the



man；　who　is　the　more　lasting；　because　the　less　lasting　remains。　But



that；　Simmias；　as　I　would　beg　you　to　observe；　is　not　the　truth；



everyone　sees　that　he　who　talks　thus　is　talking　nonsense。　For　the



truth　is　that　this　weaver；　having　worn　and　woven　many　such　coats；



though　he　outlived　several　of　them；　was　himself　outlived　by　the



last；　but　this　is　surely　very　far　from　proving　that　a　man　is



slighter　and　weaker　than　a　coat。　Now　the　relation　of　the