alcibiades i- 第12部分

considered；　but　now；　instead　of　absolute　existence；　we　have　been

considering　the　nature　of　individual　existence；　and　this　may；　perhaps；　be

sufficient；　for　surely　there　is　nothing　which　may　be　called　more　properly

ourselves　than　the　soul？



ALCIBIADES：　　There　is　nothing。



SOCRATES：　　Then　we　may　truly　conceive　that　you　and　I　are　conversing　with

one　another；　soul　to　soul？



ALCIBIADES：　　Very　true。



SOCRATES：　　And　that　is　just　what　I　was　saying　beforethat　I；　Socrates；　am

not　arguing　or　talking　with　the　face　of　Alcibiades；　but　with　the　real

Alcibiades；　or　in　other　words；　with　his　soul。



ALCIBIADES：　　True。



SOCRATES：　　Then　he　who　bids　a　man　know　himself；　would　have　him　know　his

soul？



ALCIBIADES：　　That　appears　to　be　true。



SOCRATES：　　He　whose　knowledge　only　extends　to　the　body；　knows　the　things　of

a　man；　and　not　the　man　himself？



ALCIBIADES：　　That　is　true。



SOCRATES：　　Then　neither　the　physician　regarded　as　a　physician；　nor　the

trainer　regarded　as　a　trainer；　knows　himself？



ALCIBIADES：　　He　does　not。



SOCRATES：　　The　husbandmen　and　the　other　craftsmen　are　very　far　from　knowing

themselves；　for　they　would　seem　not　even　to　know　their　own　belongings？　

When　regarded　in　relation　to　the　arts　which　they　practise　they　are　even

further　removed　from　self…knowledge；　for　they　only　know　the　belongings　of

the　body；　which　minister　to　the　body。



ALCIBIADES：　　That　is　true。



SOCRATES：　　Then　if　temperance　is　the　knowledge　of　self；　in　respect　of　his

art　none　of　them　is　temperate？



ALCIBIADES：　　I　agree。



SOCRATES：　　And　this　is　the　reason　why　their　arts　are　accounted　vulgar；　and

are　not　such　as　a　good　man　would　practise？



ALCIBIADES：　　Quite　true。



SOCRATES：　　Again；　he　who　cherishes　his　body　cherishes　not　himself；　but　what

belongs　to　him？



ALCIBIADES：　　That　is　true。



SOCRATES：　　But　he　who　cherishes　his　money；　cherishes　neither　himself　nor

his　belongings；　but　is　in　a　stage　yet　further　removed　from　himself？



ALCIBIADES：　　I　agree。



SOCRATES：　　Then　the　money…maker　has　really　ceased　to　be　occupied　with　his

own　concerns？



ALCIBIADES：　　True。



SOCRATES：　　And　if　any　one　has　fallen　in　love　with　the　person　of　Alcibiades；

he　loves　not　Alcibiades；　but　the　belongings　of　Alcibiades？



ALCIBIADES：　　True。



SOCRATES：　　But　he　who　loves　your　soul　is　the　true　lover？



ALCIBIADES：　　That　is　the　necessary　inference。



SOCRATES：　　The　lover　of　the　body　goes　away　when　the　flower　of　youth　fades？



ALCIBIADES：　　True。



SOCRATES：　　But　he　who　loves　the　soul　goes　not　away；　as　long　as　the　soul

follows　after　virtue？



ALCIBIADES：　　Yes。



SOCRATES：　　And　I　am　the　lover　who　goes　not　away；　but　remains　with　you；　when

you　are　no　longer　young　and　the　rest　are　gone？



ALCIBIADES：　　Yes；　Socrates；　and　therein　you　do　well；　and　I　hope　that　you

will　remain。



SOCRATES：　　Then　you　must　try　to　look　your　best。



ALCIBIADES：　　I　will。



SOCRATES：　　The　fact　is；　that　there　is　only　one　lover　of　Alcibiades　the　son

of　Cleinias；　there　neither　is　nor　ever　has　been　seemingly　any　other；　and　he

is　his　darling；Socrates；　the　son　of　Sophroniscus　and　Phaenarete。



ALCIBIADES：　　True。



SOCRATES：　　And　did　you　not　say；　that　if　I　had　not　spoken　first；　you　were　on

the　point　of　coming　to　me；　and　enquiring　why　I　only　remained？



ALCIBIADES：　　That　is　true。



SOCRATES：　　The　reason　was　that　I　loved　you　for　your　own　sake；　whereas　other

men　love　what　belongs　to　you；　and　your　beauty；　which　is　not　you；　is　fading

away；　just　as　your　true　self　is　beginning　to　bloom。　　And　I　will　never

desert　you；　if　you　are　not　spoiled　and　deformed　by　the　Athenian　people；　for

the　danger　which　I　most　fear　is　that　you　will　become　a　lover　of　the　people

and　will　be　spoiled　by　them。　　Many　a　noble　Athenian　has　been　ruined　in　this

way。　　For　the　demus　of　the　great…hearted　Erechteus　is　of　a　fair

countenance；　but　you　should　see　him　naked；　wherefore　observe　the　caution

which　I　give　you。



ALCIBIADES：　　What　caution？



SOCRATES：　　Practise　yourself；　sweet　friend；　in　learning　what　you　ought　to

know；　before　you　enter　on　politics；　and　then　you　will　have　an　antidote

which　will　keep　you　out　of　harm's　way。



ALCIBIADES：　　Good　advice；　Socrates；　but　I　wish　that　you　would　explain　to　me

in　what　way　I　am　to　take　care　of　myself。



SOCRATES：　　Have　we　not　made　an　advance？　for　we　are　at　any　rate　tolerably

well　agreed　as　to　what　we　are；　and　there　is　no　longer　any　danger；　as　we

once　feared；　that　we　might　be　taking　care　not　of　ourselves；　but　of

something　which　is　not　ourselves。



ALCIBIADES：　　That　is　true。



SOCRATES：　　And　the　next　step　will　be　to　take　care　of　the　soul；　and　look　to

that？



ALCIBIADES：　　Certainly。



SOCRATES：　　Leaving　the　care　of　our　bodies　and　of　our　properties　to　others？



ALCIBIADES：　　Very　good。



SOCRATES：　　But　how　can　we　have　a　perfect　knowledge　of　the　things　of　the

soul？For　if　we　know　them；　then　I　suppose　we　shall　know　ourselves。　　Can　we

really　be　ignorant　of　the　excellent　meaning　of　the　Delphian　inscription；　of

which　we　were　just　now　speaking？



ALCIBIADES：　　What　have　you　in　your　thoughts；　Socrates？



SOCRATES：　　I　will　tell　you　what　I　suspect　to　be　the　meaning　and　lesson　of

that　inscription。　　Let　me　take　an　illustration　from　sight；　which　I　imagine

to　be　the　only　one　suitable　to　my　purpose。



ALCIBIADES：　　What　do　you　mean？



SOCRATES：　　Consider；　if　some　one　were　to　say　to　the　eye；　'See　thyself；'　as

you　might　say　to　a　man；　'Know　thyself；'　what　is　the　nature　and　meaning　of

this　precept？　　Would　not　his　meaning　be：That　the　eye　should　look　at　that

in　which　it　would　see　itself？



ALCIBIADES：　　Clearly。



SOCRATES：　　And　what　are　the　objects　in　looking　at　which　we　see　ourselves？



ALCIBIADES：　　Clearly；　Socrates；　in　looking　at　mirrors　and　the　like。



SOCRATES：　　Very　true；　and　is　there　not　something　of　the　nature　of　a　mirror

in　our　own　eyes？



ALCIBIADES：　　Certainly。



SOCRATES：　　Did　you　ever　observe　that　the　face　of　the　person　looking　into

the　eye　of　another　is　reflected　as　in　a　mirror；　and　in　the　visual　organ

which　is　over　against　him；　and　which　is　called　the　pupil；　there　is　a　sort

of　image　of　the　person　looking？



ALCIBIADES：　　That　is　quite　true。



SOCRATES：　　Then　the　eye；　looking　at　another　eye；　and　at　that　in　the　eye

which　is　most　perfect；　and　which　is　the　instrument　of　vision；　will　there

see　itself？



ALCIBIADES：　　That　is　evident。



SOCRATES：　　But　looking　at　anything　else　either　in　man　or　in　the　world；　and

not　to　what　resembles　this；　it　will　not　see　itself？



ALCIBIADES：　　Very　true。



SOCRATES：　　Then　if　the　eye　is　to　see　itself；　it　must　look　at　the　eye；　and

at　that　part　of　the　eye　where　sight　which　is　the　virtue　of　the　eye　resides？



ALCIBIADES：　　True。



SOCRATES：　　And　if　the　soul；　my　dear　Alcibiades；　is　ever　to　know　herself；

must　she　not　look　at　the　soul；　and　especially　at　that　part　of　the　soul　in

which　her　virtue　resides；　and　to　any　other　which　is　like　this？



ALCIBIADES：　　I　agree；　Socrates。



SOCRATES：　　And　do　we　know　of　any　part　of　our　souls　more　divine　than　that

which　has　to　do　with　wisdom　and　knowledge？



ALCIBIADES：　　There　is　none。



SOCRATES：　　Then　this　is　that　part　of　the　soul　which　resembles　the　divine；

and　he　who　looks　at　this　and　at　the　whole　class　of　things　divine；　will　be

most　likely　to　know　himself？



ALCIBIADES：　　Clearly。



SOCRATES：　　And　self…knowledge　we　agree　to　be　wisdom？



ALCIBIADES：　　True。



SOCRATES：　　But　if　we　have　no　self…knowledge　and　no　wisdom；　can　we　ever　know

our　own　good　and　evil？



ALCIBIADES：　　How　can　we；　Socrates？



SOCRATES：　　You　mean；　that　if　you　did　not　know　Alcibiades；　there　would　be　no

possibility　of　your　knowing　that　what　belonged　to　Alcibiades　was　really

his？



ALCIBIADES：　　It　would　be　quite　impossible。



SOCRATES：　　Nor　should　we　know　that　we　were　the　persons　to　whom　anything

belonged；　if　we　did　not　know　ourselves？



ALCIBIADES：　　How　could　we？



SOCRATES：　　And　if　we　did　not　know　our　own　belongings；　neither　should　we

know　the　belongings　of　our　belongings？



ALCIBIADES：　　Clearly　not。



SOCRATES：　　Then　we　were　not　altogether　right　in　acknowledging　just　now　that

a　man　may　know　what　belongs　to　him　and　yet　not　know　himself；　nay；　rather　he

cannot　even　know　the　belongings　of　his　belongings；　for　the　discernment　of

the　things　of　self；　and　of　the　things　which　belong　to　the　things　of　self；

appear　all　to　be　the　business　of　the　same　man；　and　of　the　same　art。



ALCIBIADES：　　So　much　may　be　supposed。



SOCRATES：　　And　he　who　knows　not　the　things　which　belong　to　himself；　will　in

like　manner　be　ignorant　of　the　things　which　belong　to　others？



ALCIBIADES：　　Very　true。



SOCRATES：　　And　if　he　knows　not　the　affairs　of　others；　he　will　not　know　the

affairs　of　states？



ALCIBIADES：　　Certainly　not。



SOCRATES：　　Then　such　a　man　can　never　be　a　statesman？



ALCIBIADES：　　He　cannot。



SOCRAT