《lesser hippias》

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lesser hippias- 第6部分


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HIPPIAS:  Yes。



SOCRATES:  And would you rather always have eyes with which you might

voluntarily blink and not see; or with which you might involuntarily blink?



HIPPIAS:  I would rather have eyes which voluntarily blink。



SOCRATES:  Then in your own case you deem that which voluntarily acts ill;

better than that which involuntarily acts ill?



HIPPIAS:  Yes; certainly; in cases such as you mention。



SOCRATES:  And does not the same hold of ears; nostrils; mouth; and of all

the sensesthose which involuntarily act ill are not to be desired; as

being defective; and those which voluntarily act ill are to be desired as

being good?



HIPPIAS:  I agree。 



SOCRATES:  And what would you say of instruments;which are the better

sort of instruments to have to do with?those with which a man acts ill

voluntarily or involuntarily?  For example; had a man better have a rudder

with which he will steer ill; voluntarily or involuntarily? 



HIPPIAS:  He had better have a rudder with which he will steer ill

voluntarily。



SOCRATES:  And does not the same hold of the bow and the lyre; the flute

and all other things?



HIPPIAS:  Very true。



SOCRATES:  And would you rather have a horse of such a temper that you may

ride him ill voluntarily or involuntarily?



HIPPIAS:  I would rather have a horse which I could ride ill voluntarily。



SOCRATES:  That would be the better horse?



HIPPIAS:  Yes。



SOCRATES:  Then with a horse of better temper; vicious actions would be

produced voluntarily; and with a horse of bad temper involuntarily?



HIPPIAS:  Certainly。



SOCRATES:  And that would be true of a dog; or of any other animal?



HIPPIAS:  Yes。



SOCRATES:  And is it better to possess the mind of an archer who

voluntarily or involuntarily misses the mark?



HIPPIAS:  Of him who voluntarily misses。



SOCRATES:  This would be the better mind for the purposes of archery?



HIPPIAS:  Yes。



SOCRATES:  Then the mind which involuntarily errs is worse than the mind

which errs voluntarily?



HIPPIAS:  Yes; certainly; in the use of the bow。



SOCRATES:  And what would you say of the art of medicine;has not the mind

which voluntarily works harm to the body; more of the healing art?



HIPPIAS:  Yes。



SOCRATES:  Then in the art of medicine the voluntary is better than the

involuntary?



HIPPIAS:  Yes。



SOCRATES:  Well; and in lute…playing and in flute…playing; and in all arts

and sciences; is not that mind the better which voluntarily does what is

evil and dishonourable; and goes wrong; and is not the worse that which

does so involuntarily?



HIPPIAS:  That is evident。



SOCRATES:  And what would you say of the characters of slaves?  Should we

not prefer to have those who voluntarily do wrong and make mistakes; and

are they not better in their mistakes than those who commit them

involuntarily?



HIPPIAS:  Yes。



SOCRATES:  And should we not desire to have our own minds in the best state

possible?



HIPPIAS:  Yes。



SOCRATES:  And will our minds be better if they do wrong and make mistakes

voluntarily or involuntarily?



HIPPIAS:  O; Socrates; it would be a monstrous thing to say that those who

do wrong voluntarily are better than those who do wrong involuntarily!



SOCRATES:  And yet that appears to be the only inference。



HIPPIAS:  I do not think so。



SOCRATES:  But I imagined; Hippias; that you did。  Please to answer once

more:  Is not justice a power; or knowledge; or both?  Must not justice; at

all events; be one of these?



HIPPIAS:  Yes。



SOCRATES:  But if justice is a power of the soul; then the soul which has

the greater power is also the more just; for that which has the greater

power; my good friend; has been proved by us to be the better。



HIPPIAS:  Yes; that has been proved。



SOCRATES:  And if justice is knowledge; then the wiser will be the juster

soul; and the more ignorant the more unjust?



HIPPIAS:  Yes。



SOCRATES:  But if justice be power as well as knowledgethen will not the

soul which has both knowledge and power be the more just; and that which is

the more ignorant be the more unjust?  Must it not be so?



HIPPIAS:  Clearly。



SOCRATES:  And is not the soul which has the greater power and wisdom also

better; and better able to do both good and evil in every action?



HIPPIAS:  Certainly。



SOCRATES:  The soul; then; which acts ill; acts voluntarily by power and

artand these either one or both of them are elements of justice?



HIPPIAS:  That seems to be true。



SOCRATES:  And to do injustice is to do ill; and not to do injustice is to

do well?



HIPPIAS:  Yes。



SOCRATES:  And will not the better and abler soul when it does wrong; do

wrong voluntarily; and the bad soul involuntarily?



HIPPIAS:  Clearly。



SOCRATES:  And the good man is he who has the good soul; and the bad man is

he who has the bad?



HIPPIAS:  Yes。



SOCRATES:  Then the good man will voluntarily do wrong; and the bad man

involuntarily; if the good man is he who has the good soul?



HIPPIAS:  Which he certainly has。



SOCRATES:  Then; Hippias; he who voluntarily does wrong and disgraceful

things; if there be such a man; will be the good man?



HIPPIAS:  There I cannot agree with you。



SOCRATES:  Nor can I agree with myself; Hippias; and yet that seems to be

the conclusion which; as far as we can see at present; must follow from our

argument。  As I was saying before; I am all abroad; and being in perplexity

am always changing my opinion。  Now; that I or any ordinary man should

wander in perplexity is not surprising; but if you wise men also wander;

and we cannot come to you and rest from our wandering; the matter begins to

be serious both to us and to you。








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