alcibiades ii-第3部分

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change　their　tone；　and　wish　their　old　prayers　unsaid。　　Wherefore　also　I

suspect　that　men　are　entirely　wrong　when　they　blame　the　gods　as　the　authors

of　the　ills　which　befall　them　（compare　Republic）：　　'their　own　presumption；'

or　folly　（whichever　is　the　right　word）



'Has　brought　these　unmeasured　woes　upon　them。'　　（Homer。　Odyss。）



He　must　have　been　a　wise　poet；　Alcibiades；　who；　seeing　as　I　believe；　his

friends　foolishly　praying　for　and　doing　things　which　would　not　really

profit　them；　offered　up　a　common　prayer　in　behalf　of　them　all：



'King　Zeus；　grant　us　good　whether　prayed　for　or　unsought　by　us；

But　that　which　we　ask　amiss；　do　thou　avert。'　　（The　author　of　these　lines；

which　are　probably　of　Pythagorean　origin；　is　unknown。　　They　are　found　also

in　the　Anthology　（Anth。　Pal。）。）



In　my　opinion；　I　say；　the　poet　spoke　both　well　and　prudently；　but　if　you

have　anything　to　say　in　answer　to　him；　speak　out。



ALCIBIADES：　　It　is　difficult；　Socrates；　to　oppose　what　has　been　well　said。　

And　I　perceive　how　many　are　the　ills　of　which　ignorance　is　the　cause；

since；　as　would　appear；　through　ignorance　we　not　only　do；　but　what　is

worse；　pray　for　the　greatest　evils。　　No　man　would　imagine　that　he　would　do

so；　he　would　rather　suppose　that　he　was　quite　capable　of　praying　for　what

was　best：　　to　call　down　evils　seems　more　like　a　curse　than　a　prayer。



SOCRATES：　　But　perhaps；　my　good　friend；　some　one　who　is　wiser　than　either

you　or　I　will　say　that　we　have　no　right　to　blame　ignorance　thus　rashly；

unless　we　can　add　what　ignorance　we　mean　and　of　what；　and　also　to　whom　and

how　it　is　respectively　a　good　or　an　evil？



ALCIBIADES：　　How　do　you　mean？　　Can　ignorance　possibly　be　better　than

knowledge　for　any　person　in　any　conceivable　case？



SOCRATES：　　So　I　believe：you　do　not　think　so？



ALCIBIADES：　　Certainly　not。



SOCRATES：　　And　yet　surely　I　may　not　suppose　that　you　would　ever　wish　to　act

towards　your　mother　as　they　say　that　Orestes　and　Alcmeon　and　others　have

done　towards　their　parent。



ALCIBIADES：　　Good　words；　Socrates；　prithee。



SOCRATES：　　You　ought　not　to　bid　him　use　auspicious　words；　who　says　that　you

would　not　be　willing　to　commit　so　horrible　a　deed；　but　rather　him　who

affirms　the　contrary；　if　the　act　appear　to　you　unfit　even　to　be　mentioned。

Or　do　you　think　that　Orestes；　had　he　been　in　his　senses　and　knew　what　was

best　for　him　to　do；　would　ever　have　dared　to　venture　on　such　a　crime？



ALCIBIADES：　　Certainly　not。



SOCRATES：　　Nor　would　any　one　else；　I　fancy？



ALCIBIADES：　　No。



SOCRATES：　　That　ignorance　is　bad　then；　it　would　appear；　which　is　of　the

best　and　does　not　know　what　is　best？



ALCIBIADES：　　So　I　think；　at　least。



SOCRATES：　　And　both　to　the　person　who　is　ignorant　and　everybody　else？



ALCIBIADES：　　Yes。



SOCRATES：　　Let　us　take　another　case。　　Suppose　that　you　were　suddenly　to　get

into　your　head　that　it　would　be　a　good　thing　to　kill　Pericles；　your　kinsman

and　guardian；　and　were　to　seize　a　sword　and；　going　to　the　doors　of　his

house；　were　to　enquire　if　he　were　at　home；　meaning　to　slay　only　him　and　no

one　else：the　servants　reply；　'Yes'：　　（Mind；　I　do　not　mean　that　you　would

really　do　such　a　thing；　but　there　is　nothing；　you　think；　to　prevent　a　man

who　is　ignorant　of　the　best；　having　occasionally　the　whim　that　what　is

worst　is　best？



ALCIBIADES：　　No。）



SOCRATES：If；　then；　you　went　indoors；　and　seeing　him；　did　not　know　him；

but　thought　that　he　was　some　one　else；　would　you　venture　to　slay　him？



ALCIBIADES：　　Most　decidedly　not　（it　seems　to　me）。　　（These　words　are　omitted

in　several　MSS。）



SOCRATES：　　For　you　designed　to　kill；　not　the　first　who　offered；　but

Pericles　himself？



ALCIBIADES：　　Certainly。



SOCRATES：　　And　if　you　made　many　attempts；　and　each　time　failed　to　recognize

Pericles；　you　would　never　attack　him？



ALCIBIADES：　　Never。



SOCRATES：　　Well；　but　if　Orestes　in　like　manner　had　not　known　his　mother；　do

you　think　that　he　would　ever　have　laid　hands　upon　her？



ALCIBIADES：　　No。



SOCRATES：　　He　did　not　intend　to　slay　the　first　woman　he　came　across；　nor

any　one　else's　mother；　but　only　his　own？



ALCIBIADES：　　True。



SOCRATES：　　Ignorance；　then；　is　better　for　those　who　are　in　such　a　frame　of

mind；　and　have　such　ideas？



ALCIBIADES：　　Obviously。



SOCRATES：　　You　acknowledge　that　for　some　persons　in　certain　cases　the

ignorance　of　some　things　is　a　good　and　not　an　evil；　as　you　formerly

supposed？



ALCIBIADES：　　I　do。



SOCRATES：　　And　there　is　still　another　case　which　will　also　perhaps　appear

strange　to　you；　if　you　will　consider　it？　　（The　reading　is　here　uncertain。）



ALCIBIADES：　　What　is　that；　Socrates？



SOCRATES：　　It　may　be；　in　short；　that　the　possession　of　all　the　sciences；　if

unaccompanied　by　the　knowledge　of　the　best；　will　more　often　than　not　injure

the　possessor。　　Consider　the　matter　thus：Must　we　not；　when　we　intend

either　to　do　or　say　anything；　suppose　that　we　know　or　ought　to　know　that

which　we　propose　so　confidently　to　do　or　say？



ALCIBIADES：　　Yes；　in　my　opinion。



SOCRATES：　　We　may　take　the　orators　for　an　example；　who　from　time　to　time

advise　us　about　war　and　peace；　or　the　building　of　walls　and　the

construction　of　harbours；　whether　they　understand　the　business　in　hand；　or

only　think　that　they　do。　　Whatever　the　city；　in　a　word；　does　to　another

city；　or　in　the　management　of　her　own　affairs；　all　happens　by　the　counsel

of　the　orators。



ALCIBIADES：　　True。



SOCRATES：　　But　now　see　what　follows；　if　I　can　（make　it　clear　to　you）。　

（Some　words　appear　to　have　dropped　out　here。）　　You　would　distinguish　the

wise　from　the　foolish？



ALCIBIADES：　　Yes。



SOCRATES：　　The　many　are　foolish；　the　few　wise？



ALCIBIADES：　　Certainly。



SOCRATES：　　And　you　use　both　the　terms；　'wise'　and　'foolish；'　in　reference

to　something？



ALCIBIADES：　　I　do。



SOCRATES：　　Would　you　call　a　person　wise　who　can　give　advice；　but　does　not

know　whether　or　when　it　is　better　to　carry　out　the　advice？



ALCIBIADES：　　Decidedly　not。



SOCRATES：　　Nor　again；　I　suppose；　a　person　who　knows　the　art　of　war；　but

does　not　know　whether　it　is　better　to　go　to　war　or　for　how　long？



ALCIBIADES：　　No。



SOCRATES：　　Nor；　once　more；　a　person　who　knows　how　to　kill　another　or　to

take　away　his　property　or　to　drive　him　from　his　native　land；　but　not　when

it　is　better　to　do　so　or　for　whom　it　is　better？



ALCIBIADES：　　Certainly　not。



SOCRATES：　　But　he　who　understands　anything　of　the　kind　and　has　at　the　same

time　the　knowledge　of　the　best　course　of　action：and　the　best　and　the

useful　are　surely　the　same？



ALCIBIADES：　　Yes。



SOCRATES：Such　an　one；　I　say；　we　should　call　wise　and　a　useful　adviser

both　of　himself　and　of　the　city。　　What　do　you　think？



ALCIBIADES：　　I　agree。



SOCRATES：　　And　if　any　one　knows　how　to　ride　or　to　shoot　with　the　bow　or　to

box　or　to　wrestle；　or　to　engage　in　any　other　sort　of　contest　or　to　do

anything　whatever　which　is　in　the　nature　o