BOOK III Chapter 8

Once when Aristippus332 set himself to subject Socrates to a cross-examination, such as he had himself undergone at the hands of Socrates on a former occasion,333 Socrates, being minded to benefit those who were with him, gave his answers less in the style of a debater guarding against perversions¹ of his argument, than of a man persuaded of the supreme² importance of right conduct.334

Aristippus asked him “if he knew of anything good,”335 intending in case he assented³ and named any particular good thing, like food or drink, or wealth, or health, or strength, or courage, to point out that the thing named was sometimes bad. But he, knowing that if a thing troubles us, we immediately want that which will put an end to our trouble, answered precisely⁵ as it was best to do.336

Soc. Do I understand you to ask me whether I know anything good for fever?

No (he replied), that is not my question.

Soc. Then for inflammation of the eyes?

Aristip. No, nor yet that.

Soc. Well then, for hunger?

Aristip. No, nor yet for hunger.

Well, but (answered Socrates) if you ask me whether I know of any good thing which is good for nothing, I neither know of it nor want to know.

And when Aristippus, returning to the charge, asked him “if he knew of any thing beautiful,”

He answered: Yes, many things.

Aristip. Are they all like each other?

Soc. On the contrary, they are often as unlike as possible.

How then (he asked) can that be beautiful which is unlike the beautiful?

Soc. Bless me! for the simple reason that it is possible for a man who is a beautiful runner to be quite unlike another man who is a beautiful boxer,337 or for a shield, which is a beautiful weapon for the purpose of defence, to be absolutely unlike a javelin⁶, which is a beautiful weapon of swift and sure discharge.

Aristip. Your answers are no better now than338 when I asked you whether you knew any good thing. They are both of a pattern.

Soc. And so they should be. Do you imagine that one thing is good and another beautiful? Do not you know that relatively⁷ to the same standard all things are at once beautiful and good?339 In the first place, virtue⁸ is not a good thing relatively to one standard and a beautiful thing relatively to another standard; and in the next place, human beings, on the same principle340 and relatively to the same standard, are called “beautiful and good”; and so the bodily frames of men relatively to the same standards are seen to be “beautiful and good,” and in general all things capable of being used by man are regarded as at once beautiful and good relatively to the same standard — the standing⁹ being in each case what the thing happens to be useful for.341

Aristip. Then I presume even a basket for carrying dung342 is a beautiful thing?

Soc. To be sure, and a spear of gold an ugly thing, if for their respective uses — the former is well and the latter ill adapted.

Aristip. Do you mean to assert that the same things may be beautiful and ugly?

Soc. Yes, to be sure; and by the same showing things may be good and bad: as, for instance, what is good for hunger may be bad for fever, and what is good for fever bad for hunger; or again, what is beautiful for wrestling is often ugly for running; and in general everything is good and beautiful when well adapted for the end in view, bad and ugly when ill adapted for the same.

Similarly when he spoke¹⁰ about houses,343 and argued that “the same house must be at once beautiful and useful”— I could not help feeling that he was giving a good lesson on the problem: “how a house ought to be built.” He investigated the matter thus:

Soc. “Do you admit that any one purposing to build a perfect house344 will plan to make it at once as pleasant and as useful to live in as possible?” and that point being admitted,345 the next question would be:

“It is pleasant to have one’s house cool in summer and warm in winter, is it not?” and this proposition also having obtained assent⁴, “Now, supposing a house to have a southern aspect, sunshine during winter will steal in under the verandah,346 but in summer, when the sun traverses a path right over our heads, the roof will afford an agreeable shade, will it not? If, then, such an arrangement is desirable, the southern side of a house should be built higher to catch the rays of the winter sun, and the northern side lower to prevent the cold winds finding ingress; in a word, it is reasonable to suppose that the pleasantest and most beautiful dwelling¹¹ place will be one in which the owner can at all seasons of the year find the pleasantest retreat, and stow away his goods with the greatest security.”

Paintings347 and ornamental¹² mouldings are apt (he said) to deprive one of more joy348 than they confer.

The fittest place for a temple or an altar (he maintained) was some site visible from afar, and untrodden by foot of man:349 since it was a glad thing for the worshipper to lift up his eyes afar off and offer up his orison; glad also to wend his way peaceful to prayer unsullied.350

332 For Aristippus see above, p. 38; for the connection, boulomenos tous sunontas ophelein, between this and the preceeding chapter, see above, Conspectus, p. xxvi.

333 Possibly in reference to the conversation above. In reference to the present dialogue see Grote, “Plato,” I. xi. p. 380 foll.

334 For prattein ta deonta cf. below, III. ix. 4, 11; Plat. “Charm.” 164 B; but see J. J. Hartman, “An. Xen.” p. 141.

335 See Grote, “Plato,” ii. 585, on Philebus.

336 Or, “made the happiest answer.”

337 See Grote, “H. G.” x. 164, in reference to Epaminondas and his gymnastic training; below, III. x. 6.

338 Or, “You answer precisely as you did when . . .”

339 Or, “good and beautiful are convertible¹³ terms: whatever is good is beautiful, or whatever is beautiful is good.”

340 Or, “in the same breath.” Cf. Plat. “Hipp. maj.” 295 D; “Gorg.” 474 D.

341 Or, “and this standard is the serviceableness of the thing in question.”

342 Cf. Plat. “Hipp. maj.” 288 D, 290 D; and Grote’s note, loc. cit. p. 381: “in regard to the question wherein consists to kalon?”

343 See K. Joel, op. cit. p. 488; “Classical Review,” vii. 262.

344 Or, “the ideal house”; lit. “a house as it should be.”

345 See below, IV. vi. 15.

346 Or, “porticoes” or “collonades.”

347 See “Econ.” ix. 2; Plat. “Hipp. maj.” 298 A; “Rep.” 529; Becker, “Charicles,” 268 (Engl. trans.)

348 euphrosunas, archaic¹⁴ or “poetical” = “joyance.” See “Hiero,” vi. 1.

349 e.g. the summit of Lycabettos, or the height on which stands the temple of Phygaleia. Cf. Eur. “Phoen.” 1372, Pallados khrusaspidos blepsas pros¹⁵ oikon euxato of Eteocles.

350 See Vitruvius, i. 7, iv. 5, ap. Schneid. ad loc.; W. L. Newman, op. cit. i. 338.

1 perversions   

n.歪曲( perversion的名词复数 )；变坏；变态心理

参考例句：

• Many practices commonly regarded as perversions were widespread. 许多通常认为是性变态的行为的做法实际上是广泛存在的。 来自辞典例句

2 supreme   

adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的

参考例句：

• It was the supreme moment in his life.那是他一生中最重要的时刻。
• He handed up the indictment to the supreme court.他把起诉书送交最高法院。

3 assented   

同意，赞成( assent的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The judge assented to allow the prisoner to speak. 法官同意允许犯人申辩。
• "No," assented Tom, "they don't kill the women -- they're too noble. “对，”汤姆表示赞同地说，“他们不杀女人——真伟大！

4 assent   

v.批准，认可；n.批准，认可

参考例句：

• I cannot assent to what you ask.我不能应允你的要求。
• The new bill passed by Parliament has received Royal Assent.议会所通过的新方案已获国王批准。

5 precisely   

adv.恰好，正好，精确地，细致地

参考例句：

• It's precisely that sort of slick sales-talk that I mistrust.我不相信的正是那种油腔滑调的推销宣传。
• The man adjusted very precisely.那个人调得很准。

6 javelin   

n.标枪，投枪

参考例句：

• She achieved a throw of sixty metres in the javelin event.在掷标枪项目中，她掷了60米远。
• The coach taught us how to launch a javelin.教练教我们投标枪。

7 relatively   

adv.比较...地，相对地

参考例句：

• The rabbit is a relatively recent introduction in Australia.兔子是相对较新引入澳大利亚的物种。
• The operation was relatively painless.手术相对来说不痛。

8 virtue   

n.德行，美德；贞操；优点；功效，效力

参考例句：

• He was considered to be a paragon of virtue.他被认为是品德尽善尽美的典范。
• You need to decorate your mind with virtue.你应该用德行美化心灵。

9 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

10 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

11 dwelling   

n.住宅，住所，寓所

参考例句：

• Those two men are dwelling with us.那两个人跟我们住在一起。
• He occupies a three-story dwelling place on the Park Street.他在派克街上有一幢3层楼的寓所。

12 ornamental   

adj.装饰的；作装饰用的；n.装饰品；观赏植物

参考例句：

• The stream was dammed up to form ornamental lakes.溪流用水坝拦挡起来,形成了装饰性的湖泊。
• The ornamental ironwork lends a touch of elegance to the house.铁艺饰件为房子略添雅致。

13 convertible   

adj.可改变的，可交换，同意义的；n.有活动摺篷的汽车

参考例句：

• The convertible sofa means that the apartment can sleep four.有了这张折叠沙发，公寓里可以睡下4个人。
• That new white convertible is totally awesome.那辆新的白色折篷汽车简直棒极了。

14 archaic   

adj.(语言、词汇等)古代的，已不通用的

参考例句：

• The company does some things in archaic ways,such as not using computers for bookkeeping.这个公司有些做法陈旧，如记账不使用电脑。
• Shaanxi is one of the Chinese archaic civilized origins which has a long history.陕西省是中国古代文明发祥之一，有悠久的历史。

15 pros   

abbr.prosecuting 起诉；prosecutor 起诉人；professionals 自由职业者；proscenium （舞台）前部n.赞成的意见( pro的名词复数 )；赞成的理由；抵偿物；交换物

参考例句：

• The pros and cons cancel out. 正反两种意见抵消。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• We should hear all the pros and cons of the matter before we make a decision. 我们在对这事做出决定之前，应该先听取正反两方面的意见。 来自《简明英汉词典》