crito-第3部分

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and　discreditable　are　the　consequences；　both　to　us　and　you。　　Make　up　your

mind　then；　or　rather　have　your　mind　already　made　up；　for　the　time　of

deliberation　is　over；　and　there　is　only　one　thing　to　be　done；　which　must　be

done　this　very　night；　and　if　we　delay　at　all　will　be　no　longer　practicable

or　possible；　I　beseech　you　therefore；　Socrates；　be　persuaded　by　me；　and　do

as　I　say。



SOCRATES：　　Dear　Crito；　your　zeal　is　invaluable；　if　a　right　one；　but　if

wrong；　the　greater　the　zeal　the　greater　the　danger；　and　therefore　we　ought

to　consider　whether　I　shall　or　shall　not　do　as　you　say。　　For　I　am　and

always　have　been　one　of　those　natures　who　must　be　guided　by　reason；

whatever　the　reason　may　be　which　upon　reflection　appears　to　me　to　be　the

best；　and　now　that　this　chance　has　befallen　me；　I　cannot　repudiate　my　own

words：　　the　principles　which　I　have　hitherto　honoured　and　revered　I　still

honour；　and　unless　we　can　at　once　find　other　and　better　principles；　I　am

certain　not　to　agree　with　you；　no；　not　even　if　the　power　of　the　multitude

could　inflict　many　more　imprisonments；　confiscations；　deaths；　frightening

us　like　children　with　hobgoblin　terrors　（compare　Apol。）。　　What　will　be　the

fairest　way　of　considering　the　question？　　Shall　I　return　to　your　old

argument　about　the　opinions　of　men？we　were　saying　that　some　of　them　are

to　be　regarded；　and　others　not。　　Now　were　we　right　in　maintaining　this

before　I　was　condemned？　　And　has　the　argument　which　was　once　good　now

proved　to　be　talk　for　the　sake　of　talkingmere　childish　nonsense？　　That　is

what　I　want　to　consider　with　your　help；　Crito：whether；　under　my　present

circumstances；　the　argument　appears　to　be　in　any　way　different　or　not；　and

is　to　be　allowed　by　me　or　disallowed。　　That　argument；　which；　as　I　believe；

is　maintained　by　many　persons　of　authority；　was　to　the　effect；　as　I　was

saying；　that　the　opinions　of　some　men　are　to　be　regarded；　and　of　other　men

not　to　be　regarded。　　Now　you；　Crito；　are　not　going　to　die　to…morrowat

least；　there　is　no　human　probability　of　this；　and　therefore　you　are

disinterested　and　not　liable　to　be　deceived　by　the　circumstances　in　which

you　are　placed。　　Tell　me　then；　whether　I　am　right　in　saying　that　some

opinions；　and　the　opinions　of　some　men　only；　are　to　be　valued；　and　that

other　opinions；　and　the　opinions　of　other　men；　are　not　to　be　valued。　　I　ask

you　whether　I　was　right　in　maintaining　this？



CRITO：　　Certainly。



SOCRATES：　　The　good　are　to　be　regarded；　and　not　the　bad？



CRITO：　　Yes。



SOCRATES：　　And　the　opinions　of　the　wise　are　good；　and　the　opinions　of　the

unwise　are　evil？



CRITO：　　Certainly。



SOCRATES：　　And　what　was　said　about　another　matter？　　Is　the　pupil　who

devotes　himself　to　the　practice　of　gymnastics　supposed　to　attend　to　the

praise　and　blame　and　opinion　of　every　man；　or　of　one　man　onlyhis

physician　or　trainer；　whoever　he　may　be？



CRITO：　　Of　one　man　only。



SOCRATES：　　And　he　ought　to　fear　the　censure　and　welcome　the　praise　of　that

one　only；　and　not　of　the　many？



CRITO：　　Clearly　so。



SOCRATES：　　And　he　ought　to　act　and　train；　and　eat　and　drink　in　the　way

which　seems　good　to　his　single　master　who　has　understanding；　rather　than

according　to　the　opinion　of　all　other　men　put　together？



CRITO：　　True。



SOCRATES：　　And　if　he　disobeys　and　disregards　the　opinion　and　approval　of

the　one；　and　regards　the　opinion　of　the　many　who　have　no　understanding；

will　he　not　suffer　evil？



CRITO：　　Certainly　he　will。



SOCRATES：　　And　what　will　the　evil　be；　whither　tending　and　what　affecting；

in　the　disobedient　person？



CRITO：　　Clearly；　affecting　the　body；　that　is　what　is　destroyed　by　the　evil。



SOCRATES：　　Very　good；　and　is　not　this　true；　Crito；　of　other　things　which　we

need　not　separately　enumerate？　　In　questions　of　just　and　unjust；　fair　and

foul；　good　and　evil；　which　are　the　subjects　of　our　present　consultation；

ought　we　to　follow　the　opinion　of　the　many　and　to　fear　them；　or　the　opinion

of　the　one　man　who　has　understanding？　ought　we　not　to　fear　and　reverence

him　more　than　all　the　rest　of　the　world：　　and　if　we　desert　him　shall　we　not

destroy　and　injure　that　principle　in　us　which　may　be　assumed　to　be　improved

by　justice　and　deteriorated　by　injustice；there　is　such　a　principle？



CRITO：　　Certainly　there　is；　Socrates。



SOCRATES：　　Take　a　parallel　instance：if；　acting　under　the　advice　of　those

who　have　no　understanding；　we　destroy　that　which　is　improved　by　health　and

is　deteriorated　by　disease；　would　life　be　worth　having？　　And　that　which　has

been　destroyed　isthe　body？



CRITO：　　Yes。



SOCRATES：　　Could　we　live；　having　an　evil　and　corrupted　body？



CRITO：　　Certainly　not。



SOCRATES：　　And　will　life　be　worth　having；　if　that　higher　part　of　man　be

destroyed；　which　is　improved　by　justice　and　depraved　by　injustice？　　Do　we

suppose　that　principle；　whatever　it　may　be　in　man；　which　has　to　do　with

justice　and　injustice；　to　be　inferior　to　the　body？



CRITO：　　Certainly　not。



SOCRATES：　　More　honourable　than　the　body？



CRITO：　　Far　more。



SOCRATES：　　Then；　my　friend；　we　must　not　regard　what　the　many　say　of　us：　

but　what　he；　the　one　man　who　has　understanding　of　just　and　unjust；　will

say；　and　what　the　truth　will　say。　　And　therefore　you　begin　in　error　when

you　advise　that　we　should　regard　the　opinion　of　the　many　about　just　and

unjust；　good　and　evil；　honorable　and　dishonorable。'Well；'　some　one　will

say；　'but　the　many　can　kill　us。'



CRITO：　　Yes；　Socrates；　that　will　clearly　be　the　answer。



SOCRATES：　　And　it　is　true；　but　still　I　find　with　surprise　that　the　old

argument　is　unshaken　as　ever。　　And　I　should　like　to　know　whether　I　may　say

the　same　of　another　propositionthat　not　life；　but　a　good　life；　is　to　be

chiefly　valued？



CRITO：　　Yes；　that　also　remains　unshaken。



SOCRATES：　　And　a　good　life　is　equivalent　to　a　just　and　honorable　onethat

holds　also？



CRITO：　　Yes；　it　does。



SOCRATES：　　From　these　premisses　I　proceed　to　argue　the　question　whether　I

ought　or　ought　not　to　try　and　escape　without　the　consent　of　the　Athenians：　

and　if　I　am　clearly　right　in　escaping；　then　I　will　make　the　attempt；　but　if

not；　I　will　abstain。　　The　other　considerations　which　you　mention；　of　money

and　loss　of　character　and　the　duty　of　educating　one's　children；　are；　I

fear；　only　the　doctrines　of　the　multitude；　who　would　be　as　ready　to　restore

people　to　life；　if　they　were　able；　as　they　are　to　put　them　to　deathand

with　as　little　reason。　　But　now；　since　the　argument　has　thus　far　prevailed；

the　only　question　which　remains　to　be　considered　is；　whether　we　shall　do

rightly　either　in　escaping　or　in　suffering　others　to　aid　in　our　escape　and

paying　them　in　money　and　thanks；　or　whether　in　reality　we　shall　not　do

rightly；　and　if　the　latter；　then　death　or　any　other　calamity　which　may

ensue　on　my　remaining　here　must　not　be　allowed　to　enter　into　the

calculation。



CRITO：　　I　think　that　you　are　right；　Socrates；　how　then　shall　we　proceed？



SOCRATES：　　Let　us　consider