登陆注册
4705700000006

第6章

SOCRATES: But if this is true, what is the application? In leaving the prison against the will of the Athenians, do I wrong any? or rather do I not wrong those whom I ought least to wrong? Do I not desert the principles which were acknowledged by us to be just--what do you say?

CRITO: I cannot tell, Socrates, for I do not know.

SOCRATES: Then consider the matter in this way:--Imagine that I am about to play truant (you may call the proceeding by any name which you like), and the laws and the government come and interrogate me: 'Tell us, Socrates,' they say; 'what are you about? are you not going by an act of yours to overturn us--the laws, and the whole state, as far as in you lies?

Do you imagine that a state can subsist and not be overthrown, in which the decisions of law have no power, but are set aside and trampled upon by individuals?' What will be our answer, Crito, to these and the like words?

Any one, and especially a rhetorician, will have a good deal to say on behalf of the law which requires a sentence to be carried out. He will argue that this law should not be set aside; and shall we reply, 'Yes; but the state has injured us and given an unjust sentence.' Suppose I say that?

CRITO: Very good, Socrates.

SOCRATES: 'And was that our agreement with you?' the law would answer; 'or were you to abide by the sentence of the state?' And if I were to express my astonishment at their words, the law would probably add: 'Answer, Socrates, instead of opening your eyes--you are in the habit of asking and answering questions. Tell us,--What complaint have you to make against us which justifies you in attempting to destroy us and the state? In the first place did we not bring you into existence? Your father married your mother by our aid and begat you. Say whether you have any objection to urge against those of us who regulate marriage?' None, I should reply.

'Or against those of us who after birth regulate the nurture and education of children, in which you also were trained? Were not the laws, which have the charge of education, right in commanding your father to train you in music and gymnastic?' Right, I should reply. 'Well then, since you were brought into the world and nurtured and educated by us, can you deny in the first place that you are our child and slave, as your fathers were before you? And if this is true you are not on equal terms with us; nor can you think that you have a right to do to us what we are doing to you. Would you have any right to strike or revile or do any other evil to your father or your master, if you had one, because you have been struck or reviled by him, or received some other evil at his hands?--you would not say this?

And because we think right to destroy you, do you think that you have any right to destroy us in return, and your country as far as in you lies?

Will you, O professor of true virtue, pretend that you are justified in this? Has a philosopher like you failed to discover that our country is more to be valued and higher and holier far than mother or father or any ancestor, and more to be regarded in the eyes of the gods and of men of understanding? also to be soothed, and gently and reverently entreated when angry, even more than a father, and either to be persuaded, or if not persuaded, to be obeyed? And when we are punished by her, whether with imprisonment or stripes, the punishment is to be endured in silence; and if she lead us to wounds or death in battle, thither we follow as is right; neither may any one yield or retreat or leave his rank, but whether in battle or in a court of law, or in any other place, he must do what his city and his country order him; or he must change their view of what is just: and if he may do no violence to his father or mother, much less may he do violence to his country.' What answer shall we make to this, Crito?

Do the laws speak truly, or do they not?

CRITO: I think that they do.

SOCRATES: Then the laws will say: 'Consider, Socrates, if we are speaking truly that in your present attempt you are going to do us an injury. For, having brought you into the world, and nurtured and educated you, and given you and every other citizen a share in every good which we had to give, we further proclaim to any Athenian by the liberty which we allow him, that if he does not like us when he has become of age and has seen the ways of the city, and made our acquaintance, he may go where he pleases and take his goods with him. None of us laws will forbid him or interfere with him.

Any one who does not like us and the city, and who wants to emigrate to a colony or to any other city, may go where he likes, retaining his property.

But he who has experience of the manner in which we order justice and administer the state, and still remains, has entered into an implied contract that he will do as we command him. And he who disobeys us is, as we maintain, thrice wrong: first, because in disobeying us he is disobeying his parents; secondly, because we are the authors of his education; thirdly, because he has made an agreement with us that he will duly obey our commands; and he neither obeys them nor convinces us that our commands are unjust; and we do not rudely impose them, but give him the alternative of obeying or convincing us;--that is what we offer, and he does neither.

同类推荐
  • Volume Three

    Volume Three

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 诊家枢要

    诊家枢要

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • EMMA

    EMMA

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 七元真人说神真灵符经

    七元真人说神真灵符经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 桧亭集

    桧亭集

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 家有小尾巴狼

    家有小尾巴狼

    片段一:许茉莉拍拍桌子气愤的说,“对,就是你想的那样,我他妈的失身了!”艾朵朵连连喝水,想用水来压惊!这的确是大事,天大的事!“更他妈让我想死的是,让我失身的居然是我那个阴阳怪气的弟弟、、、、、、”片段二:“你的丁点儿大的弟弟要告你?”艾朵朵挑眉问。许茉莉昂头大喊着,“他什么都没说啊,他就说了这是他的房间,然后指指他满是抓痕的后背,然后穿上衣服走了!他没说比说了更恐怖,他在用动作、伤痕告诉我,他是被我强迫的!天啊,他才十八岁,还不知道十八岁生日过了没有!如果我妈知道了肯定会拿刀砍死我的!朵朵,我怎么办?我平时是有点小色,喜欢看色琴小说YY一下,可是我没想到我会这么色,我怎么就对一只无辜的小绵羊下手了呢?”片段三:许茉莉泄气的坐在沙发上,双脚翘在茶几上,霍出去的说,“我不走,你爱打给谁就打给谁,大不了被我妈乱刀砍死,反正英雄本来就是气短的!”只见宫川木俯视着她轻屑的问,“这就是你强暴完一个未成男少年后的态度吗?”片段四:宫川木突然笑了,笑的很亲切的说,“如果你不想我把你强暴我的细节一一说给你的好友听的话,那么无所谓,我们就在这里说吧!”这时候,看着小屁孩儿的笑,艾朵朵突然明白许茉莉口里的“阴阳怪气”是什么意思!明明才十八岁,却向一个八十岁的老头一样深沉狡诈,不是阴阳怪气是什么?艾朵朵突然有种预感,茉莉失身这事,很有可能不是因为她小色而至,说不定是有人趁人之危!唉,唉,唉,十八岁,二十五岁,真是悬念啊!片段五:婚礼现场、、、、、、、咳,踢死童话吧,为毛她的简介总是又烂又长、、、、、、、推荐童话的新文《火爆美人》
  • 神秘现象(自然瞭望书坊)

    神秘现象(自然瞭望书坊)

    每一朵花,都是一个春天,盛开馥郁芬芳;每一粒沙,都是一个世界,搭建小小天堂;每一颗心,都是一盏灯光,把地球村点亮!借助图书为你的生活添一丝色彩。大自然美丽而神奇,无论是广阔的天空,还是浩瀚的海洋,无论是遥远的地球两极,还足近在身边熟悉的土地,总有那么一些现代科学努力探索却又无法清楚解释的未知事物和神秘现象。这些扑朔迷离的谜团既令人惊奇,又引人深思,勾起人们探索的兴致。
  • 月球:我们神秘的近邻

    月球:我们神秘的近邻

    月球,这是一个充满奥秘的神秘天体,月球上发生的诸多怪异现象和神秘事件早已引起人们的关注,科学家们正致力于这方面的研究,以期早日揭开扑朔迷离的月球之谜。本书内容翔实,逻辑清晰,例证丰富,文字流畅,英汉对照系列能使广大读者享受到轻松学习外语的乐趣。
  • 天潢玉牒

    天潢玉牒

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 渡鸦之死

    渡鸦之死

    伦敦的雾无孔不入。说来就来。它从冰冷的、长着暗绿色青苔的石块上滑下,顺着灰黄的泰晤士河绵延向前,飘上伦敦塔褐黄色的屋檐后,惊飞了一群黑色渡鸦。这是一群居住在伦敦塔附近的渡鸦。尽管塔的结构让它们垂涎,适于居住,它们还是不敢涉足半步。因为,任何进入伦敦塔的渡鸦,都会被剪去翅膀,永不能飞翔。是历史决定了渡鸦剪翅的命运。数百年来,在这座塔内,曾经绞死谋杀过不少人。这里是整个伦敦城最为阴魂不散的地方。人们提心吊胆地相信,只要渡鸦一走,伦敦塔就会倒塌,所有的阴魂便会倾巢而出,英格兰将永无宁日。
  • 古雪哲禅师语录

    古雪哲禅师语录

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 虚空界祖逆命

    虚空界祖逆命

    一个跨入中年的天才拳师,卡在后天关口三十年,本以为突破的希望渺茫,但有一天修炼,却突然成就了先天,从此一代宗师之路缓缓展开
  • 起杀心,必致杀戮

    起杀心,必致杀戮

    《起杀心,必致杀戮》是“书呆子小组推理小说”的第二个故事,这个系列的主题是,在解谜的过程中,智勇双全是必不可少的。如果什么事看起来像是意外,听起来也像是意外,它的发展过程更像是意外,那么它很可能是桩谋杀案。价值10亿美元的遗产引发的,很可能是很多桩血案,而不止是一桩。走进余数项小组,几个各有所长的菜鸟侦探,不同国籍的天才们——他们的社交能力跟他们的数学、计算机、科学能力,以及追踪杀人犯的能力相比可有天壤之别。
  • 淡淡的烟火如此如醉

    淡淡的烟火如此如醉

    在一个夏天的午后,某个非正式地上班族女孩再去往仓库拿东西的时候,却不小心被一个陌生人说是自己的男朋友,从此刻开始,她的爱情也在这场奇遇中展开了。
  • 青少年情绪管理(你在为谁读书系列)

    青少年情绪管理(你在为谁读书系列)

    一说到读书,我们容易想到悬梁刺股,想到苦其心志饿其体肤,似乎读书是痛苦之事,只有成功之时方可快乐,但心理学研究发现,负面情绪令我们思维迟钝、目光短浅、人际关系紧张,更不容易成功;而快乐则能令我们心胸开阔、思维敏捷,进而激发成功,可是在校园里,负面情绪正笼罩着广大青少年,在本书中,杨略、葛怡、陶坷坷等人在高考的压力下,都出现了焦虑、自卑、浮躁、松懈等情况,干扰了学习,也影响了幸福感,女生祁月长期抑郁,忽有一日,她幻想自己是从高考后穿越而来,拥有所有答案,引起全校震惊。