Ath。Anddoesnotthelegislatorandeveryonewhoisgoodforanything,holdthisfearinthegreatesthonour?Thisiswhathetermsreverence,andtheconfidencewhichisthereverseofthishetermsinsolence;andthelatterhealwaysdeemstobeaverygreatevilbothtoindividualsandtostates。
Cle。True。
Ath。Doesnotthiskindoffearpreserveusinmanyimportantways?Whatistherewhichsosurelygivesvictoryandsafetyinwar?
Fortherearetwothingswhichgivevictory-confidencebeforeenemies,andfearofdisgracebeforefriends。
Cle。Thereare。
Ath。Theneachofusshouldbefearlessandalsofearful;andwhyweshouldbeeitherhasnowbeendetermined。
Cle。Certainly。
Ath。Andwhenwewanttomakeanyonefearless,weandthelawbringhimfacetofacewithmanyfears。
Cle。Clearly。
Ath。Andwhenwewanttomakehimrightlyfearful,mustwenotintroducehimtoshamelesspleasures,andtrainhimtotakeuparmsagainstthem,andtoovercomethem?Ordoesthisprincipleapplytocourageonly,andmusthewhowouldbeperfectinvalourfightagainstandovercomehisownnaturalcharacter-sinceifhebeunpractisedandinexperiencedinsuchconflicts,hewillnotbehalfthemanwhichhemighthavebeen-andarewetosuppose,thatwithtemperanceitisotherwise,andthathewhohasneverfoughtwiththeshamelessandunrighteoustemptationsofhispleasuresandlusts,andconqueredthem,inearnestandinplay,byword,deed,andact,willstillbeperfectlytemperate?
Cle。Amostunlikelysupposition。
Ath。SupposethatsomeGodhadgivenafear-potiontomen,andthatthemoreamandrankofthisthemoreheregardedhimselfateverydraughtasachildofmisfortune,andthathefearedeverythinghappeningorabouttohappentohim;andthatatlastthemostcourageousofmenutterlylosthispresenceofmindforatime,andonlycametohimselfagainwhenhehadsleptofftheinfluenceofthedraught。
Cle。Buthassuchadraught,Stranger,everreallybeenknownamongmen?
Ath。No;but,iftherehadbeen,mightnotsuchadraughthavebeenofusetothelegislatorasatestofcourage?Mightwenotgoandsaytohim,“Olegislator,whetheryouarelegislatingfortheCretan,orforanyotherstate,wouldyounotliketohaveatouchstoneofthecourageandcowardiceofyourcitizens?“
Cle。“Ishould,“willbetheanswerofeveryone。
Ath。“Andyouwouldratherhaveatouchstoneinwhichthereisnoriskandnogreatdangerthanthereverse?“
Cle。Inthatpropositioneveryonemaysafelyagree。
Ath。“Andinordertomakeuseofthedraught,youwouldleadthemamidtheseimaginaryterrors,andprovethem,whentheaffectionoffearwasworkinguponthem,andcompelthemtobefearless,exhortingandadmonishingthem;andalsohonouringthem,butdishonouringanyonewhowillnotbepersuadedbyyoutobeinallrespectssuchasyoucommandhim;andifheunderwentthetrialwellandmanfully,youwouldlethimgounscathed;butifill,youwouldinflictapunishmentuponhim?Orwouldyouabstainfromusingthepotionaltogether,althoughyouhavenoreasonforabstaining?“
Cle。Hewouldbecertain,Stranger,tousethepotion。
Ath。Thiswouldbeamodeoftestingandtrainingwhichwouldbewonderfullyeasyincomparisonwiththosenowinuse,andmightbeappliedtoasingleperson,ortoafew,orindeedtoanynumber;
andhewoulddowellwhoprovidedhimselfwiththepotiononly,ratherthanwithanynumberofotherthings,whetherhepreferredtobebyhimselfinsolitude,andtherecontendwithhisfears,becausehewasashamedtobeseenbytheeyeofmanuntilhewasperfect;ortrustingtotheforceofhisownnatureandhabits,andbelievingthathehadbeenalreadydisciplinedsufficiently,hedidnothesitatetotrainhimselfincompanywithanynumberofothers,anddisplayhispowerinconqueringtheirresistiblechangeeffectedbythedraught-hisvirtuebeingsuch,thatheneverinanyinstancefellintoanygreatunseemliness,butwasalwayshimself,andleftoffbeforehearrivedatthelastcup,fearingthathe,likeallothermen,mightbeovercomebythepotion。
Cle。Yes,Stranger,inthatlastcase,too,hemightequallyshowhisself-control。
Ath。Letusreturntothelawgiver,andsaytohim:-“Well,lawgiver,thereiscertainlynosuchfear-potionwhichmanhaseitherreceivedfromtheGodsorhimselfdiscovered;forwitchcrafthasnoplaceatourboard。Butisthereanypotionwhichmightserveasatestofoverboldnessandexcessiveandindiscreetboasting?
Cle。Isupposethathewillsay,Yes-meaningthatwineissuchapotion。
Ath。Isnottheeffectofthisquitetheoppositeoftheeffectoftheother?Whenamandrinkswinehebeginstobebetterpleasedwithhimself,andthemorehedrinksthemoreheisfilledfullofbravehopes,andconceitofhispower,andatlastthestringofhistongueisloosened,andfancyinghimselfwise,heisbrimmingoverwithlawlessness,andhasnomorefearorrespect,andisreadytodoorsayanything。
Cle。Ithinkthateveryonewilladmitthetruthofyourdescription。
Meg。Certainly。
Ath。Now,letusremember,asweweresaying,thattherearetwothingswhichshouldbecultivatedinthesoul:first,thegreatestcourage;secondly,thegreatestfear-
Cle。Whichyousaidtobecharacteristicofreverence,ifIamnotmistaken。
Ath。Thankyouforremindingme。Butnow,asthehabitofcourageandfearlessnessistobetrainedamidfears,letusconsiderwhethertheoppositequalityisnotalsotobetrainedamongopposites。
Cle。Thatisprobablythecase。
Ath。Therearetimesandseasonsatwhichwearebynaturemorethancommonlyvaliantandbold;nowweoughttotrainourselvesontheseoccasionstobeasfreefromimpudenceandshamelessnessaspossible,andtobeafraidtosayorsufferordoanythingthatisbase。
Cle。True。
Ath。Arenotthemomentsinwhichweareapttobeboldandshamelesssuchasthese?-whenweareundertheinfluenceofanger,love,pride,ignorance,avarice,cowardice?orwhenwealth,beauty,strength,andalltheintoxicatingworkingsofpleasuremaddenus?
Whatisbetteradaptedthanthefestiveuseofwine,inthefirstplacetotest,andinthesecondplacetotrainthecharacterofaman,ifcarebetakenintheuseofit?Whatistherecheaper,ormoreinnocent?Fordobutconsiderwhichisthegreaterrisk:-Wouldyourathertestamanofamoroseandsavagenature,whichisthesourceoftenthousandactsofinjustice,bymakingbargainswithhimatarisktoyourself,orbyhavinghimasacompanionatthefestivalofDionysus?Orwouldyou,ifyouwantedtoapplyatouchstonetoamanwhoispronetolove,entrustyourwife,oryoursons,ordaughterstohim,perillingyourdearestinterestsinordertohaveaviewoftheconditionofhissoul?Imightmentionnumberlesscases,inwhichtheadvantagewouldbemanifestofgettingtoknowacharacterinsport,andwithoutpayingdearlyforexperience。AndIdonotbelievethateitheraCretan,oranyotherman,willdoubtthatsuchatestisafairtest,andsafer,cheaper,andspeedierthananyother。
Cle。Thatiscertainlytrue。
Ath。Andthisknowledgeofthenaturesandhabitsofmen’ssoulswillbeofthegreatestuseinthatartwhichhasthemanagementofthem;andthatart,ifIamnotmistaken,ispolitics。
Cle。Exactlyso。
BOOKII
AthenianStranger。Andnowwehavetoconsiderwhethertheinsightintohumannatureistheonlybenefitderivedfromwellorderedpotations,orwhethertherearenototheradvantagesgreatandmuchtobedesired。Theargumentseemstoimplythatthereare。Buthowandinwhatwaythesearetobeattained,willhavetobeconsideredattentively,orwemaybeentangledinerror。
Cleinias。Proceed。
Ath。Letmeoncemorerecallourdoctrineofrighteducation;which,ifIamnotmistaken,dependsonthedueregulationofconvivialintercourse。
Cle。Youtalkrathergrandly。
Ath。PleasureandpainImaintaintobethefirstperceptionsofchildren,andIsaythattheyaretheformsunderwhichvirtueandviceareoriginallypresenttothem。Astowisdomandtrueandfixedopinions,happyisthemanwhoacquiresthem,evenwhendeclininginyears;andwemaysaythathewhopossessesthem,andtheblessingswhicharecontainedinthem,isaperfectman。NowImeanbyeducationthattrainingwhichisgivenbysuitablehabitstothefirstinstinctsofvirtueinchildren;-whenpleasure,andfriendship,andpain,andhatred,arerightlyimplantedinsoulsnotyetcapableofunderstandingthenatureofthem,andwhofindthem,aftertheyhaveattainedreason,tobeinharmonywithher。Thisharmonyofthesoul,takenasawhole,isvirtue;buttheparticulartraininginrespectofpleasureandpain,whichleadsyoualwaystohatewhatyououghttohate,andlovewhatyououghttolovefromthebeginningoflifetotheend,maybeseparatedoff;and,inmyview,willberightlycallededucation。
Cle。Ithink,Stranger,thatyouarequiterightinallthatyouhavesaidandaresayingabouteducation。