Laches.docx
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Laches.docx
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Laches
LachesbyPlatoTranslatedbyBenjaminJowettINTRODUCTION.
Lysimachus,thesonofAristidestheJust,andMelesias,thesonoftheelderThucydides,twoagedmenwholivetogether,aredesirousofeducatingtheirsonsinthebestmanner.Theirowneducation,asoftenhappenswiththesonsofgreatmen,hasbeenneglected;andtheyareresolvedthattheirchildrenshallhavemorecaretakenofthem,thantheyreceivedthemselvesatthehandsoftheirfathers.
Attheirrequest,NiciasandLacheshaveaccompaniedthemtoseeamannamedStesilausfightinginheavyarmour.Thetwofathersaskthetwogeneralswhattheythinkofthisexhibition,andwhethertheywouldadvisethattheirsonsshouldacquiretheaccomplishment.NiciasandLachesarequitewillingtogivetheiropinion;buttheysuggestthatSocratesshouldbeinvitedtotakepartintheconsultation.HeisastrangertoLysimachus,butisafterwardsrecognisedasthesonofhisoldfriendSophroniscus,withwhomheneverhadadifferencetothehourofhisdeath.
SocratesisalsoknowntoNicias,towhomhehadintroducedtheexcellentDamon,musicianandsophist,asatutorforhisson,andtoLaches,whohadwitnessedhisheroicbehaviouratthebattleofDelium(compareSymp.).
Socrates,asheisyoungerthaneitherNiciasorLaches,preferstowaituntiltheyhavedeliveredtheiropinions,whichtheygiveinacharacteristicmanner.Nicias,thetactician,isverymuchinfavourofthenewart,whichhedescribesasthegymnasticsofwar--usefulwhentheranksareformed,andstillmoreusefulwhentheyarebroken;creatingageneralinterestinmilitarystudies,andgreatlyaddingtotheappearanceofthesoldierinthefield.Laches,thebluntwarrior,isofopinionthatsuchanartisnotknowledge,andcannotbeofanyvalue,becausetheLacedaemonians,thosegreatmastersofarms,neglectit.Hisownexperienceinactualservicehastaughthimthatthesepretendersareuselessandridiculous.ThismanStesilaushasbeenseenbyhimonboardshipmakingaverysorryexhibitionofhimself.Thepossessionoftheartwillmakethecowardrash,andsubjectthecourageous,ifhechancetomakeaslip,toinvidiousremarks.AndnowletSocratesbetakenintocounsel.
Astheydifferhemustdecide.
Socrateswouldrathernotdecidethequestionbyapluralityofvotes:
insuchaseriousmatterastheeducationofafriend'schildren,hewouldconsulttheoneskilledpersonwhohashadmasters,andhasworkstoshowasevidencesofhisskill.Thisisnothimself;forhehasneverbeenabletopaythesophistsforinstructinghim,andhasneverhadthewittodoordiscoveranything.ButNiciasandLachesareolderandricherthanheis:
theyhavehadteachers,andperhapshavemadediscoveries;andhewouldhavetrustedthementirely,iftheyhadnotbeendiametricallyopposed.
Lysimachushereproposestoresigntheargumentintothehandsoftheyoungerpartofthecompany,asheisold,andhasabadmemory.HeearnestlyrequestsSocratestoremain;--inthisshowing,asNiciassays,howlittleheknowstheman,whowillcertainlynotgoawayuntilhehascross-examinedthecompanyabouttheirpastlives.Niciashasoftensubmittedtothisprocess;andLachesisquitewillingtolearnfromSocrates,becausehisactions,inthetrueDorianmode,correspondtohiswords.
Socratesproceeds:
Wemightaskwhoareourteachers?
Butabetterandmorethoroughwayofexaminingthequestionwillbetoask,'WhatisVirtue?
'--orrather,torestricttheenquirytothatpartofvirtuewhichisconcernedwiththeuseofweapons--'WhatisCourage?
'Lachesthinksthatheknowsthis:
(1)'Heiscourageouswhoremainsathispost.'Butsomenationsfightflying,afterthemannerofAeneasinHomer;orastheheavy-armedSpartansalsodidatthebattleofPlataea.
(2)Socrateswantsamoregeneraldefinition,notonlyofmilitarycourage,butofcourageofallsorts,triedbothamidpleasuresandpains.Lachesrepliesthatthisuniversalcourageisendurance.Butcourageisagoodthing,andmereendurancemaybehurtfulandinjurious.Therefore(3)theelementofintelligencemustbeadded.Butthenagainunintelligentendurancemayoftenbemorecourageousthantheintelligent,thebadthanthegood.Howisthiscontradictiontobesolved?
SocratesandLachesarenotset'totheDorianmode'ofwordsandactions;fortheirwordsareallconfusion,althoughtheiractionsarecourageous.Stilltheymust'endure'inanargumentaboutendurance.Lachesisverywilling,andisquitesurethatheknowswhatcourageis,ifhecouldonlytell.
Niciasisnowappealedto;andinreplyheoffersadefinitionwhichhehasheardfromSocrateshimself,totheeffectthat
(1)'Courageisintelligence.'Lachesderidesthis;andSocratesenquires,'Whatsortofintelligence?
'towhichNiciasreplies,'Intelligenceofthingsterrible.'
'Buteverymanknowsthethingstobedreadedinhisownart.''Notheydonot.Theymaypredictresults,butcannottellwhethertheyarereallyterrible;onlythecourageousmancantellthat.'Lachesdrawstheinferencethatthecourageousmaniseitherasoothsayeroragod.
Again,
(2)inNicias'wayofspeaking,theterm'courageous'mustbedeniedtoanimalsorchildren,becausetheydonotknowthedanger.AgainstthisinversionoftheordinaryuseoflanguageLachesreclaims,butisinsomedegreemollifiedbyacomplimenttohisowncourage.Still,hedoesnotliketoseeanAthenianstatesmanandgeneraldescendingtosophistriesofthissort.Socratesresumestheargument.Couragehasbeendefinedtobeintelligenceorknowledgeoftheterrible;andcourageisnotallvirtue,butonlyoneofthevirtues.Theterribleisinthefuture,andthereforetheknowledgeoftheterribleisaknowledgeofthefuture.Buttherecanbenoknowledgeoffuturegoodorevilseparatedfromaknowledgeofthegoodandevilofthepastorpresent;thatistosay,ofallgoodandevil.
Courage,therefore,istheknowledgeofgoodandevilgenerally.Buthewhohastheknowledgeofgoodandevilgenerally,mustnotonlyhavecourage,butalsotemperance,justice,andeveryothervirtue.Thus,asinglevirtuewouldbethesameasallvirtues(compareProtagoras).Andafterallthetwogenerals,andSocrates,theheroofDelium,arestillinignoranceofthenatureofcourage.Theymustgotoschoolagain,boys,oldmenandall.
Somepointsofresemblance,andsomepointsofdifference,appearintheLacheswhencomparedwiththeCharmidesandLysis.Thereislessofpoeticalandsimplebeauty,andmoreofdramaticinterestandpower.Theyarericherintheexternalsofthescene;theLacheshasmoreplayanddevelopmentofcharacter.IntheLysisandCharmidestheyouthsarethecentralfigures,andfrequentallusionsaremadetotheplaceofmeeting,whichisapalaestra.Heretheplaceofmeeting,whichisalsoapalaestra,isquiteforgotten,andtheboysplayasubordinatepart.Theseanceisofoldandeldermen,ofwhomSocratesistheyoungest.
FirstistheagedLysimachus,whomaybecomparedwithCephalusintheRepublic,and,likehim,withdrawsfromtheargument.Melesias,whoisonlyhisshadow,alsosubsidesintosilence.Bothofthem,bytheirownconfession,havebeenill-educated,asisfurthershownbythecircumstancethatLysimachus,thefriendofSophroniscus,hasneverheardofthefameofSocrates,hisson;theybelongtodifferentcircles.IntheMenotheirwantofeducationinallbuttheartsofridingandwrestlingisadducedasaproofthatvirtuecannotbetaught.TherecognitionofSocratesbyLysimachusisextremelygraceful;andhismilitaryexploitsnaturallyconnecthimwiththetwogenerals,ofwhomonehaswitnessedthem.ThecharactersofNiciasandLachesareindicatedbytheiropinionsontheexhibitionofthemanfightinginheavyarmour.ThemoreenlightenedNiciasisquitereadytoacceptthenewart,whichLachestreatswithridicule,seemingtothinkthatthis,oranyothermilitaryquestion,maybesettledbyasking,'WhatdotheLacedaemonianssay?
'Theoneisthethoughtfulgeneral,willingtoavailhimselfofanydiscoveryintheartofwar(Aristoph.Aves);theotheristhepracticalman,whoreliesonhisownexperience,andistheenemyofinnovation;hecanactbutcannotspeak,andisapttolosehistemper.ItistobenotedthatoneofthemissupposedtobeahearerofSocrates;theotherisonlyacquaintedwithhisactions.LachesistheadmireroftheDorianmode;andintohismouththeremarkisputthattherearesomepersonswho,havingneverbeentaught,arebetterthanthosewhohave.Likeanoviceintheartofdisputation,heisdelightedwiththehitsofSocrates;andisdisposedtobeangrywiththerefinementsofNicias.
InthediscussionofthemainthesisoftheDialogue--'WhatisCourage?
'
theantagonismofthetwocharactersisstillmoreclearlybroughtout;andinthis,asinthepreliminaryquestion,thetruthispartedbetweenthem.
Gradually,andnotwithoutdifficulty,Lachesismadetopassonfromthemorepopulartothemorephilosophical;ithasneveroccurredtohimthattherewasanyothercouragethanthatofthesoldier;andonlybyaneffortofthemindcanheframeageneralnotionatall.NosoonerhasthisgeneralnotionbeenformedthanitevanescesbeforethedialecticofSocrates;andNiciasappearsfromtheothersidewiththeSocraticdoctrine,thatcourageisknowledge.Thisisexplainedtomeanknowledgeofthingsterribleinthefuture.ButSocratesdeniesthattheknowledgeofthefutureisseparablefromthatofthepastandpresent;inotherwords,trueknowledgeisnotthatofthesoothsayerbutofthephilosopher.
Andallknowledgewillthusbeequivalenttoallvirtue--apositionwhichelsewhereSocratesisnotunwillingtoadmit,but
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