辨识哲人的亲缘——柏拉图《治邦者》开场绎读

对探讨"苏格拉底问题"而言,柏拉图的《治邦者》至关重要,因为苏格拉底一生都致力于人事或政治问题,必须考察苏格拉底与治邦者或王者的关系。在《治邦者》中,苏格拉底下降到城邦的洞穴,观察城邦中恍若阴影的缤纷意见,由此习得睿智或实践智慧。睿智指的是人依照中庸行事以达成政治或爱智的目的,即实现最好的社会,或成为最好的人。在《治邦者》开场,苏格拉底鼓励两位年轻人辨识出他们与苏格拉底的亲缘关系,进而走上苏格拉底哲学之路。

The Opening of Statesman:Recognizing the Kinship of the Philosopher

The Statesman is a key to "The problem of Socrates",because it is said that Socrates devoted to the inquiry into human affairs or political issues.For this reason,it is necessary to examine the connection between Socrates and statesman(or king).In the Statesman,the Eleatic Stranger shows that Socrates stands apart from mathematical philosopher.As a political philosopher,Socrates went down into the cave of the city and observed all sorts of the opinions which look like images,thus he grasped phronêsis or practical wisdom.Phronêsis means that one should do in the middle ground so as to arrive at the end of politics or philosophy——the best sociery,or the best man.Therefore,the political philosopher accounts that phronêsis is superior to mathmatics.In the opening of Statesman,Socrates encourages two young men to recognize the kinship between them and Socrates,and then the young men will devote themselves to the Socratic philosophy.