Page:The Dialogues of Plato v. 1.djvu/155

 

 

Protagoras.
Analysis. the untrained ; (2) Because the wisest and best Athenian citizens ³²⁰ Analysis, do not teach their sons political virtue. Will Protagoras answer these objections ? Protagoras explains his views in the form of an apologue, in which, after Prometheus had given men the arts, Zeus is repre- ³²¹ sented as sending Hermes to them, bearing with him Justice and Reverence. These are not, like the arts, to be imparted to a few ³²² only, but all men are to be partakers of them. Therefore the ³²³ Athenian people are right in distinguishing between the skilled and unskilled in the arts, and not between skilled and unskilled politicians, (i) For all men have the political virtues to a certain degree, and are obliged to say that they have them, whether they have them or not. A man would bo thought a madman who professed an art which he did not know ; but he would be equally thought a madman if he did not profess a virtue which he had not. (2) And that the political virtues can be taught and acquired, in ³²⁴ the opinion of the Athenians, is proved by the fact that they punish evil-doers, with a view to prevention, of course— mere ³²⁵ retribution is for beasts, and not for men. (3) Again, would parents who teach their sons lesser matters leave them ignorant of the common duty of citizens.? To the doubt of Socrates the best answer is the fact, that the education of youth in virtue begins almost as soon as they can speak, and is continued by the state ³²⁶ when they pass out of the parental control. (4) Nor need we wonder that wise and good fathers sometimes have foolish and worthless sons. Virtue, as we were saying, is not the private ³²⁷ possession of any man, but is shared by all, only however to the extent of which each individual is by nature capable. And, as a matter of fact, even the worst of civilized mankind will appear virtuous and just, if we compare them with savages. (5) The ³²⁸ error of Socrates lies in supposing that there are no teachers of virtue, whereas all men are teachers in a degree. Some, like Protagoras, are better than others, and with this result we ought to be satisfied. Socrates is highly delighted with the explanation of Protagoras. ³²⁹ But he has still a doubt lingering in his mind. Protagoras has spoken of the virtues : are they many, or one ? are they parts of a ³³⁰ whole, or different names of the same thing ? Protagoras replies that they are parts, like the parts of a face, which have their