Laches.docx

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