DIALOGUES
ARGYRES: MASTER, MAY I EXAMINE YOU?
SOCRATES: IF IT HELPS YOU GET TO KNOW ME BETTER...
ARGYRES: YES, BUT YOU WHO ARE SO MUCH WISER THAN ME SAY THAT YOU KNOW NOTHING BUT ONE THING. HOW COULD I, BEING LESS WISE, POSSIBLY GET TO KNOW SOMETHING MORE THAN THAT, LIKE YOU? THE MOST I COULD POSSIBLY EVER GET TO KNOW IS WHAT YOU KNOW. AND EVEN CAN HAPPEN WHEN I WILL BE ABLE TO EXAMINE THINGS AS WELL AS YOU CAN.
SOCRATES: HAVE YOU EVER EXAMINED SOMETHING IN YOUR LIFE?
ARGYRES: I THINK SO.
SOCRATES: WHAT CONCLUSIONS DID YOU COME UP TO?
ARGYRES: THAT I KNOW EVERYTHING.
SOCRATES: THAN YOU MUST BE WISER THAN ME AS I SAY I KNOW NOTHING.
ARGYRES: I THINK NOT...
SOCRATES: WHAT MAKES YOU SAY THAT?
ARGYRES: AS YOU HAVE TAUGHT ME THAT WHEN SOMEONE THINKS HE KNOWS A LOT THEN IT IS CERTAIN HE THINKS HE KNOWS BUT HE ACTUALLY DOESN'T KNOW THAT MUCH. THUS, HE IS NOT A WISE MAN. LET ALONE CLAIMING HE KNOWS EVERYTHING. IT SEEMS TO ME HE REALLY KNOWS NOTHING AT ALL...
SOCRATES: IF YOU ARE RIGHT THEN IT DOES NOT SEEM TO ME THAT YOU KNOW NOTHING BEACAUSE YOU CLAIM YOU KNOW EVERYTHING. IT JUST SEEMS TO ME, AS YOU ALSO SAID, THAT YOU KNOW SOMETHING. JUST ONE THING. THAT SOMEONE WHO KNOWS EVERYTHING IN FACT KNOWS NOTHING. THUS, I THINK WE ARE BOTH WISE MEN. I AM SO DUE TO THE FACT I ONLY KNOW ONE THING THAT I KNOW NOTHING, AND YOU BEACUSE OF CLAIMING TO KNOW EVERYTHING - AND YOU ACTUALLY DO NOT - AND THIS MEANS YOU ALSO KNOW BUT ONE THING. THE FACT THAT SOMEONE WHO SAYS HE KNOWS EVERYTHING, KNOWS, IN FACT, NOTHING.
ARGYRES: SO, YOU, TOO, ARE SAYING THAT IT IS IMPOSSIBLE SOMEONE KNOWS NOTHING. AS HE KNOWS AT LEAST ONE THING. IT COULD BE WHAT YOU SAID OR WHAT I SAID.
SOCRATES: YES, I THINK YOU ARE RIGHT!
ARGYRES: BUT THEN, IF IT IS IMPOSSIBLE FOR SOMEONE TO KNOW NOTHING AND HE KNOWS ONE THING, AT LEAST, HOW COULD HE LEARN THAT THING? WHO TAUGHT HIM THAT?
SOCRATES: WELL, I DO NOT KNOW HOW IT WOKS FOR YOU, BUT I LEARN BY EXAMINING AND NOT FROM SOMEONE ELSE. AS IF THERE WAS A MAN WHO TAUGHT ME, THEN HE WOULD BE WISER THAN ME. BUT IT WOULD NOT INCONSISTENT WITH THE GOD'S SAYING THAT I AM REALLY THE WISER AS I SAY I KNOW NOTHING.
ARGYRES: IS IT POSSIBLE FOR A WISE MAN TO TELL LIES, MASTER?
SOCRATES: I THINK NOT.
ARGYRES: SO THEN, HOW CAN YOU, WHOM I AND MANY OTHERS CONSIDER AS THE WISEST MAN, TELL LIES? YOU CLAIM YOU KNOW NOTHING, BUT YOU KNOW AT LEAST ONE THING, AS WE JUST SAID?
SOCRATES: AS THE TRUTH, MY FRIEND, IS NOT SAID... IT IS MEANT.
ARGYRES: THEN MAYBY I, WHO CLAIM TO KNOW EVERYTHING - BUT, WHICH IS REALLY A LIE AS I ACTUALLY KNOW BUT ONE THING - REALLY MEAN SOME TRUTH WITH THIS STATEMENT OF MINE? AND IF YES, COULD YOU POSSIBLY NAME IT? AH, YOU ARE SILENT NOW? I COULD PUT WORDS IN YOUR MOUTH AS NOW THAT I AM WRITING, YOU ARE LONG DEAD. BUT WHAT GOOD WOULD IT DO? WOULD IT BE THE RIGHT THING FOR ME TO WRITE THE ANSWER NEXT TO YOUR NAME, SINCE YOU ARE THE WISEST, THUS BEING ABLE TO NAME THE LITTLE TRUTH HIDING IN THE STATEMENT "I KNOW EVERYTHING"? COULD I STILL BE HONEST IF I ATTRIBUTED YOU WORDS YOU NEVER SAID? AND THEN IF I WRITE THIS TRUTH NEXT TO MY NAME, WOULD THAT COMPLY WITH THE GOD'S SAYING THAT YOU ARE THE WISEST? AND IF YOU KNEW THIS LITTLE TRUTH WHY DID YOU NOT SAY IT? AS, MY SOCRATES, IF SOMEONE DESERVES TO BE CALLED A WISE MAN, IT REALLY IS HIM WHO KNOWS ABSOLUTELY NOTHING RATHER THAN YOU AND ME WHO KNOW AT LEAST ONE THING, EVEN THOUGH IT IS SO LITTLE. THE CONCEPT OF THE ABSOLUTE ZERO, MY SOCRATES, GOES HAND IN HAND WITH THAT OF THE ABSOLUTE WHOLE. YOU TAUGHT THIS TO ME... AND IF THERE WAS AT LEST ONE TRUTH YOU TOLD IN YOUR LIFE IT IS THIS ONE. THE ONE THAT SAYS THE HUMAN WISENESS IS NOT REALLY THAT IMPORTANT. IT COULD ACTUALLY BE QUITE UNIMPORTANT. AND I THINK YOU UNDERSTAND LOXIAS WORDS. BUT NO ONE SAID SOMETHING ABOUT ME. LOXIAS HIMSELF IGNORES ME. AND HE DOES SO, AS I AM NOT AS WISE AS YOU...
SOCRATES: I DO NOT IGNORE YOU, THOUGH. I ONLY EXAMINE YOU, THE SAME AS I HAVE ALL OF THEM. AND ESPECIALLY AS I DID TO MYSELF. I ALSO UNDERSTOOD THIS LITTLE TRUTH OF YOURS NO MATTER THAT YOU NEVER TOLD IT. AS LONG AS YOU MEANT IT. AND I THINK YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO TELL IT TO OTHERS, TOO, SINCE I DID THE SAME WITH MY LITTLE TRUTH. AND DO NOT THINK BADLY OF THEM EVEN IF THEY DO NOT LISTEN TO YOU. THEY DID NOT LISTEN TO ME, EITHER. SO, GO FOR IT. SPEAK YOUR MIND AS A TRUE MAN DOES. TELL THE LITTLE TRUTH HIDING IN THE STATEMENT «I KNOW EVERYTHING". AS IT REALLY SEEMS TO ME TO BE AS TRUE AS MY OWN STATEMENT. NO MATTER IT SEEMS TO BE QUITE THE CONTRARY.
ARGYRES: I HAVE NO EYES FOR THE TRUTH TO BE RERVEALED TO ME AS I AM NOT A LITERATE MAN, MY SOCRATES. AS LITERATE AS YOU WERE. AND I ONLY EXAMINE THINGS OUT OF PLEASURE I TAKE IN PLAYING. AND NOT BECAUSE I AM REALLY LOOKING FOR SOME ALLEGED TRUTH. AND IF YOU, WHOM I CONSIDER AS THE GREATEST OF ALL THE CHILDREN - INCLUDING ME THE YOUNGEST - NEED COMPANY TO PLAY, WE WILL SEE EACH OTHER SOME TIME. AND BELIEVE ME, THEN WE WILL HAVE PLENTY OF TIME TO EXAMINE EACH OTHER. NOT TO DISCOVER ANY TRUTHS BUT JUST TO SEE WHO OF THE TWO OF US IS THE MOST CAPABLE OF TELLING THE BEST LIES. CONCERNING THE HUMAN WISDOM I DO NOT THINK IT IS ANY DIFFERENT FROM THE DIVINE ONE. AND THEN AGAIN, IF WHAT WE HAVE SAID ARE OF NO IMPORTANCE, IT DOES NOT MATTER. IT IS AN ORDINARY DAY, ANYWAY. I AM IN MY OFFICE AND YOU ARE WHERE YOU SHOULD BE. NO ONE, THOUGH, CAN STOP US FROM EXAMINING EACH OTHER. AS WHAT WE DO HURTS NO ONE, SINCE IF THIS WAS NOT THE CASE YOUR DAEMON WOULD KEEP US SILENT.
SOCRATES: WELL, DO YOU HEAR A DAEMON INSIDE YOU?
ARGYRES: I, MY SOCRATES, HAVE NO EARS TO HEAR ANY MORE. YOU SEE, EVERY TIME SOMEONE WOULD SPEAK NEXT TO ME, HE WOULD DEPRIVE ME OF SOME OF MY HEARING ABILITY. UNTIL I WENT TOTALLY DEAF. AND NOW ALL I HAVE LEFT IS TO BE ABLE TO FEEL THIS DAEMON. BUT I BELIEVE - THE SAME AS YOU DO - THAT I SERVE HIM NO MATTER THAT I DO NOT KNOW HIM. AND WHEREAS YOU PAID FOR THIS SERVICE WITH YOUR OWN LIFE, NOTHING IS GOING TO HAPPEN TO ME. THIS WILL BE FOR NO OTHER REASON BUT THE FACT THAT TIMES HAVE CHANGED. IN YOUR DAYS THE WORDS CARRIED POWER. HENCE YOUR GREAT NUMBER OF ENEMIES. IN OUR TIMES, THOUGH, WORDS ARE OF NO IMPORTANCEΕ. NOR IS THE PHILOSOPHY. THAT IS WHY NOBODY FIGHTS IT. THUS, YOU WILL REMAIN IN ETERNITY REMEMBERED BY PEOPLE AS THE GREATEST WISE MAN, WHILE I WILL GO UNNOTICED AND UNREMEMBERED. WHOEVER OF US WILL BE THE LUCKIER ONE, I DO NOT KNOW. LOXIAS, MAY KNOW IT. BUT HE IS NOT AVAILABLE FOR ME TO ASK, EITHER, AS HE IS NOT NEAR HERE SOMEWHERE. LUCKY YOU TO HAVE HIM HELP YOU BE INTRODUCED TO WISENESS. NO MATTER THAT YOU ONLY REALIZED IT THE ULTIMATE MOMENT. AND UNLUCKY ME TO NOT HAVE SOMEONE TO GUIDE ME TO GET TO KNOW THE WISEST MAN OF MY TIME, - SO THAT I CAN BENEFIT FROM HIS WISENSS - THOUGH HARD I HAVE SEARCHED. YOU SEE, GODS IN YOUR TIME WERE THERE FOR NO OTHER REASON RATHER THAN TO HELP THE EXAMINER. WHEREAS NOW - I AM NOT AWARE WHY - THEY ARE NOT THERE, ANY MORE. PERHAPS, THE MAN HAS ALREADY EXAMINED IT ALL SO THERE IS NO REASON FOR THEM TO BE AROUND. AND IF THERE IS A GOD I NOW BELIEVE IN, IT IS YOU SOCRATES. NOT BECAUSE YOU TAUGHT ME SOMETHING OR HELPED ME KNOW MYSELF BUT BECAUSE YOU TAUGHT ME HOW TO TELL LIES. AND INSIDE THE GREATEST LIE YOU TAUGHT ME HOW TO SEEK FOR THE LITTLE TRUTH THAT MAY BE HIDING IN IT.
SOCRATES: OH, WELL, I DO NOT THINK I AM SOME KIND OF A GOD. AND HOW COULD I POSSIBLY BE A GOD IF I WAS NEVER ABLE TO BE A MAN? AS IF SOMEONE DESERVES TO BE CALLED A MAN, HE IS THE ONE WHO POSSESSES WISDOM. I MAY HAVE KNOWN IT, BUT I NEVER MADE IT A POSSESSION. AS WISENESS, ARGYRES, CANNOT BE CAPTURED. IT IS PRINCIPLE. AND AS YOU ARE VERY WELL AWARE, SINCE YOU HAVE READ A LOT OF WHAT I SAID, WHEN SOMETHING IS PRINCIPLE, ONE CANNOT REACH IT AS IT MOVES SO FAST THAT, IT BACOMES ULTIMATE, EVENTUALLY. BUT, PANDORA'S BOX HAD THE HOPE IN ITS BOTTOM. THIS IS WHAT GIVES ME FAITH THAT SOONER OR LATER I WILL BE ABLE TO REACH THE PRINCIPLE. AND IF THE LATTER NEVER HAPPENS, THEN MY DOG BE MY WITNESS, I WILL REALIZE THIS: THAT HOPE CAN NEVER COME TRUE. NOT FOR ANY OTHER REASONS BUT THIS: IF IT EVER COMES TRUE I WILL HAVE NOTHING ELSE TO DREAM OF. AND AS YOU VERY WELL KNOW A NIGHT WITHOUT DREAMS IS THE ABSOLUTE DEATH. AND IF ABSOLUTE DEATH COMES THEN LIFE GOES AND, BELIEVE ME, I WOULD BE NO WISE MAN AT ALL IF I CHOSE THE ABSOLUTE DEATH TO THE ABSOLUTE DREM LIFE. THIS IS WHY I THINK IT IS FOOLISH FOR ONE TO HOLD ON TO LIFE. HE WOULD BETTER EXAMINE HIMSELF AND THE OTHERS, JUST LIKE I DO. AND IF THERE IS SOMETHING THAT DIES IN THIS OR THAT LIFE, MY FRIEND, THAT IS NOT HOPE BUT FAITH. AND IT DIES WHEN SOMEONE COMES TO GET TO KINOW THE TRUTH. THE TRUTH WHICH IS EVER SO DIFFICULT FOR ME UP HERE TO KNOW, AS IT IS FOR YOU DOWN THERE. AS, YOU KNOW, THERE IS NOT MUCH DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE PLACE UP HERE WHERE I AM IN THE COMPANY OF THE GREAT MEN AND YOUR PLACE. WE ARE EXAMINED HERE, TOO. AND WE DO IT MAYBE, FOR NO OTHER REASON BUT BECAUSE IT WOULD BE THE MOST BORING THING NOT TO EXAMINE AT ALL. THUS, TELL TO THE OTHERS, SINCE I HAVE NO RELATION DOWN THERE ANY MORE, THE FOLLOWING THAT COMING UP HERE I, TOO, FOUNDGREECE . THAT IF IN YOUR WORLD YOU
WOULD ONCE THINK OF LIGHT, WE UP HERE WOULD THINK OF IT MANY TIMES...
ARGYRES: SORRY, MASTER...
SOCRATES: IF IT HELPS YOU GET TO KNOW ME BETTER...
ARGYRES: YES, BUT YOU WHO ARE SO MUCH WISER THAN ME SAY THAT YOU KNOW NOTHING BUT ONE THING. HOW COULD I, BEING LESS WISE, POSSIBLY GET TO KNOW SOMETHING MORE THAN THAT, LIKE YOU? THE MOST I COULD POSSIBLY EVER GET TO KNOW IS WHAT YOU KNOW. AND EVEN CAN HAPPEN WHEN I WILL BE ABLE TO EXAMINE THINGS AS WELL AS YOU CAN.
SOCRATES: HAVE YOU EVER EXAMINED SOMETHING IN YOUR LIFE?
ARGYRES: I THINK SO.
SOCRATES: WHAT CONCLUSIONS DID YOU COME UP TO?
ARGYRES: THAT I KNOW EVERYTHING.
SOCRATES: THAN YOU MUST BE WISER THAN ME AS I SAY I KNOW NOTHING.
ARGYRES: I THINK NOT...
SOCRATES: WHAT MAKES YOU SAY THAT?
ARGYRES: AS YOU HAVE TAUGHT ME THAT WHEN SOMEONE THINKS HE KNOWS A LOT THEN IT IS CERTAIN HE THINKS HE KNOWS BUT HE ACTUALLY DOESN'T KNOW THAT MUCH. THUS, HE IS NOT A WISE MAN. LET ALONE CLAIMING HE KNOWS EVERYTHING. IT SEEMS TO ME HE REALLY KNOWS NOTHING AT ALL...
SOCRATES: IF YOU ARE RIGHT THEN IT DOES NOT SEEM TO ME THAT YOU KNOW NOTHING BEACAUSE YOU CLAIM YOU KNOW EVERYTHING. IT JUST SEEMS TO ME, AS YOU ALSO SAID, THAT YOU KNOW SOMETHING. JUST ONE THING. THAT SOMEONE WHO KNOWS EVERYTHING IN FACT KNOWS NOTHING. THUS, I THINK WE ARE BOTH WISE MEN. I AM SO DUE TO THE FACT I ONLY KNOW ONE THING THAT I KNOW NOTHING, AND YOU BEACUSE OF CLAIMING TO KNOW EVERYTHING - AND YOU ACTUALLY DO NOT - AND THIS MEANS YOU ALSO KNOW BUT ONE THING. THE FACT THAT SOMEONE WHO SAYS HE KNOWS EVERYTHING, KNOWS, IN FACT, NOTHING.
ARGYRES: SO, YOU, TOO, ARE SAYING THAT IT IS IMPOSSIBLE SOMEONE KNOWS NOTHING. AS HE KNOWS AT LEAST ONE THING. IT COULD BE WHAT YOU SAID OR WHAT I SAID.
SOCRATES: YES, I THINK YOU ARE RIGHT!
ARGYRES: BUT THEN, IF IT IS IMPOSSIBLE FOR SOMEONE TO KNOW NOTHING AND HE KNOWS ONE THING, AT LEAST, HOW COULD HE LEARN THAT THING? WHO TAUGHT HIM THAT?
SOCRATES: WELL, I DO NOT KNOW HOW IT WOKS FOR YOU, BUT I LEARN BY EXAMINING AND NOT FROM SOMEONE ELSE. AS IF THERE WAS A MAN WHO TAUGHT ME, THEN HE WOULD BE WISER THAN ME. BUT IT WOULD NOT INCONSISTENT WITH THE GOD'S SAYING THAT I AM REALLY THE WISER AS I SAY I KNOW NOTHING.
ARGYRES: IS IT POSSIBLE FOR A WISE MAN TO TELL LIES, MASTER?
SOCRATES: I THINK NOT.
ARGYRES: SO THEN, HOW CAN YOU, WHOM I AND MANY OTHERS CONSIDER AS THE WISEST MAN, TELL LIES? YOU CLAIM YOU KNOW NOTHING, BUT YOU KNOW AT LEAST ONE THING, AS WE JUST SAID?
SOCRATES: AS THE TRUTH, MY FRIEND, IS NOT SAID... IT IS MEANT.
ARGYRES: THEN MAYBY I, WHO CLAIM TO KNOW EVERYTHING - BUT, WHICH IS REALLY A LIE AS I ACTUALLY KNOW BUT ONE THING - REALLY MEAN SOME TRUTH WITH THIS STATEMENT OF MINE? AND IF YES, COULD YOU POSSIBLY NAME IT? AH, YOU ARE SILENT NOW? I COULD PUT WORDS IN YOUR MOUTH AS NOW THAT I AM WRITING, YOU ARE LONG DEAD. BUT WHAT GOOD WOULD IT DO? WOULD IT BE THE RIGHT THING FOR ME TO WRITE THE ANSWER NEXT TO YOUR NAME, SINCE YOU ARE THE WISEST, THUS BEING ABLE TO NAME THE LITTLE TRUTH HIDING IN THE STATEMENT "I KNOW EVERYTHING"? COULD I STILL BE HONEST IF I ATTRIBUTED YOU WORDS YOU NEVER SAID? AND THEN IF I WRITE THIS TRUTH NEXT TO MY NAME, WOULD THAT COMPLY WITH THE GOD'S SAYING THAT YOU ARE THE WISEST? AND IF YOU KNEW THIS LITTLE TRUTH WHY DID YOU NOT SAY IT? AS, MY SOCRATES, IF SOMEONE DESERVES TO BE CALLED A WISE MAN, IT REALLY IS HIM WHO KNOWS ABSOLUTELY NOTHING RATHER THAN YOU AND ME WHO KNOW AT LEAST ONE THING, EVEN THOUGH IT IS SO LITTLE. THE CONCEPT OF THE ABSOLUTE ZERO, MY SOCRATES, GOES HAND IN HAND WITH THAT OF THE ABSOLUTE WHOLE. YOU TAUGHT THIS TO ME... AND IF THERE WAS AT LEST ONE TRUTH YOU TOLD IN YOUR LIFE IT IS THIS ONE. THE ONE THAT SAYS THE HUMAN WISENESS IS NOT REALLY THAT IMPORTANT. IT COULD ACTUALLY BE QUITE UNIMPORTANT. AND I THINK YOU UNDERSTAND LOXIAS WORDS. BUT NO ONE SAID SOMETHING ABOUT ME. LOXIAS HIMSELF IGNORES ME. AND HE DOES SO, AS I AM NOT AS WISE AS YOU...
SOCRATES: I DO NOT IGNORE YOU, THOUGH. I ONLY EXAMINE YOU, THE SAME AS I HAVE ALL OF THEM. AND ESPECIALLY AS I DID TO MYSELF. I ALSO UNDERSTOOD THIS LITTLE TRUTH OF YOURS NO MATTER THAT YOU NEVER TOLD IT. AS LONG AS YOU MEANT IT. AND I THINK YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO TELL IT TO OTHERS, TOO, SINCE I DID THE SAME WITH MY LITTLE TRUTH. AND DO NOT THINK BADLY OF THEM EVEN IF THEY DO NOT LISTEN TO YOU. THEY DID NOT LISTEN TO ME, EITHER. SO, GO FOR IT. SPEAK YOUR MIND AS A TRUE MAN DOES. TELL THE LITTLE TRUTH HIDING IN THE STATEMENT «I KNOW EVERYTHING". AS IT REALLY SEEMS TO ME TO BE AS TRUE AS MY OWN STATEMENT. NO MATTER IT SEEMS TO BE QUITE THE CONTRARY.
ARGYRES: I HAVE NO EYES FOR THE TRUTH TO BE RERVEALED TO ME AS I AM NOT A LITERATE MAN, MY SOCRATES. AS LITERATE AS YOU WERE. AND I ONLY EXAMINE THINGS OUT OF PLEASURE I TAKE IN PLAYING. AND NOT BECAUSE I AM REALLY LOOKING FOR SOME ALLEGED TRUTH. AND IF YOU, WHOM I CONSIDER AS THE GREATEST OF ALL THE CHILDREN - INCLUDING ME THE YOUNGEST - NEED COMPANY TO PLAY, WE WILL SEE EACH OTHER SOME TIME. AND BELIEVE ME, THEN WE WILL HAVE PLENTY OF TIME TO EXAMINE EACH OTHER. NOT TO DISCOVER ANY TRUTHS BUT JUST TO SEE WHO OF THE TWO OF US IS THE MOST CAPABLE OF TELLING THE BEST LIES. CONCERNING THE HUMAN WISDOM I DO NOT THINK IT IS ANY DIFFERENT FROM THE DIVINE ONE. AND THEN AGAIN, IF WHAT WE HAVE SAID ARE OF NO IMPORTANCE, IT DOES NOT MATTER. IT IS AN ORDINARY DAY, ANYWAY. I AM IN MY OFFICE AND YOU ARE WHERE YOU SHOULD BE. NO ONE, THOUGH, CAN STOP US FROM EXAMINING EACH OTHER. AS WHAT WE DO HURTS NO ONE, SINCE IF THIS WAS NOT THE CASE YOUR DAEMON WOULD KEEP US SILENT.
SOCRATES: WELL, DO YOU HEAR A DAEMON INSIDE YOU?
ARGYRES: I, MY SOCRATES, HAVE NO EARS TO HEAR ANY MORE. YOU SEE, EVERY TIME SOMEONE WOULD SPEAK NEXT TO ME, HE WOULD DEPRIVE ME OF SOME OF MY HEARING ABILITY. UNTIL I WENT TOTALLY DEAF. AND NOW ALL I HAVE LEFT IS TO BE ABLE TO FEEL THIS DAEMON. BUT I BELIEVE - THE SAME AS YOU DO - THAT I SERVE HIM NO MATTER THAT I DO NOT KNOW HIM. AND WHEREAS YOU PAID FOR THIS SERVICE WITH YOUR OWN LIFE, NOTHING IS GOING TO HAPPEN TO ME. THIS WILL BE FOR NO OTHER REASON BUT THE FACT THAT TIMES HAVE CHANGED. IN YOUR DAYS THE WORDS CARRIED POWER. HENCE YOUR GREAT NUMBER OF ENEMIES. IN OUR TIMES, THOUGH, WORDS ARE OF NO IMPORTANCEΕ. NOR IS THE PHILOSOPHY. THAT IS WHY NOBODY FIGHTS IT. THUS, YOU WILL REMAIN IN ETERNITY REMEMBERED BY PEOPLE AS THE GREATEST WISE MAN, WHILE I WILL GO UNNOTICED AND UNREMEMBERED. WHOEVER OF US WILL BE THE LUCKIER ONE, I DO NOT KNOW. LOXIAS, MAY KNOW IT. BUT HE IS NOT AVAILABLE FOR ME TO ASK, EITHER, AS HE IS NOT NEAR HERE SOMEWHERE. LUCKY YOU TO HAVE HIM HELP YOU BE INTRODUCED TO WISENESS. NO MATTER THAT YOU ONLY REALIZED IT THE ULTIMATE MOMENT. AND UNLUCKY ME TO NOT HAVE SOMEONE TO GUIDE ME TO GET TO KNOW THE WISEST MAN OF MY TIME, - SO THAT I CAN BENEFIT FROM HIS WISENSS - THOUGH HARD I HAVE SEARCHED. YOU SEE, GODS IN YOUR TIME WERE THERE FOR NO OTHER REASON RATHER THAN TO HELP THE EXAMINER. WHEREAS NOW - I AM NOT AWARE WHY - THEY ARE NOT THERE, ANY MORE. PERHAPS, THE MAN HAS ALREADY EXAMINED IT ALL SO THERE IS NO REASON FOR THEM TO BE AROUND. AND IF THERE IS A GOD I NOW BELIEVE IN, IT IS YOU SOCRATES. NOT BECAUSE YOU TAUGHT ME SOMETHING OR HELPED ME KNOW MYSELF BUT BECAUSE YOU TAUGHT ME HOW TO TELL LIES. AND INSIDE THE GREATEST LIE YOU TAUGHT ME HOW TO SEEK FOR THE LITTLE TRUTH THAT MAY BE HIDING IN IT.
SOCRATES: OH, WELL, I DO NOT THINK I AM SOME KIND OF A GOD. AND HOW COULD I POSSIBLY BE A GOD IF I WAS NEVER ABLE TO BE A MAN? AS IF SOMEONE DESERVES TO BE CALLED A MAN, HE IS THE ONE WHO POSSESSES WISDOM. I MAY HAVE KNOWN IT, BUT I NEVER MADE IT A POSSESSION. AS WISENESS, ARGYRES, CANNOT BE CAPTURED. IT IS PRINCIPLE. AND AS YOU ARE VERY WELL AWARE, SINCE YOU HAVE READ A LOT OF WHAT I SAID, WHEN SOMETHING IS PRINCIPLE, ONE CANNOT REACH IT AS IT MOVES SO FAST THAT, IT BACOMES ULTIMATE, EVENTUALLY. BUT, PANDORA'S BOX HAD THE HOPE IN ITS BOTTOM. THIS IS WHAT GIVES ME FAITH THAT SOONER OR LATER I WILL BE ABLE TO REACH THE PRINCIPLE. AND IF THE LATTER NEVER HAPPENS, THEN MY DOG BE MY WITNESS, I WILL REALIZE THIS: THAT HOPE CAN NEVER COME TRUE. NOT FOR ANY OTHER REASONS BUT THIS: IF IT EVER COMES TRUE I WILL HAVE NOTHING ELSE TO DREAM OF. AND AS YOU VERY WELL KNOW A NIGHT WITHOUT DREAMS IS THE ABSOLUTE DEATH. AND IF ABSOLUTE DEATH COMES THEN LIFE GOES AND, BELIEVE ME, I WOULD BE NO WISE MAN AT ALL IF I CHOSE THE ABSOLUTE DEATH TO THE ABSOLUTE DREM LIFE. THIS IS WHY I THINK IT IS FOOLISH FOR ONE TO HOLD ON TO LIFE. HE WOULD BETTER EXAMINE HIMSELF AND THE OTHERS, JUST LIKE I DO. AND IF THERE IS SOMETHING THAT DIES IN THIS OR THAT LIFE, MY FRIEND, THAT IS NOT HOPE BUT FAITH. AND IT DIES WHEN SOMEONE COMES TO GET TO KINOW THE TRUTH. THE TRUTH WHICH IS EVER SO DIFFICULT FOR ME UP HERE TO KNOW, AS IT IS FOR YOU DOWN THERE. AS, YOU KNOW, THERE IS NOT MUCH DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE PLACE UP HERE WHERE I AM IN THE COMPANY OF THE GREAT MEN AND YOUR PLACE. WE ARE EXAMINED HERE, TOO. AND WE DO IT MAYBE, FOR NO OTHER REASON BUT BECAUSE IT WOULD BE THE MOST BORING THING NOT TO EXAMINE AT ALL. THUS, TELL TO THE OTHERS, SINCE I HAVE NO RELATION DOWN THERE ANY MORE, THE FOLLOWING THAT COMING UP HERE I, TOO, FOUND
ARGYRES: SORRY, MASTER...
Δεν υπάρχουν σχόλια:
Δημοσίευση σχολίου