Day79|智者学派
上句见:Day78
The Story of Philosophy的第79句:第1章Plato第1节The Context of Plato第6段第5句:
At first this philosophy was physical; it looked out upon the material world and asked what was the final and irreducible constituent of things. The natural termination of this line of thought was the materialism of Democritus(460-360 B.C.) — “in reality there is nothing but atoms and space.” This was one of the main streams of Greek speculation; it passed underground for a time in Plato’s day, but emerged in Epicurus(342-270), and became a torrent of eloquence in Lucretius(98-55 B.C.). But the most characteristic and fertile developments of Greek philosophy took form with the Sophists, traveling teachers of wisdom, who looked within upon their own thought and nature, rather than out upon the world of things. They were all clever men (Gorgias and Hippias, for example), and many of them were profound (Protagoras, Prodices); there is hardly a problem or a solution in our current philosophy of mind and conduct which they did not realize and discuss. They asked questions about anything; they stood unafraid in the presence of religious or political taboos; and boldly subpoenaed every creed and institution to appear before the judgement seat of reason. In politics they divided into two schools. One, like Rousseau, argued that nature is good, and civilization bad; that by nature all men are equal, becoming unequal only by class-made institutions; and that law is an invention of the strong to chain and rule the weak. Another school, like Nietzsche, claimed that nature is beyond good and evil; that by nature all men are unequal; that morality is an invention of the weak to limit and deter the strong; that power is the supreme virtue, and the supreme desire of man; and that of all forms of government the wisest and most natural is aristocracy.
浙江大学译本:他们全都聪慧非凡(譬如高尔吉亚③和希庇亚斯④),大多思想深邃(譬如普罗泰戈拉 ③和普罗狄库);对于今天我们仍在人类心灵和行为的哲学性讨中讨论或注释的几乎每一个问题,他们都意识到了、讨论过了。
解析
这句进一步讲述智者学派的特点及代表人物。智者也被称为诡辩家,因其爱辩论而有此名,但诡辩有点偏贬义,个人喜欢智者学派。
1、They were all clever men (Gorgias and Hippos, for example),:
睿智:他们都是聪明的人,如高尔吉亚和希庇亚斯。两位都智者学派的代表。
高尔吉亚(Gorgias)是前苏格拉底时代的哲学家及杰出的诡辩家,他擅长批判和修辞,著有《论不存在》。在《论不存在》中,他认为什么都不存在,即使确实存在,也不可能被知道,即使被知道,也不可能传送给他人。
希庇亚斯(Hippias)是古希腊一智者,以博学及多技能傍身著称。他在数学、历史、文学等各领域都算得上专家。
2、and many of them were profound (Protagoras, Prodices);:
思想深邃:他们中大多思想深邃。
普罗泰戈拉(Protagoras)是早期著名的智者,他最有名的论断是:“人是万物的尺度。(Man is the measure of all things)”,它体现了相对主义,真理和正义都受制于个体。
普罗多克勒斯(Prodicus)古希腊智者,与苏格拉底和柏拉图同时代,在语言的精确性而见长。他的教学方法和对语言的细致关注对后世教育与修辞学有着深远的影响。
3、there is hardly a problem or a solution in our current philosophy of mind and conduct which they did not realize and discuss.
研究范围广:我们当前关乎心智与行为的哲学,都是他们当时认识和探讨的议题。与我们当前的哲学在心智与行为的研究范围相比,来突出智者学派所涉猎的广度与深度。
他们全都睿智非凡,譬如高尔吉亚(Gorgias)和希庇亚斯(Hippos);大多思想深邃,如普罗泰戈拉(Protagoras)和普罗多克勒斯(Prodicus);当今人类有关心智与行为的哲学所解决的或㠪解决的议题,几乎没有他们没探讨过的。