Chapter 4 02 HELLAS 600－400B． C Group portraits of ancient philosophers

2.1 "Pre-Plato" group portraits of ancient philosophers Based on the above considerations, if I regard the philosophers before Plato (the ancient Greek philosopher Plato) as a unified group, and intend to make a special discussion on them in this work, this should be accepted calmly.Plato started something entirely new; or, it may be equally true to say, that philosophers since Plato have lacked something essential compared to the "Republic of Geniuses" from Thales to Socrates.Whoever is jealous may, in expressing his thoughts about the old masters, call them one-sided, and their unworthy descendants, headed by Plato, many-sided.But it may be more fair and reasonable to understand the latter as a philosophical hybrid and the former as purely typical.Plato himself was the first of an eminent mixed character, which is equally fully expressed in his philosophy as in his personality.His "idea theory" combines elements of Socrates, Pythagoras and Heraclitus, so it is not a purely philosophical type.As a person, Plato also mixed the characteristics of these three people, with Heraclitus' regal solitude and contentment, Pythagoras' melancholy compassion and legislative proclivity, and dialectician Socrates' familiarity. people's hearts.All subsequent philosophers are such mixed characters; and if something one-sided emerges from them, as in the Cynics (Cynics who look at everything with cynicism), it is not typical but a kind of irony.Much more important, they were the founders of sects, all of which were opposed to Greek culture and its hitherto unified style.They seek salvation in their own way, but only for individuals, or, at best, for a small circle of friends and disciples.The activities of the ancient philosophers were for the healing and purification of the whole, though unconsciously in them.The vigorous course of Hellenism was to be unimpeded, and the dreadful perils in its path removed, while the philosophers guarded their homeland.But then, since Plato, philosophers have been exiled from their parental state.

2.2 Supplementary fragments, want to meet ancient philosophers It is a real misfortune that the writings of the great philosophers of old have come down to us in such wretched fragments that all the complete works have been lost.Due to the loss of works, we can't help judging these masters by the wrong standard.The purely accidental fact that the writings of Plato and Aristotle (the ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle, known alongside Plato) never lacked commentators and scribes makes us preconceived in favor of these latecomers.Some people think that books have their destiny, what is called "the fate of the book" (fatum libellorum).If so, the fate must have been malicious, thinking it best to take Heraclitus from us, the wonderful poems of Empedocles, the works of Democritus (the ancients equated him with Plato) mentioned, he was even more creative than Plato), and instead, Stoics (Stoics who advocated abstinence and acceptance of fate), Epicureans (Epicureans who pursued worldly freedom and joy) And Cicero (Ancient Roman writer Cicero) stuffed us.It seems that most of the most brilliant parts of Greek thought and its written expression are going to be lost.We might not be surprised by such a fate: we might remember the fate of Erigina (the ninth-century theologian Scotus Erigena) or Pascal (the seventeenth-century French philosopher Pascal); In this enlightened century, the first edition of Schopenhauer (nineteenth-century German philosopher Schopenhauer) also had to be sold as waste paper.

If anyone wants to assign a peculiar fatal force to such things, he can do so, and say with Goethe: "Don't complain about mediocrity and baseness; for no matter what people say about you, mediocrity and baseness After all, it holds the key points everywhere.” What is especially certain is that its holdings are stronger than the power of truth.Humanity seldom produces a good book in which the war song of truth and the song of philosophical heroism are played freely and fearlessly.However, whether the book lasts a hundred years or turns to dust often depends on trivial chances, like sudden faints of the head, or superstitious agitations and disgusts, and finally, on the lazy or convulsive minds responsible for copying. fingers, even depends on silverfish and rainy weather.

But let us not complain, and let us remember J. G. Hamann's (J. G. Hamann, 1730-1788) evasive words of consolation to scholars who bemoan their lost works: "There was an entertainer who put a lentil through the eye of a needle." Is a bucket of lentils not enough for him to practice the art he has acquired? This question may be asked of all scholars, who are no better at using the writings of the ancients than the artist was using lentils." In our case it may be added that we need no more than actual handed down texts, anecdotes, dates, and even much less to confirm the general thesis that the Greeks did defend philosophy. .

2.3 Culture and Philosophy of a Generation If an era suffers from only so-called universal education but no culture, that is, no unified style throughout its life, then it will never know how to use philosophy to do the right thing.This is especially true when philosophy is proclaimed in the streets and marketplaces by the patron saint of truth himself.In such an age, philosophy remains rather the scholarly confession of the solitary walker, the lucky spoils of the individual, the hermitage of a hermit, or the harmless chatter between a doleful scholar and a child.No one has dared to practice the laws of philosophy, no one has lived philosophically with that simple manly devotion which compelled the ancients—wherever he was, whatever he was doing—to Pillar swears allegiance, acts as a Stoic (Pillar School).

The whole of modern philosophical thinking is political and police-like, bound by government, church, academy, custom, fashion, and human cowardice to an academic surface, always resting in sighing "I wish so" or knowing "Once upon a time How how".Philosophy has no rights of its own, and therefore modern man, if he has any courage and conscience, should sublate it and banished it with language similar to that with which Plato drove the tragic poet from his Utopia; There can be another objection, just as the tragic poets can have another objection to Plato. Had it been forced to speak, it might have said: "Poor nation! Is it my fault if I wander about among you like a witch, and have to disguise myself as if I were a sinner and you were my judges?" Responsibility? Look at my sister--Art--! She is in the same position as I am, we are all exiled among the savages, with no hope of saving ourselves. We have no just rights here, it is true, but rights will be restored To our judge, who will judge you too, who will say to you: "You must first have a culture, and then you will appreciate what philosophy can do and do. "