Phaedrus — Plato
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8o PLATO THE TEACHER ought to tell you why I am of opinion that this art cannot be taught or communicated by man to man. I say that the Athenians are an understanding people, as indeed they are esteemed by the other Hellenes.
Now I observe that when we are met together in the Assembly,^ and the matter in hand relates to building, the builders are summoned as advisers; when the question is one of ship-building, then the ship-builders; and the; like of other arts which they think capable of being taught and learned.
And if some person offers to give them advice who is not supposed by them to have any skill in the art, even though he be good-looking, and rich, and noble, ^ they don't listen to him, but laugh at him, and hoot him, until either he is clamored down and retires of himself; or if he persists, he is dragged away or put out by the constables at the command of the prytanes.* This is their way of behaving about the arts which have professors.
When, however, the question is an affair of state, then everybody is free to have a say — carpenter, tinker, cobbler, sailor, passenger; rich and poor, high and low — any one who likes gets up, and no one reproaches him, as in the former case, with not having learned, and having no teacher, and yet giving advice ; evidently because they are under the impression that this sort of knowledge cannot be taught.
And not only is this true of the state, but of individuals ; the best and wisest of our citizens are unable to impart their political wisdom to others : as, for example, Pericles,^ the father of these young men, who gave them excellent instruction in all that could be learned from '"^ masters, in his own department of politics taught them nothing ; nor did he give them teachers, but they were allowed to wander at their own free-will, in a sort of hope that they would light upon virtue of their own accord.
Or take another example : There was Cleinias, the younger brother of our friend Alcibiades, of whom this very same Pericles was the guardian ; and he being in fact under the apprehension that Cleinias would be corrupted by Alcibiades, took him " At Athens, the formal assembly of all the citizens which exercised certain legislative and judiciary functions, and had, with the senate, power of decision in all matters affecting the supreme interests of the State.
See Apology, note 29. 3» Presidents, or those who presided over the senate and assembly at Athens. See Apology, note 29. »7 Pericles (49S-429 B. c. ) : the greatest of Athenian statesmen, distinguished also a§ an orator and great general.
p. 81 away, and placed him in the house of Ariphron to be educated, but before six months had elapsed, Ariphron sent him back, not knowing what to do with him. And I could mention numberless other instances of persons who were good themselves, and never yet made any one else good, whether friend or stranger. Now I, Protagoras, when I reflect on all this, am inclined to think that virtue cannot be taught.
But then again, when I listen to your words, I am disposed to waver ; and I believe that there must be something in what you say, because I know that you have great experience, and learning, and invention. And I wish that you would, if possible, show me a Httle more clearly that virtue can be taught. Will you be so good ? That I will, Socrates, and gladly. But what would you like ?
Shall I, as an elder, speak to you as younger men in an apologue or myth, or shall I argue the question ? To this several of the company answered that he should choose for himself. Well, then, he said, I think that the myth will be more interesting. Once upon a time there were gods only, and no mortal creatures.
But when the time came that these also should be created, the gods fashioned them out of earth and fire and various mixtures of both elements in the inward parts of the earth ; and when they were about to bring them into the light of day, they ordered Prometheus and Epimetheus^ to equip them, and to distribute to them severally their proper qualities. Epimetheus said to Prometheus: **Let me distribute, and do you inspect.
This was agreed, and Epimetheus made the distribution. There were some to whom he gave strength without swiftness, or again swiftness without strength; some he armed, and others he left unarmed ; and devised for the latter some other means of preservation, making some large, and having their size as a protection, and others small, whose nature was to fly in the air or burrow in ^ the ground ; this was to be their way of escape.
Thus did he compensate them with the view of preventing any race from »• Prometheus (pr6-m€'thus), Epimetheus (5p'i-me'thus) : ancient divinities and brothers. The characters of the two are indicated by their names. Prometheus signifies forethought, Epimetheus, afterthought See Longfellow's Masque of Pandora ; Shelley s Prometheus Unbound ; Mrs. Browning's Prometheus Bound. 6 p. 82becoming extinct. And when he had provided against their destruction by one another, he contrived also a means of protecting them against the seasons of heaven ; clothing them with close hair and thick skins sufficient to defend them against the winter cold and summer heat, and for a natural bed of their own when they wanted to rest ; also he furnished them with hoofs and hair and hard and callous skins under their feet.
Then he gave them varieties of food, — to some herbs of the soil, to others fruits of trees, and to others roots, and to some again he gave other animals as food. And some he made to have few young ones, while those who were their prey were very prolific ; and in this way the race was preserved.
Thus did Epimetheus, who, not being very wise, forgot that he had distributed among the brute animals all the qualities that he had to give, — and when he came to man, who was still unprovided, he was terribly perplexed. Now while he was in this perplexity, Prometheus came to inspect the distribution, and he found that the other animals were suitably furnished, but that man alone was naked and shoeless, and had neither bed nor arms of defense.
The appointed hour was approaching in which man was to go forth into the light of day ; and Prometheus, not knowing how he could devise his salvation, stole the mechanical arts of Hephaestus® and Athene,*^ and fire with them (they could neither have been acquired nor used without fire), and gave them to man.
Thus man had the wisdom necessary to the support of life, but political wisdom he had not ; for that was in the keeping of Zeus, and the power of Prometheus did not extend to entering into the castle of heaven, in which Zeus*^ dwelt, who moreover had terrible sentinels ; but he did enter by stealth into the common workshop of Athene and Hephaestus, in which they used to pursue their favorite arts, and took away Hephaestus' art of working by fire, and also the art of Athene, and gave them to man.
And in this way man was supplied with the means of life. But Prometheus is said to have been afters' Hephaestus (he-f?s'tus) : the god of fire and of the arts in which fire is used, corresponding to the Roman Vulcan. *" Athene (i-the'ne) : one of the chief divinities of Grecian mythology, often called the goddess of wisdom, corresponding to the Roman Minerva.
To her was attributed the invention of many arts, especially those proper to women, like spinning and weaving. 41 Zeus (zus): the chief divinity of Grecian mythology, corresponding to the Roman Jupiter.
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