Timaeus — Plato

p. 98

The true aim of music and gymnastic.

Republic III. Socrates, Glaucon.

Music and gymnastic are equally designed for the improvement of the mind.

The mere athlete must be softened, and the philosophic nature prevented from becoming too soft.

This is the sort of medicine, and this is the sort of law, which you will sanction in your state. They will minister to better natures, giving health both of soul and of body ; but those who are diseased in their bodies they will leave to die, and the corrupt and incurable souls they will put an end to themselves. That is clearly the best thing both for the patients and for the State.

And thus our youth, having been educated only in that simple music which, as we said, inspires temperance, will be reluctant to go to law. Clearly. And the musician, who, keeping to the same track, is content to practise the simple gymnastic, will have nothing to do with medicine unless in some extreme case. That I quite believe.

The very exercises and toils which he undergoes are intended to stimulate the spirited element of his nature, and not to increase his strength ; he will not, like common athletes, use exercise and regimen to develope his muscles. Very right, he said. Neither are the two arts of music and gymnastic really designed, as is often supposed, the one for the training of the soul, the other for the training of the body.

What then is the real object of them? I believe, I said, that the teachers of both have in view chiefly the improvement of the soul. How can that be? he asked. Did you never observe, I said, the effect on the mind itself of exclusive devotion to gymnastic, or the opposite effect of an exclusive devotion to music? In what way shown? he said. The one producing a temper of hardness and ferocity, the other of softness and effeminacy, I replied.

Yes, he said, I am quite aware that the mere athlete becomes too much of a savage, and that the mere musician is melted and softened beyond what is good for him. Yet surely, I said, this ferocity only comes from spirit, which, if rightly educated, would give courage, but, if too much intensified, is liable to become hard and brutal.

The excess of nmsic and gyvuiastic. 99 That I quite think. Repubikiii. On the other hand the philosopher will have the quality of Socrates, gentleness. And this also, when too much indulged, will ^^"'^o'^" turn to softness, but, if educated rightly, will be gentle and moderate. True. And in our opinion the guardians ought to have both these qualities? Assuredly. And both should be in harmony? Beyond question.

And the harmonious soul is both temperate and courageous ? Yes. And the inharmonious is cowardly and boorish? Very true.

And, when a man allows music to play upon him and Music, if to pour into his soul through the funnel of his ears those camed too far, • 1 • 1 renders the sweet and soft and melancholy airs of which we were just now weaker nature speaking, and his whole life is passed in warbling and the effeminate, ^ " . ^ *^ . the stronger delights of song ; in the first stage of the process the passion irritable. or spirit which is in him is tempered like iron, and made useful, instead of brittle and useless.

But, if he carries on the softening and soothing process, in the next stage he begins to melt and waste, until he has wasted away his spirit and cut out the sinews of his soul ; and he becomes a feeble warrior. Very true.

If the element of spirit is naturally weak in him the change is speedily accomplished, but if he have a good deal, then the power of music weakening the spirit renders him excitable ; — on the least provocation he flames up at once, and is speedily extinguished ; instead of having spirit he grows irritable and passionate and is quite impracticable. Exactly.

And so in gymnastics, if a man takes violent exercise and And in like is a great feeder, and the reverse of a great student of music '"-'^""e'' ^^^ well-fed and philosophy, at first the high condition of his body fills athlete, if he him with pride and spirit, and he becomes twice the man that ^^^*^ "° education, he was.