下载辰思小说免费APP
Anddoyounotknowalsothatalthoughtheymakeuseofthevisibleformsandreasonaboutthem，theyarethinkingnotofthese，butoftheidealswhichtheyresemble；notofthefigureswhichtheydraw，butoftheabsolutesquareandtheabsolutediameter，andsoon——theformswhichtheydrawormake，andwhichhaveshadowsandreflectionsinwateroftheirown，areconvertedbythemintoimages，buttheyarereallyseekingtobeholdthethingsthemselves，whichcanonlybeseenwiththeeyeofthemind？
Thatistrue。
AndofthiskindIspokeastheintelligible，althoughinthesearchafteritthesouliscompelledtousehypotheses；notascendingtoafirstprinciple，becausesheisunabletoriseabovetheregionofhypothesis，butemployingtheobjectsofwhichtheshadowsbelowareresemblancesintheirturnasimages，theyhavinginrelationtotheshadowsandreflectionsofthemagreaterdistinctness，andthereforeahighervalue。
Iunderstand，hesaid，thatyouarespeakingoftheprovinceofgeometryandthesisterarts。
AndwhenIspeakoftheotherdivisionoftheintelligible，youwillunderstandmetospeakofthatothersortofknowledgewhichreasonherselfattainsbythepowerofdialectic，usingthehypothesesnotasfirstprinciples，butonlyashypotheses——thatistosay，asstepsandpointsofdepartureintoaworldwhichisabovehypotheses，inorderthatshemaysoarbeyondthemtothefirstprincipleofthewhole；andclingingtothisandthentothatwhichdependsonthis，bysuccessivestepsshedescendsagainwithouttheaidofanysensibleobject，fromideas，throughideas，andinideassheends。
Iunderstandyou，hereplied；notperfectly，foryouseemtometobedescribingataskwhichisreallytremendous；but，atanyrate，I
understandyoutosaythatknowledgeandbeing，whichthescienceofdialecticcontemplates，areclearerthanthenotionsofthearts，astheyaretermed，whichproceedfromhypothesesonly：thesearealsocontemplatedbytheunderstanding，andnotbythesenses：yet，becausetheystartfromhypothesesanddonotascendtoaprinciple，thosewhocontemplatethemappeartoyounottoexercisethehigherreasonuponthem，althoughwhenafirstprincipleisaddedtothemtheyarecognizablebythehigherreason。AndthehabitwhichisconcernedwithgeometryandthecognatesciencesIsupposethatyouwouldtermunderstandingandnotreason，asbeingintermediatebetweenopinionandreason。
Youhavequiteconceivedmymeaning，Isaid；andnow，correspondingtothesefourdivisions，lettherebefourfacultiesinthesoul—reasonansweringtothehighest，understandingtothesecond，faith（orconviction）tothethird，andperceptionofshadowstothelast—andlettherebeascaleofthem，andletussupposethattheseveralfacultieshaveclearnessinthesamedegreethattheirobjectshavetruth。
Iunderstand，hereplied，andgivemyassent，andacceptyourarrangement。
BOOKVII
SOCRATES—GLAUCON
ANDnow，Isaid，letmeshowinafigurehowfarournatureisenlightenedorunenlightened：——Behold！humanbeingslivinginaundergroundden，whichhasamouthopentowardsthelightandreachingallalongtheden；heretheyhavebeenfromtheirchildhood，andhavetheirlegsandneckschainedsothattheycannotmove，andcanonlyseebeforethem，beingpreventedbythechainsfromturningroundtheirheads。Aboveandbehindthemafireisblazingatadistance，andbetweenthefireandtheprisonersthereisaraisedway；andyouwillsee，ifyoulook，alowwallbuiltalongtheway，likethescreenwhichmarionetteplayershaveinfrontofthem，overwhichtheyshowthepuppets。
Isee。
Anddoyousee，Isaid，menpassingalongthewallcarryingallsortsofvessels，andstatuesandfiguresofanimalsmadeofwoodandstoneandvariousmaterials，whichappearoverthewall？Someofthemaretalking，otherssilent。
Youhaveshownmeastrangeimage，andtheyarestrangeprisoners。
Likeourselves，Ireplied；andtheyseeonlytheirownshadows，ortheshadowsofoneanother，whichthefirethrowsontheoppositewallofthecave？
True，hesaid；howcouldtheyseeanythingbuttheshadowsiftheywereneverallowedtomovetheirheads？
Andoftheobjectswhicharebeingcarriedinlikemannertheywouldonlyseetheshadows？
Yes，hesaid。
Andiftheywereabletoconversewithoneanother，wouldtheynotsupposethattheywerenamingwhatwasactuallybeforethem？
Verytrue。
Andsupposefurtherthattheprisonhadanechowhichcamefromtheotherside，wouldtheynotbesuretofancywhenoneofthepassers—byspokethatthevoicewhichtheyheardcamefromthepassingshadow？
Noquestion，hereplied。
Tothem，Isaid，thetruthwouldbeliterallynothingbuttheshadowsoftheimages。
Thatiscertain。
Andnowlookagain，andseewhatwillnaturallyfollowit’theprisonersarereleasedanddisabusedoftheirerror。Atfirst，whenanyofthemisliberatedandcompelledsuddenlytostandupandturnhisneckroundandwalkandlooktowardsthelight，hewillsuffersharppains；theglarewilldistresshim，andhewillbeunabletoseetherealitiesofwhichinhisformerstatehehadseentheshadows；
andthenconceivesomeonesayingtohim，thatwhathesawbeforewasanillusion，butthatnow，whenheisapproachingnearertobeingandhiseyeisturnedtowardsmorerealexistence，hehasaclearervision，—whatwillbehisreply？Andyoumayfurtherimaginethathisinstructorispointingtotheobjectsastheypassandrequiringhimtonamethem，—willhenotbeperplexed？Willhenotfancythattheshadowswhichheformerlysawaretruerthantheobjectswhicharenowshowntohim？
Fartruer。
Andifheiscompelledtolookstraightatthelight，willhenothaveapaininhiseyeswhichwillmakehimturnawaytotakeandtakeintheobjectsofvisionwhichhecansee，andwhichhewillconceivetobeinrealityclearerthanthethingswhicharenowbeingshowntohim？
True，henowAndsupposeoncemore，thatheisreluctantlydraggedupasteepandruggedascent，andheldfastuntilhe’sforcedintothepresenceofthesunhimself，ishenotlikelytobepainedandirritated？Whenheapproachesthelighthiseyeswillbedazzled，andhewillnotbeabletoseeanythingatallofwhatarenowcalledrealities。
Notallinamoment，hesaid。
Hewillrequiretogrowaccustomedtothesightoftheupperworld。Andfirsthewillseetheshadowsbest，nextthereflectionsofmenandotherobjectsinthewater，andthentheobjectsthemselves；
thenhewillgazeuponthelightofthemoonandthestarsandthespangledheaven；andhewillseetheskyandthestarsbynightbetterthanthesunorthelightofthesunbyday？
Certainly。
Lastofhewillbeabletoseethesun，andnotmerereflectionsofhiminthewater，buthewillseehiminhisownproperplace，andnotinanother；andhewillcontemplatehimasheis。
Certainly。
Hewillthenproceedtoarguethatthisishewhogivestheseasonandtheyears，andistheguardianofallthatisinthevisibleworld，andinacertainwaythecauseofallthingswhichheandhisfellowshavebeenaccustomedtobehold？
Clearly，hesaid，hewouldfirstseethesunandthenreasonabouthim。
Andwhenherememberedhisoldhabitation，andthewisdomofthedenandhisfellow—prisoners，doyounotsupposethathewouldfelicitatehimselfonthechange，andpitythem？
Certainly，hewould。
Andiftheywereinthehabitofconferringhonoursamongthemselvesonthosewhowerequickesttoobservethepassingshadowsandtoremarkwhichofthemwentbefore，andwhichfollowedafter，andwhichweretogether；andwhowerethereforebestabletodrawconclusi
