泰西哲人杂咏(三)

Mischellaneous Poems on Western Philosophers Ⅲ

言哲学者,殊少言色诺芬,非偶然也。苏格拉底于道德之超越性最有所会,柏拉图得其精,而当天人之际,未免失当。苏格拉底无所作,吾人亦无能辨与柏拉图之同异。色诺芬精粗莫识,浑噩言之,固不足论也。然具眼者听其言,思其义,复与柏拉图相参,蒙者发之,误者正之,苏格拉底之说宛然可辨,所以不可废也。微者实微,非有大义隐焉,而善读者发抉之,正不当以隐微标榜尔。戊戌十一月廿六。我瞻室识。

It is no accident that people who discuss philosophy seldom mention Xenophon.Socrates has the most profound comprehension of the transcendence of morality,and Plato grasps the essence of Socrates’comprehension,but his ideas on the relation between the Nature’s way and human affairs are rather problematic.Socrates has no writings,nor can we distinguish between his and Plato’s doctrine.Xenophon can not identify subtlety and roughness of thought,and makes his point of views in a muddled way,so his thought is not enough to merit a discussion.Nevertheless,if some discerning men ruminate on Xenophon’s words and deliberate about his intentions,then compare with and reference to Plato’s theory,express fuzzy views and correct erroneous views further,they will clearly distinguish Socrates’doctrine.Therefore,we can not abolish Xenophon’s theory.Subtle thoughts are really refined,but there are no profound meanings hidden in these thoughts;in fact,good readers refine something subtle exactly,so subtle thoughts have no substance of esotericism.I wrote these words on the November 26 st of 2018,in Wozhanshi Room.