苏格拉底的爱欲与民主政制——关于柏拉图的“爱欲四书”

Eroticism and Democracy of Socrates:Analysis on Love for Wisdom in Four Platonic Dialogues

雅典民主政制是苏格拉底谈论"爱欲"问题的政治语境,在他看来,民主政制的根本困难在于个人的德性是否齐一,谈论"爱欲"是为了揭示民主政治原理的难题:民主政制只会开放"爱欲"的奇异和自由,而不区分高贵与低劣的爱欲,也就谈不上培育高贵的德性。"爱欲四书"恰好构成一部整全而又生动的苏格拉底传,他付出自己的生命时间对青年孜孜以论灵魂与爱欲,意味着灵魂的德性比灵魂的自由更重要。"爱欲四书"中灵魂的"爱欲"问题是柏拉图所有作品的基础,或言柏拉图思想的基础。

Socrates＇ s discussion of eroticism is in consistent with his concern of Athenian democracy. From his point of view, the greatest obstacle in practicing democracy lies in the individually varied nature of virtue, which is best shown in the issues of love and eroticism： rather than making distinction between the virtuous and the contemptible in erotic love, the principle of democracy encourages the diversity of eroticism, which inevitably suppresses the fostering of one＇s virtuous character. In fact, ＂the four Platonic Dialogues＂ could be read as a vivid biography of Socrates, who devoted his life to discuss the soul and erotic issues with the youth, revealing the sense of virtue more important than that of freedom. Given this context, it is the issues of love and eroticism that laid the foundation of all the thoughts and works of Plato.