“好人”,抑或“好公民”:苏格拉底之死的政治伦理悖论及其现代回响

To Be Good Man or Good Citizen:Political Ethical Paradox of Death of Socrates and Its Modern Expression

苏格拉底之死在根本上反映的或许不是哲人与政治的冲突,而是好人与好公民的冲突。如果将《申辩篇》的论证主题概括为"我是一个好人",那么《克里托篇》的论证主题则可以概括为"我要做一个好公民",在做好人与做好公民之间发生冲突时,苏格拉底选择了做好公民。由苏格拉底之死引发的好人与好公民的政治伦理焦虑在民族国家主导的现代社会有了不同于城邦时期的表现形态。在政治领域逐渐缩小的现代社会,好人似乎比好公民具有更加根本的意义,与此相应,好人教育似乎比好公民教育更为根本。

The death of Socrates embodies the conflict between to be a good man and to be a good citizen,instead of philosopher and politics.If the subject of Apology is that＂I am a good man＂while the subject of Crito is that＂I want to be a good citizen＂.Between to be a good man and to be a good citizen,Socrates chose the latter.The political ethical dilemma between to be a good man and to be a good citizen in modern society is different from that in ancient Greek.The political realm has become smaller and smaller in modern society,so that to be a good man is more important fundamentally.Accordingly,the education of to be a good man is more important than that of to be a good citizen fundamentally.