诗艺与德性——柏拉图评析古希腊诗人

Poetic Art and Virtue: Plato on Ancient Greek Poets

古希腊诗人提尔泰俄斯特别看重对外战争中的勇敢德性,忒奥格尼斯则突显内战中的德性。诗人与立法者相互影响,但柏拉图认为,立法者在构建政治制度时,其首要目的并非战争的胜利及相应的德性。诗人和立法者都时常涉及快乐和痛苦这两种人的基本性情,无论作诗还是立法,皆不应仅仅着眼于训练人克制痛苦或取悦多数人,更重要的是培育人去勇敢地征服各种快乐和欲望。诗艺不能只服务于培养战争德性或政治德性,而应指向完整的德性,从而形塑健全的制度和生活方式。

Whereas the Greek poet Tyrtaeus especially valued the virtue of courage in external war,Theogonis emphasized virtues in civil war.There was an interaction between poets and legislators.But Plato thought that when constructing political systems,the primary purpose of legislators should not be victory in war and the corresponding virtue to it.Both poets and legislators frequently referred to pleasure and pain,two basic characters of human beings.So both poetry-making and legislation should not merely aim at training people to restrain their pains or trying to please the most,but more importantly at cultivating people to courageously conquer pleasures and desires.Poetic art should not simply serve to cultivate virtues in wars and politics.It should point to the whole virtue and shape a sound constitution and a good way of life.