The dialogues of Plato in five volumes, Vol. 2 (of 5) : $b Translated into English with analyses and introductions
Plato · en
whom he is speaking; him he will convict out of his own mouth.
And he is prepared to show, after his manner, that Archelaus
cannot be a wicked man and yet happy. 473
[Sidenote: _Analysis 472-475._]
The evil-doer is deemed happy if he escapes, and miserable if
he suffers punishment; but Socrates thinks him less miserable if
he suffers than if he escapes. Polus is of opinion that such a paradox
as this hardly deserves refutation, and is at any rate sufficiently
refuted by the fact. Socrates has only to compare the lot of the
successful tyrant who is the envy of the world, and of the wretch
who, having been detected in a criminal attempt against the state,
is crucified or burnt to death. Socrates replies, that if they are
both criminal they are both miserable, but that the unpunished is
the more miserable of the two. At this Polus laughs outright, which
leads Socrates to remark that laughter is a new species of refutation.
Polus replies, that he is already refuted; for if he will take the
votes of the company, he will find that no one agrees with him. 474
To this Socrates rejoins, that he is not a public man, and
(referring to his own conduct at the trial of the generals after the
battle of Arginusae) is unable to take the suffrages of any company,
as he had shown on a recent occasion; he can only deal with one
witness at a time, and that is the person with whom he is arguing.
But he is certain that in the opinion of any man to do is worse
than to suffer evil.
Polus, though he will not admit this, is ready to acknowledge
that to do evil is considered the more foul or dishonourable of the
two. But what is fair and what is foul; whether the terms are
applied to bodies, colours, figures, laws, habits, studies, must
they not be defined with reference to pleasure and utility? Polus 475
assents to this latter doctrine, and is easily persuaded that the
fouler of two things must exceed either in pain or in hurt. But the
doing cannot exceed the suffering of evil in pain, and therefore
must exceed in hurt. Thus doing is proved by the testimony of
Polus himself to be worse or more hurtful than suffering.
[Sidenote: _Analysis 476-482._]