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Βέλτιον ἴσως ἐστὶ τὸ προδιελθεῖν τὸν τρόπον τῆς πραγματείας τί ποτ’ ἐστίν, ἵνα προγιγνώσκοντες ὥσπερ ὁδὸν ᾗ βαδιστέον ῥᾴδιον πορευώμεθα εἰδότες τε κατὰ τί μέρος ἐσμὲν αὐτῆς καὶ μὴ λάθωμεν ἡμᾶς αὐτοὺς παρυπολαμβάνοντες τὸ πρᾶγμα. καθάπερ Ἀριστοτέλης ἀεὶ διηγεῖτο τοὺς πλείστους τῶν ἀκουσάντων παρὰ Πλάτωνος τὴν περὶ τἀγαθοῦ ἀκρόασιν παθεῖν· προσιέναι μὲν γὰρ ἕκαστον ὑπολαμβάνοντα λήψεσθαί τι τῶν νομιζομένων τούτων ἀνθρωπίνων ἀγαθῶν οἷον πλοῦτον, ὑγίειαν, ἰσχύν, τὸ ὅλον εὐδαιμονίαν τινὰ θαυμαστήν· ὅτε δὲ φανείησαν οἱ λόγοι περὶ μαθημάτων καὶ ἀριθμῶν καὶ γεωμετρίας καὶ ἀστρολογίας καὶ τὸ πέρας ὅτι ἀγαθόν ἐστιν ἕν, παντελῶς οἶμαι παράδοξόν τι ἐφαίνετο αὐτοῖς, εἶθ’ οἱ μὲν ὑποκατεφρόνουν τοῦ πράγματος, οἱ δὲ κατεμέμφοντο. τί οὖν τὸ αἴτιον; οὐ προῄδεσαν, ἀλλ’ ὥσπερ οἱ ἐριστικοὶ πρὸς τοὔνομα αὐτὸ ὑποκεχηνότες προσῄεσαν· εἰ δέ γέ τις οἶμαι προεξετίθει τὸ ὅλον, ἀπεγίνωσκεν ἂν ὁ μέλλων ἀκούειν ἢ εἴπερ ἤρεσκε αὐτῷ διέμενεν ἂν ἐν τῇ εἰλημμένῃ ὑπολήψει. προέλεγε μὲν οὖν καὶ αὐτὸς Ἀριστοτέλης δι’ αὐτὰς ταύτας τὰς αἰτίας, ὡς ἔφη, τοῖς μέλλουσιν ἀκροᾶσθαι παρ’ αὐτοῦ, περὶ τίνων τ’ ἐστὶν ἡ πραγματεία καὶ τίς. βέλτιον δὲ καὶ ἡμῖν φαίνεται, καθάπερ εἴπομεν ἐν ἀρχῇ, τὸ προειδέναι. |
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It is surely better to begin by stating the nature of the inquiry, and what it involves, so that with this foreknowledge we may proceed more easily on our chosen way, and recognize what stage we have reached and not unwittingly deceive ourselves about the matter. As Aristotle was wont to narrate, this was what happened to the majority of the people who heard Plato's lecture On the Good. Each came expecting to learn something about the things which are generally considered good for men, such as wealth, good health, physical strength, and altogether a kind of wonderful happiness. But when the mathematical demonstrations came, including numbers, geometrical figures and astronomy, and finally the statement Good is One seemed to them, I imagine, utterly unexpected and strange; hence some belittled the matter, while others rejected it. And what was the reason? They did not know what was coming but went along, like argumentative people, at the mere word. But if someone begins with a summary of his lecture, then, I hold, everyone who came to listen is free either to give up, or, if he likes, to stay, with the understanding he has already gained. Hence Aristotle himself, for these very reasons, as he said, used to give his prospective audience a summary of what he intended to say, and in what manner. Likewise it seems to me better, as I said at the beginning, to have foreknowledge. |
