收入本杰明·喬伊特所譯的全部柏拉圖作品，每篇附有喬伊特所作的導(dǎo)讀和分析；另附其他人所譯的《大希庇阿斯》、《第七封信》等，以及英文原版的柏拉圖著作索引。
此套《柏拉圖著作集5（英文本）》是為適應(yīng)中國(guó)讀者閱讀、研究柏拉圖著作的需要而編輯出版的，共6卷。盡管柏拉圖的著作，尤其是一些名篇，至20世紀(jì)出現(xiàn)了不少優(yōu)秀譯文，但一百余年前喬伊特這套完整的英譯本仍然具有不可替代的地位和價(jià)值。百余年來，該譯本經(jīng)多次再版，廣為傳播，為柏拉圖的研究和闡釋作出了歷史性的貢獻(xiàn)，至今仍具有不可替代的文學(xué)魅力和學(xué)術(shù)價(jià)值。
此英譯本在中國(guó)國(guó)內(nèi)的出版有著重要的學(xué)術(shù)意義，一方面可以澄清以往的中譯本中那些含混不清的譯法或者誤譯、漏譯的地方，另一方面可以為讀者提供不同的闡釋，以供對(duì)照，這對(duì)于像柏拉圖這樣重要的哲學(xué)家而言是非常必要的。
《柏拉圖著作集5（英文本）》為該套文集之第5卷。
本杰明·喬伊特（Benjamin Jowett，1817-1893），牛津大學(xué)教授，19世紀(jì)英國(guó)杰出的古典學(xué)學(xué)者，以翻譯和研究古希臘哲學(xué)著作知名。喬伊特所譯柏拉圖著作英譯本首次出版于1871年，收錄柏拉圖絕大部分作品，迄今為止是由同一人所譯的篇幅最多、最完整的英譯本。百余年來，該譯本經(jīng)多次再版，廣為傳播，為柏拉圖著作的研究和闡釋作出了歷史性的貢獻(xiàn)，至今仍具有獨(dú)特的文學(xué)魅力和學(xué)術(shù)價(jià)值。
Introduction
Sophist
Introduction
Statesman
Introduction
Philebus
Introduction
Timaeus
Introduction
Critias
But suppose， once more， that we were to appoint someone as the guardian of the law， who was both ignorant and interested， and who perverted the law： would not this be a still worse evil than the other? Certainly. For the laws are based on some experience and wisdom. Hence the wiser course is， that they should be observed， although this is not the best thing of all， but only the second best. And whoever， having skill， should try to improve them， would act in the spirit of the lawgiver. But then， as we have seen， no great number of men， whether poor or rich， can be makers of laws. And so， the nearest approach to true government is， when men do nothing contrary to their own written laws and national customs. When the rich preserve their customs and maintain the law， this is called aristocracy， or if they neglect the law， oligarchy. When an individual rules according to law， whether by the help of science or opinion， this is called monarchy； and when he has royal science he is a king， whether he be so in fact or not； but when he rules in spite of law， and is blind with ignorance and passion， he is called a tyrant. These forms of government exist， because men despair of the.true king ever appearing among them； if he were to appear， they would joyfully hand over to him the reins of government. But， as there is no natural ruler of the hive， they meet together and make laws. And do we wonder， when the foundation of politics is in the letter only， at the miseries of states? Ought we not rather to admire the strength of the political bond? For cities have endured the worst of evils time out of mind； many cities have been shipwrecked， and some are like ships foundering， because their pilots are absolutely ignorant of the science which they profess.
Let us next ask， which of these untrue forms of government is the least bad， and which of them is the worst? I said at the beginning， that each of the three forms of government， royalty， aristocracy， and democracy， might be divided into two， so that the whole number of them， including the best， will be seven. Under monarchy we have already distinguished royalty and tyranny； of oligarchy there were two kinds， aristocracy and plutocracy and democracy may also be divided， for there is a democracy which observes， and a democracy which neglects， the laws. The government of one is the best and the worst： the government of a few is less bad and less good： the government of the many is the least bad and least good of them all， being the best of all lawless governments， and the worst of all lawful ones.
書單推薦
