分类标签：外国文学
内容简介：
Of all the writings of Plato the Timaeus is the most obscure and
repulsive to the modern reader, and has nevertheless had the greatest
influence over the ancient and mediaeval world. The obscurity arises in
the infancy of physical science, out of the confusion of theological,
mathematical, and physiological notions, out of the desire to conceive the
whole of nature without any adequate knowledge of the parts, and from a
greater perception of similarities which lie on the surface than of
differences which are hidden from view. To bring sense under the
control of reason; to find some way through the mist or labyrinth of
appearances, either the highway of mathematics, or more devious paths
suggested by the analogy of man with the world, and of the world with
man; to see that all things have a cause and are tending towards an end--
this is the spirit of the ancient physical philosopher. He has no notion of
trying an experiment and is hardly capable of observing the curiosities of
nature which are 'tumbling out at his feet,' or of interpreting even the most
obvious of them. He is driven back from the nearer to the more distant,
from particulars to generalities, from the earth to the stars. He lifts up his
eyes to the heavens and seeks to guide by their motions his erring
footsteps. But we neither appreciate the conditions of knowledge to
which he was subjected, nor have the ideas which fastened upon his
imagination the same hold upon us. For he is hanging between matter
and mind; he is under the dominion at the same time both of sense and of
abstractions; his impressions are taken almost at random from the outside
of nature; he sees the light, but not the objects which are revealed by the
light; and he brings into juxtaposition things which to us appear wide as
the poles asunder, because he finds nothing between them. He passes
abruptly from persons to ideas and numbers, and from ideas and numbers
to persons,--from the heavens to man, from astronomy to physiology; he
confuses, or rather does not distinguish, subject and object, first and final
TIMAEUS
3
causes, and is dreaming of geometrical figures lost in a flux of sense. He
contrasts the perfect movements of the heavenly bodies with the imperfect
representation of them (Rep.), and he does not always require strict
accuracy even in applications of number and figure (Rep.). His mind
lingers around the forms of mythology, which he uses as symbols or
translates into figures of speech. He has no implements of observation,
such as the telescope or microscope; the great science of chemistry is a
blank to him. It is only by an effort that the modern thinker can breathe
the atmosphere of the ancient philosopher, or understand how, under such
unequal conditions, he seems in many instances, by a sort of inspiration, to
have anticipated the truth.
Of all the writings of Plato the Timaeus is the most obscure and
repulsive to the modern reader, and has nevertheless had the greatest
influence over the ancient and mediaeval world. The obscurity arises in
the infancy of physical science, out of the confusion of theological,
mathematical, and physiological notions, out of the desire to conceive the
whole of nature without any adequate knowledge of the parts, and from a
greater perception of similarities which lie on the surface than of
differences which are hidden from view. To bring sense under the
control of reason; to find some way through the mist or labyrinth of
appearances, either the highway of mathematics, or more devious paths
suggested by the analogy of man with the world, and of the world with
man; to see that all things have a cause and are tending towards an end--
this is the spirit of the ancient physical philosopher. He has no notion of
trying an experiment and is hardly capable of observing the curiosities of
nature which are 'tumbling out at his feet,' or of interpreting even the most
obvious of them. He is driven back from the nearer to the more distant,
from particulars to generalities, from the earth to the stars. He lifts up his
eyes to the heavens and seeks to guide by their motions his erring
footsteps. But we neither appreciate the conditions of knowledge to
which he was subjected, nor have the ideas which fastened upon his
imagination the same hold upon us. For he is hanging between matter
and mind; he is under the dominion at the same time both of sense and of
abstractions; his impressions are taken almost at random from the outside
of nature; he sees the light, but not the objects which are revealed by the
light; and he brings into juxtaposition things which to us appear wide as
the poles asunder, because he finds nothing between them. He passes
abruptly from persons to ideas and numbers, and from ideas and numbers
to persons,--from the heavens to man, from astronomy to physiology; he
confuses, or rather does not distinguish, subject and object, first and final
TIMAEUS
3
causes, and is dreaming of geometrical figures lost in a flux of sense. He
contrasts the perfect movements of the heavenly bodies with the imperfect
representation of them (Rep.), and he does not always require strict
accuracy even in applications of number and figure (Rep.). His mind
lingers around the forms of mythology, which he uses as symbols or
translates into figures of speech. He has no implements of observation,
such as the telescope or microscope; the great science of chemistry is a
blank to him. It is only by an effort that the modern thinker can breathe
the atmosphere of the ancient philosopher, or understand how, under such
unequal conditions, he seems in many instances, by a sort of inspiration, to
have anticipated the truth.
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2、本书为网友分享，可能出现各种错误，点这里报错 我们会尽快修复
3、若无特别说明，同一本书的多个格式内容一样，根据需要下载一个即可。
4、如何阅读不同格式的电子书
5、kindle推送只支持mobi/txt/pdf格式
iphone/ipad系统默认safari浏览器下载功能残废，只能下载epub/pdf，点击“下载” > 等待 > “用ibooks打开”；其他格式需安装QQ、UC等浏览器等下载
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