“Blessed are they that are persecuted for righteousness’ sake.”—Matt.
The words of Socrates are more abstract than the words of Christ, but
they equally imply that the only real evil is moral evil. The righteous
may suffer or die, but they have their reward; and even if they had no
reward, would be happier than the wicked. The world, represented by
Polus, is ready, when they are asked, to acknowledge that injustice is
dishonourable, and for their own sakes men are willing to punish the
offender (compare Republic). But they are not equally willing to
acknowledge that injustice, even if successful, is essentially evil,
and has the nature of disease and death. Especially when crimes are
committed on the great scale—the crimes of tyrants, ancient or
modern—after a while, seeing that they cannot be undone, and have
become a part of history, mankind are disposed to forgive them, not
from any magnanimity or charity, but because their feelings are blunted
by time, and “to forgive is convenient to them.” The tangle of good and
evil can no longer be unravelled; and although they know that the end
cannot justify the means, they feel also that good has often come out
of evil. But Socrates would have us pass the same judgment on the
tyrant now and always; though he is surrounded by his satellites, and
has the applauses of Europe and Asia ringing in his ears; though he is
the civilizer or liberator of half a continent, he is, and always will
be, the most miserable of men. The greatest consequences for good or
for evil cannot alter a hair’s breadth the morality of actions which
are right or wrong in themselves. This is the standard which Socrates
holds up to us. Because politics, and perhaps human life generally, are
of a mixed nature we must not allow our principles to sink to the level
of our practice.
And so of private individuals—to them, too, the world occasionally
speaks of the consequences of their actions:—if they are lovers of
pleasure, they will ruin their health; if they are false or dishonest,
they will lose their character. But Socrates would speak to them, not
of what will be, but of what is—of the present consequence of lowering
and degrading the soul. And all higher natures, or perhaps all men
everywhere, if they were not tempted by interest or passion, would
agree with him—they would rather be the victims than the perpetrators
of an act of treachery or of tyranny. Reason tells them that death
comes sooner or later to all, and is not so great an evil as an
unworthy life, or rather, if rightly regarded, not an evil at all, but
to a good man the greatest good. For in all of us there are slumbering
ideals of truth and right, which may at any time awaken and develop a
new life in us.