PLATO'S DREAM
BY VOLTAIRE
Plato was a great dreamer, as many others have
been since his time. He dreamed that mankind
were formerly double; and that, as a punishment
for their crimes, they were divided into male
and female.
He undertook to prove that there can be no more
than five perfect worlds, because there are but
five regular mathematical bodies. His Republic
was one of his principal dreams. He dreamed,
moreover, that watching arises from sleep, and
sleep from watching; and that a person who
should attempt to look at an eclipse, otherwise
than in a pail of water, would surely lose his
sight. Dreams were, at that time, in great
repute.
Here follows one of his dreams, which is not
one of the least interesting. He thought that
the great Demiurgos, the eternal geometer,
having peopled the immensity of space with
innumerable globes, was willing to make a trial
of the knowledge of the genii who had been
witnesses of his works. He gave to each of
them a small portion of matter to arrange,
nearly in the same manner as Phidias and
Zeuxis would have given their scholars a
statue to carve, or a picture to paint, if
we may be allowed to compare small things to
great.
Demogorgon had for his lot the lump of mould,
which we call the Earth; and having formed it,
such as it now appears, he thought he had
executed a masterpiece. He imagined he had
silenced Envy herself, and expected to receive
the highest panegyrics, even from his brethren;
but how great was his surprise, when, at his
next appearing among them, they received him
with a general hiss.
One among them, more satirical than the rest,
accosted him thus:
"Truly you have performed mighty feats! you
have divided your world into two parts; and,
to prevent the one from having communication
with the other, you have carefully placed a
vast collection of waters between the two
hemispheres. The inhabitants must perish with
cold under both your poles, and be scorched to
death under the equator. You have, in your
great prudence, formed immense deserts of
sand, so that all who travel over them may
die with hunger and thirst. I have no fault
to find with your cows, your sheep, your cocks,
and your hens; but can never be reconciled to
your serpents and your spiders. Your onions
and your artichokes are very good things, but
I cannot conceive what induced you to scatter
such a heap of poisonous plants over the face
of the earth, unless it was to poison its
inhabitants. Moreover, if I am not mistaken,
you have created about thirty different kinds
of monkeys, a still greater number of dogs,
and only four or five species of the human
race. It is true, indeed, you have bestowed
on the latter of these animals a faculty by
you called Reason; but, in truth, this same
reason is a very ridiculous thing, and borders
very near upon folly. Besides, you do not
seem to have shown any very great regard to
this two-legged creature, seeing you have
left him with so few means of defense; subjected
him to so many disorders, and provided him
with so few remedies; and formed him with
such a multitude of passions, and so small
a portion of wisdom or prudence to resist
them. You certainly were not willing that
there should remain any great number of
these animals on the earth at once; for,
without reckoning the dangers to which you
have exposed them, you have so ordered
matters that, taking every day through the
year, the small pox will regularly carry
off the tenth part of the species, and
sister maladies will taint the springs of
life in the nine remaining parts; and then,
as if this was not sufficient, you have so
disposed things, that one-half of those who
survive will be occupied in going to law
with each other, or cutting one another's
throats.
"Now, they must be under infinite obligations
to you, and it must be owned you have
executed a masterpiece."
Demogorgon blushed. He was sensible there
was much moral and physical evil in this
affair; but still he insisted there was
more good than ill in it.
"It is an easy matter to find fault, good
folks," said the genii; "but do you imagine
it is so easy to form an animal, who, having
the gift of reason and free-will, shall not
sometimes abuse his liberty? Do you think
that, in rearing between nine and ten thousand
different plants, it is so easy to prevent
some few from having noxious qualities? Do
you suppose that, with a certain quantity
of water, sand, and mud, you could make a
globe that should have neither seas nor
deserts?"
"As for you, my sneering friend, I think
you have just finished the planet Jupiter.
Let us see now what figure you make with
your great belts, and your long nights,
with four moons to enlighten them. Let us
examine your worlds, and see whether the
inhabitants you have made are exempt from
follies or diseases."
Accordingly the genii fell to examining
the planet Jupiter, when the laugh went
strongly against the laugher. The serious
genii who had made the planet Saturn, did
not escape without his share of the censure,
and his brother operators, the makers of
Mars, Mercury, and Venus, had each in his
turn some reproaches to undergo.
Several large volumes, and a great number
of pamphlets, were written on this occasion;
smart sayings and witty repartees flew about
on all sides; they railed against and ridiculed
each other; and, in short, the disputes were
carried on with all the warmth of party heat,
when the eternal Demiurgos thus imposed
silence on them all:
"In your several performances there is both
good and bad, because, you have a great share
of understanding, but at the same time fall
short of perfection. Your works will not
endure above an hundred millions of years,
after which you will acquire more knowledge,
and perform much better. It belongs to me
alone to create things perfect and immortal."
This was the doctrine Plato taught his
disciples. One of them, when he had
finished his harangue, cried out,
"And so you then awoke?"
~~~~~~~ THE END ~~~~~~~
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