柏拉圖的假設法

Plato’s Use of Hypothetical Method

柏拉圖在《曼諾篇》(Meno)、《費多篇》(Phaedo)、《國家篇》(Republic) 與《巴曼尼德斯篇》(Parmenides) 裡，均提出那「出於假設」(e0c u9poqe/sewj) 的方法（或，可稱為「假設法」）。這些相關的討論乃各自陳落在不同的對話情境與主題當中，且展現與各自脈絡相呼應的旨趣，然而，這些討論是否能有其一致的旨趣則仍在未定之天。因為，柏拉圖在《曼諾篇》裡所提出的假設法乃受到學者們的爭議，認為這裡的假設法因放棄對「定義」的追求而與其它對話錄的假設法不同、甚而無關。而本文的主要努力，乃是要藉由對柏拉圖的假設法進行真確的理解，以釐清學者們的爭議，最終的目標是要指出柏拉圖在各個對話錄裡所提出的假設法實有其一致的旨趣。

The method of ‘from a hypothesis’ (e0c u9poqe/sewj) is introduced by Plato first in the Meno,and then in the Phaedo, Republic and Parmenides. These discussions about this method show different motifs with their respective contexts. Yet the question for these discussions that whether they could have the consistent motif in these dialogues is still undecided. For this method in the Meno is argued by several scholars that owing to this method here forsaking its duty of searching for that ‘which is’, it is totally different from that method mentioned in the other dialogues, and this view would make a deep gap that between the Meno and the other dialogues. But, would this view be the whole truth？This essay would try to solve this question by rethinking the Meno and reconsidering these discussions about this method in these dialogues, and try to show that this method mentioned in these dialogues in fact has its consistent motif among these discussions.