Latest / The Philosophy Insights Collection / 23 - The Republic - Plato

Transcript

23 - The Republic - Plato · The Philosophy Insights Collection

0:00
Book six, Part three. But I should like to know which of the
0:05
governments now existing is, in your opinion, the one adapted to her.
0:11
Not any of them, I said, And that is precisely the accusation which
0:15
I bring against them. Not one of them is worthy of the philosophic nature.
0:20
And hence that nature is warped and estranged, as the exotic seed which
0:26
is sown in a foreign land becomes denaturalized and is wont to be overpowered and
0:31
to lose itself in the new soil. Even so, this growth of philosophy,
0:36
instead of persisting, degenerates and receives another character. But if philosophy ever
0:43
finds in the state that perfection which she herself is, then will be seen
0:49
that she is, in truth divine, and that all other things, whether
0:53
natures of men or institutions, are but human. And now I know that
1:00
you are going to ask what that state is. No, he said,
1:04
there you are wrong, for I was going to ask another question, whether
1:08
it is the state of which we are the founders and inventors, or some
1:12
other Yes, I replied ours in most respects. But you may remember my
1:19
saying before that some living authority would always be required in the state having the
1:26
same idea of the constitution which guided you when as legislator you were laying down
1:30
the laws. That was said, he replied, yes, but not in
1:37
a satisfactory manner. You frightened us by interposing objections, which certainly showed that
1:42
the discussion would be long and difficult. And what still remains is the reverse
1:47
of easy. What is their remaining the question? How the study of philosophy
1:53
may be so ordered as not to be the ruin of the state. All
1:59
great attempts are attended with risk. Hard is the good? As men say?
2:05
Still, he said, Let the point be cleared up, and the
2:07
inquiry will then be complete. I shall not be hindered, I said,
2:13
by any want of will, but if at all by a want of power
2:17
my zeal, you may see for yourselves, and please to remark in what
2:23
I am about to say, how boldly and unhesitatingly I declare that states should
2:28
pursue philosophy, not as they do now, but in a different spirit,
2:34
in what manner at present? I said? The students of philosophy are quite
2:40
young, beginning when they are hardly past childhood. They devote only the time
2:46
saved from money making and housekeeping to such pursuits, and even those of them
2:51
who are reputed to have most of the philosophic spirit, when they come within
2:54
sight of the great difficulty of the subject I mean dialectic, take themselves off
3:02
in after life. When invited by someone else, they may perhaps go and
3:07
hear a lecture, And about this they make much ado, for philosophy is
3:12
not considered by them to be their proper business. At last, when they
3:15
grow old, in most cases they are extinguished, more truly than Heraclitus's son,
3:23
inasmuch as they never light up again. Heraclitus said that the sun was
3:29
extinguished every evening and relighted every morning. But what ought to be their course
3:37
just the opposite? In childhood and youth, their study and what philosophy they
3:43
learn, should be suited to their tender years. During this period, while
3:47
they are growing up towards manhood, the chief and special care should be given
3:53
to their bodies, that they may have them to use in the service of
3:57
philosophy. As life advances and the intellect begins to mature, let them increase
4:01
the gymnastics of the soul. But when the strength of our citizens fails and
4:08
is past, civil and military duties. Then let them range at will and
4:12
engage in no serious labor, as we intend them to live happily here and
4:16
to crown this life with a similar happiness in another. How truly in earnest
4:23
you are, Socrates, he said, I'm sure of that, And yet
4:28
most of your hearers, if I'm not mistaken, I like you to be
4:30
still more earnest in their opposition to you, and will never be convinced.
4:34
Thrasymachus. Least of all, do not make a quarrel, I said between
4:41
Thrasimachus and me, who have recently become friends, although indeed we were never
4:46
enemies. For I shall go on striving to the utmost until I either convert
4:51
him and other men, or do something which may profit them against the day
4:56
when they live again, and hold the like discourse in another a state of
5:00
existence. You are speaking of a time which is not very near. Rather,
5:05
I replied, of a time which is as nothing in comparison with eternity.
5:13
Nevertheless, I do not wonder that the many refuse to believe, for
5:16
they have never seen that of which we are now speaking realized. They have
5:20
seen only a conventional imitation of philosophy, consisting of words artificially brought together,
5:28
not like these of ours, having a natural unity, but a human being
5:32
who, in word and work is perfectly molded, as far as he can
5:36
be, into the proportion and likeness of virtue. Such a man ruling in
5:43
a city which bears the same image. They have never yet seen, neither
5:46
one nor many of them. Do you think that they ever did? No?
5:51
Indeed, no, my friend, And they have seldom, if ever
5:56
heard free and noble sentiments such as men utter when they are earnestly and by
6:01
every means in their power, seeking after truth for the sake of knowledge,
6:05
while they look coldly on the subtleties of controversy, of which the end is
6:11
opinion and strife. Whether they meet with them in the courts of law or
6:15
in society, they are strangers. He said, to the words of which
6:20
you speak. And this was what we foresaw, And this was the reason
6:26
why truth forced us to admit, not without fear and hesitation, that neither
6:30
cities, nor states, nor individuals will ever attain perfection until the small class
6:38
of philosophers, whom we termed useless but not corrupt, are providentially compelled,
6:45
whether they will or not to take care of the state, and until a
6:48
like necessity be laid on the state to obey them, or until kings,
6:55
or if not kings, the sons of kings or princes are divinely inspired with
7:00
the true love of true philosophy. That either or both of these alternatives are
7:06
impossible. I see no reason to affirm. If they were so, we
7:12
might indeed be justly ridiculed as dreamers and visionaries. Am I not right?
7:18
Quite right? If then, in the countless ages of the past, or
7:24
at the present hour, in some foreign clime which is far away and beyond
7:28
our ken the perfected philosopher is, or has been, or hereafter shall be
7:33
compelled by a superior power to have charge of the state. We are ready
7:39
to assert to the death that this our constitution has been, and is yea,
7:45
and will be whenever the muse of philosophy is queen. There is no
7:49
impossibility in all this that there is a difficulty. We acknowledge ourselves. My
7:57
opinion agrees with yours, he said, But do you mean to say that
8:01
this is not the opinion of the multitude. I should imagine not, he
8:07
replied, Oh, my friend, I said, do not attack the multitude.
8:13
They will change their minds, if not in an aggressive spirit, but
8:18
gently, and with the view of soothing them and removing their dislike of over
8:22
education. You show them your philosophers as they really are, and describe,
8:28
as you are just now doing, their character and profession. And then mankind
8:33
will see that he of whom you are speaking is not such as they supposed.
8:39
If they view him in this new light, they will surely change their
8:43
notion of him. And answer in another strain, who can be at enmity
8:48
with one who loves them, who that is himself gentle and free from envy,
8:54
will be jealous of one in whom there is no jealousy. Nay,
8:58
let me answer for you that in a few this harsh temper may be found,
9:03
but not in the majority of mankind. I quite agree with you,
9:09
he said, And do you not also think as I do, that the
9:13
harsh feeling which the many entertain towards philosophy originates in the pretenders who rush in
9:20
uninvited and are always abusing them and finding fault with them, who make persons
9:26
instead of things the theme of their conversation. And nothing can be more unbecoming
9:31
in philosophers than this. It is most unbecoming. For he Adeimantus, whose
9:39
mind is fixed upon true being, has surely no time to look down upon
9:43
the affairs of earth, or to be filled with malice and envy contending against
9:48
other men. His eye is ever directed towards things fixed and immutable, which
9:54
he sees, neither injuring nor injured by one another, but all in order,
10:01
moving according to reason, These he imitates, and to these he will,
10:05
as far as he can conform himself. Can a man help imitating that
10:11
with which he holds reverential converse? Impossible? And the philosopher, holding converse
10:18
with the divine order, becomes orderly and divine as far as the nature of
10:24
man allows. But like everyone else, he will suffer from detraction, of
10:28
course, And if a necessity be laid upon him of fashioning not only himself,
10:35
but human nature generally, whether in states or individuals, into that which
10:41
he beholds elsewhere, will he think you be an unskillful artificer of justice,
10:48
temperance, and every civil virtue anything but unskillful. And if the world perceives
10:56
that what we are saying about him is the truth, will they be angry
11:00
with philosophy? Will they disbelieve us when we tell them that no state can
11:05
be happy which is not designed by artists who imitate the heavenly pattern. They
11:11
will not be angry if they understand, he said, But how will they
11:15
draw out the plan of which you are speaking. They will begin by taking
11:20
the state and the manners of men, from which, as from a tablet,
11:24
they will rub out the picture and leave a clean surface. This is
11:28
no easy task, but whether easy or not, herein will lie the difference
11:35
between them and every other legislator. They will have nothing to do either with
11:39
individual or state, and will inscribe no laws until they have either found or
11:46
themselves made a clean surface. They will be very right, he said.
11:52
Having effected this, they will proceed to trace an outline of the Constitution,
11:58
no doubt. And when they are filling in the work, as I conceive,
12:03
they will often turn their eyes upwards and downwards. I mean that they
12:07
will first look at absolute justice, and beauty and temperance, and again at
12:13
the human copy, and will mingle and temper the various elements of life into
12:20
the image of a man. And this they will conceive according to that other
12:24
image, which, when existing among men, Homer calls the form and likeness
12:30
of God. Very true, he said, And one feature they will raise,
12:37
and another they will put in, until they have made the ways of
12:41
men as far as possible, agreeable to the ways of God. Indeed,
12:46
he said, in no other way could they make a fairer picture. And
12:52
now I said, we are beginning to persuade those whom you described as rushing
12:56
at us with might and main, that the painter of constitutions is such an
13:01
one as we are praising, at whom they were so very indignant, because
13:05
to his hands we committed the state. And are they growing a little calmer
13:11
at what they have just heard? Much calmer? If there is any sense
13:16
in them? Why where can they still find any ground for objection? Will
13:22
they doubt that the philosopher is a lover of truth and being they would not
13:26
be so unreasonable, Or that his nature, being such as we have delineated,
13:33
is akin to the highest good. Neither can they doubt this? But
13:37
again will they tell us that such a nature, placed under favorable circumstances will
13:43
not be perfectly good and wise if any ever was, Or will they prefer
13:50
those whom we have rejected? Surely not? Then will they still be angry
13:56
at our saying that until philosophers bear rule, states and individuals will have no
14:01
rest from evil, nor will this our imaginary state ever be realized. I
14:07
think that they will be less angry. Shall we assume that they are not
14:13
only less angry, but quite gentle, and that they have been converted?
14:18
And for very shame, if for no other reason cannot refuse to come to
14:22
terms by all means, he said, then let us suppose that the reconciliation
14:30
has been effected. Will anyone deny the other point? That there may be
14:35
sons of kings or princes who are by nature philosophers? Surely no man,
14:39
he said, And when they have come into being, will anyone say that
14:45
they must of necessity be destroyed? That they can hardly be saved is not
14:50
denied even by us, but that in the whole course of ages no single
14:54
one of them can escape. Who will venture to affirm this? Who?
15:00
Indeed? But said I one is enough. Let there be one man who
15:05
has a city obedient to his will, and he might bring into existence the
15:09
ideal polity about which the world is so incredulous. Yes, one is enough.
15:16
The ruler may impose the laws and institutions which we have been describing,
15:22
and the citizens may possibly be willing to obey them, certainly, and that
15:28
others should approve of what we approve is no miracle or impossibility, I think
15:33
not. But we have sufficiently shown in what has preceded that all this,
15:39
if only possible, is assuredly for the best we have. And now we
15:48
say not only that our laws, if they could be enacted, would be
15:52
for the best, but also that the enactment of them, though difficult,
15:56
is not impossible, very good. And so, with pain and toil,
16:03
we have reached the end of one subject. But more remains to be discussed.
16:08
How and by what studies and pursuits will the saviors of the Constitution be
16:12
created? And at what ages are they to apply themselves to their several studies.
16:18
Certainly I omitted the troublesome business of the possession of women and the procreation
16:25
of children, and the appointment of the rulers, because I knew that the
16:29
perfect state would be eyed with jealousy and was difficult of attainment. But that
16:36
piece of cleverness was not of much service to me, for I had to
16:38
discuss them all the same. The women and children are now disposed of.
16:45
But the other question of the rulers must be investigated. From the very beginning,
16:49
we were saying, as you will remember, that they were to be
16:52
lovers of their country, tried by the test of pleasures and pains, and
16:57
neither in hardships, nor in dangers, nor at any other critical moment,
17:03
were to lose their patriotism. He was to be rejected who failed, But
17:07
he who always came forth pure like gold tried in the refiner's fire, was
17:14
to be made a ruler, and to receive honors and rewards in life and
17:18
after death. This was the sort of thing which was being said. And
17:22
then the argument turned aside and veiled her face, not liking to stir the
17:27
question which has now arisen. I perfectly remember, he said, Yes,
17:33
my friend, I said, and then I shrank from hazarding the bold word.
17:40
But now let me dare to say that the perfect guardian must be a
17:45
philosopher. Yes, he said, Let that be affirmed. And do not
17:51
suppose that there will be many of them. For the gifts which were deemed
17:55
by us to be essential rarely grow together. They are mostly in shreds and
18:00
patches. What do you mean, he said, you are aware, I
18:06
replied that quick intelligence, memory, sagacity, cleverness, and similar qualities do
18:11
not often grow together, and that persons who possessed them, and are at
18:17
the same time high spirited and magnanimous, are not so constituted by nature as
18:22
to live orderly and in a peaceful and settled manner. They are driven anyway
18:27
by their impulses, and all solid principle goes out of them. Very true,
18:33
he said. On the other hand, those steadfast natures, which can
18:37
better be depended upon, which in a battle are impregnable to fear and immovable,
18:44
are equally immovable when there is anything to be learned. They are always
18:48
in a torpid state, and are apt to yawn and go to sleep over
18:52
any intellectual toil. Quite true. And yet we were saying that both qualities
18:59
were necessary in those to whom the higher education is to be imparted, and
19:03
who are to share in any office or command. Certainly, he said,
19:08
And will they be a class which is rarely found? Yes? Indeed,
19:15
then the aspirant must not only be tested in those labors and dangers and pleasures
19:19
which we mentioned before. But there is another kind of probation which we did
19:23
not mention. He must be exercised also in many kinds of knowledge, to
19:30
see whether the soul will be able to endure the highest of all or will
19:33
feint under them, as in any other studies and exercises. Yes, he
19:38
said, you are quite right in testing him. But what do you mean
19:42
by the highest of all knowledge? You may remember I said that we divided
19:48
the soul into three parts and distinguished the several natures of justice, temperance,
19:53
courage, and wisdom. Indeed, he said, if I had forgotten,
19:59
I should not deserve to hear. And do you remember the word of caution
20:03
which preceded the discussion of them? To what do you refer? We were
20:08
saying, if I am not mistaken, that he who wanted to see them
20:12
in their perfect beauty must take a longer and more securitous way at the end
20:18
of which they would appear, but that we could add on a popular exposition
20:22
of them on a level with the discussion which had preceded. And you replied
20:27
that such an exposition would be enough for you. And so the inquiry was
20:32
continued in what to me seemed to be a very inaccurate manner. Whether you
20:36
were satisfied or not it is for you to say. Yes, he said,
20:41
I thought, and the others thought, that you gave us a fair
20:44
measure of truth. But my friend, I said, a measure of such
20:48
things which in any degree falls short of the whole truth is not fair measure.
20:55
For nothing imperfect is the measure of anything. Although persons are too apt
21:00
to be contented and think that they need search, no further, not an
21:04
uncommon case when people are indolent, yes, I said, And there cannot
21:10
be any worse fault in a guardian of the state and of the laws.
21:15
True. The guardian, then, I said, must be required to take
21:19
the longer circuit, and toil at learning as well as at gymnastics, or
21:25
he will never reach the highest knowledge of all, which, as we were
21:29
just now saying, is his proper calling. End of Book six, Part three,