Phaedrus — Plato
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2/6 PLATO THE TEACHER Clearly. ^ And justice was the reality of which this was the semblance, dealing, however, not with the outward man, but with the inward, which is the true self and concernment of a man : for the just man does not permit the several elements within him to meddle with one another, or any of them to do the work of others, but he sets in order his own inner life, and is his own master, and at peace with himself; and when he has bound together the three principles within him, which may be compared to the middle, higher, and lower divisions of the scale, and the intermediate intervals — when he has bound together all these, and is no longer many, but has become one entirely temperate and perfectly adjusted nature, then he will begin to act, if he has to act, whether in a matter of property, or in the treatment of the body, or some affair of politics or private business ; in all which cases he will think and call just and good action that whicli preserves and cooperates with this condition, and the knowledge which presides over this wisdom; I and unjust action, that which at any time destroys this, and *- the opinion which presides over unjust action, igno- ^^^ ranee.
That is the precise truth, Socrates. Very good ; and if we were to say that we had discovered the just man and the just State, and the place of justice in each of them, that would not be a very vain boast ? No, indeed. May we be so bold then as to say this ? Let us be so bold, he replied. And now, I said, injustice has to be considered.
That is evident. (Then, assuming the threefold division of the soul, must not I injustice be a kind of quarrel between these three — a meddlesomeness, and interference, and rising up of a part of the soul against the whole soul, an assertion of unlawful authority, which is made by a rebellious subject against a true prince, of whom he is the natural vassal — that is the sort of thing ; the confusion and error of these parts or elements is injustice and intemperance and cowardice and ignorance, and in general all Ivice ? Exactly so, he said. And if the nature of justice and injustice be known, then the
THE REPUBLIC 2^^ meaning of acting unjustly and being unjust, or, again, of acting justly, will also be perfectly clear ? What do you mean ? he said. Why, I said, they are like disease and health ; being in the soul just what disease and health are in the body. How is that ? he said. Why, I said, that which is healthy causes health> and that which is unhealthy causes disease. Yes.
And just actions cause justice, and unjust actions cause injustice? That is certain. And the creation of health is the creation of a natural order] and government of one another in the parts of the body ; and the creation of disease is the creation of a state of things in; which they are at variance with this natural order ? '^ True. And is not this equally true of the soul ?
Is not the crea-* tion of justice the creation of a natural order and government of one another in the parts of the soul, and the creation of in J justice the opposite ? Exactly, he said. Then virtue is the health and beauty and well-being of the soul, and vice is the disease and weakness and deformity of the soul? True. And good practices lead to virtue, and evil practices to vice? Assuredly.
Still our old question of the comparative advantage of justice ^ and injustice has not been answered : Which is the more profitable, to be just and do justly, and practice virtue, whether seen or unseen of gods and men, or to be unjust ^^^ and do unjustly, if only unpunished and unimproved?^ In my judgment, Socrates, the question has now become ridiculous.
If, when the bodily constitution is gone, life is no longer endurable, though pampered with every sort of meats and drinks, and having all wealth and all power, shall we be told that life is worth having when the very essence of the vital principle is undermined and corrupted, even though a man be allowed to do whatever he pleases, if at the same time he is forbidden to escape from vice and injustice, or atp. 278tain justice and virtue, seeing that we now know the true nature of each ? Yes, I said, that is ridiculous, as you say. Still, as we are near the spot at which we may see the truth with our own eyes, let us not faint by the way. Certainly not, he replied. Come hither then, I said, ascend the hill which overhangs the city, and see the various forms of vice. I am following you, he replied : proceed. I said. We seem to have reached a summit of speculation from which you may look down and see the single form of virtue, and the forms of vice innumerable ; there being four special ones which are deserving of note. What do you mean ? he said. I mean, I replied, that there appear to be as many forms of the soul as there are forms of the State. How many ? There are five of the State, and five of the soul, I said. What are they ? The first, I said, is that which we have been describing, and which may be said to have two names, monarchy and aristoc racy,^^ according as rule is exercised by one or many. True, he replied. But I regard this as one form only ; for whether the government is in the hands of one or many, if the governors have been trained in the manner which we have described, the fundamental laws of the State will not be subverted. That is true, he replied. !• Monarchy : literally, government by one ; according to Plato, by the best one. Aristocracy : literally, government by the best ; so in Plato, the best being the philosophers.
THE REPUBLIC 2/9
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