Phaedrus — Plato

p. 306Nothing more of that, he replied ; but I should like to know which of the existing governments you deem suitable to philosophy.

Not any of them, I said ; and that is the very accusation which I bring against them : not one of them is worthy of the philosophic nature : and hence that nature is warped and alienated from them ; as the exotic seed which is sown in a foreign land becomes denaturalized, and assimilates to the character of the soil, which gets the better, even so this growth of philosophy, instead of persisting, receives another character.

But if philosophy ever finds that perfection in the State which she herself is, then will be seen that she is in truth divine, and that all other things, whether natures of men or institutions, are but human ; and now, I know, that you are going to ask what that State is. No, he said ; there you are wrong, for I was going to ask another question — whether this is the State of which we are the founders and inventors, or another ?

Yes, I replied, ours in most respects ; but you may remember our saying before that some living authority would always be required in the State, whose idea of the constitution would be the same which guided you originally when laying down the laws. That was said, he replied.

Yes, but imperfectly said ; you frightened us with objections, which certainly showed that the discussion would be long and difficult; and even what remains is the reverse of easy. What is that ?

The question how the study of philosophy may be so ordered as to be consistent with the preservation of the State ; for all great things are attended with risk; as the saying is, ** Hard is the good.*' Still, he said, let us clear that point up, and the inquiry will then be complete.

I shall not be hindered, I said, by any want of will, but, if at all, by a want of power : of my zeal you shall have ocular demonstration ; and please to remark how bold I am just now in venturing to assert that a State ought not to have philosophy studied after the present fashion. How do you mean ?

p. 307At present, I said, even those who study philosophy in early youth, and in the intervals of money-making and housekeeping, do but make an approach to the most difficult branch « of the study, and then take themselves off (I am speak- ^ ing of those who have the most training, and by the most difficult branch I mean dialectic) ; and in after life they perhaps go to a discussion which is held by others, and to which they are invited, and this they deem a great matter, as the study of philosophy is not regarded by them as their proper business : then, as years advance, in most cases their light is quenched more truly than Heracleitus* sun, for they never rise again. *^ But what ought to be their course ?

Just the opposite.

In childhood and youth their study, and what philosophy they learn, should be suited to their tender \ age : let them take care of their bodies during the period of ' growth, and thus philosophy will have her instruments ready; as the man advances to mature intelligence, increasing the gymnastics of the soul ; but when their strength fails, and is past civil and military duties, then let them range at will and have no other serious employment, as we intend them to live happily here, and, this life ended, to have a similar happy destiny in another.

How truly in earnest you are, Socrates 1 he said ; I am sure of that ; and yet I believe that most of your hearers are likely to be still more in earnest in their opposition to you, and will never be converted ; Thrasymachus least of all.

Don't raise a quarrel, I said, between Thrasymachus and me, who have just become friends, although, indeed, we were never enemies; for I shall go on using every effort until I either convert him and other men, or do something which avails against the day when they live again, and hold the like discourse in another existence. That will be a long time hence. Say rather, I replied, a time which is not to be reckoned in comparison with eternity.

That the world will not believe my words is quite natural ; for they never saw that of which we are now speaking realized ; what they saw was a conven- ** Heracleitns (hir'a-kli'tus): a great philosopher, living in Ephesus in Asia Minor about 500 B.C. Heracleitus said the sun was extinguished every evening and new every morning.

p. 308tional imitation of philosophy, which consisted of words artificially brought together, not like these agreeing of their own accord ; but a human being who in word and work is perfectly moulded, as far as he can be, into the proportion and likeness of virtue, such an one ruling in a city which bears the same image they have never yet seen, in the case of one any more than of many — do you think they ever did? No, indeed.

No, my friend, nor have they often heard the words of beauty and freedom; such words as those which men use when they are earnestly and in every way seeking after truth, for the sake of knowledge, while they look coldly on the subtleties of controversy, the end of which is opinion and strife, whether they meet with them in the courts of law or in society. They are strangers, he said, to the words of which you speak.

And this was what we foresaw, and this was the reason why truth forced us to admit that there is no chance of perfection, either in cities or governments or individuals, until a necessity was laid upon the second small class of philosophers (not the rogues, but those whom we termed useless), of taking care of the State and obeying the call of the State ; or until kings themselves, or the sons of kings or potentates, were inspired with a true love of philosophy.

Now I maintain that there is no reason in saying that either of these alternatives, or both of them, is impossible ; if they were, we might indeed be justly ridiculed as dreamers and visionaries. Am I not right ? Quite right.

If then, in the countless ages of the past, or at the present hour in some foreign clime which is far away and beyond our ken, the perfected philosopher is or has been or shall be hereafter compelled by a superior power to have the charge of the State, we are ready to assert to the death, that this our constitution has been, is, yea, and will be at any time, when the Muse of Philosophy is queen.

Neither is there any impossibiHty in this ; the difficulty is not denied by us. I agree with you, he said. But you will say that mankind in general are not agreed ? That is what I should say, he replied.