Phaedrus — Plato

p. 356One which is about as good, and has the advantage of compelling the citizens to look to their characters : Let there be an ordinance that every one shall enter into voluntary contracts at his own risk, and there will be less of this scandalous money-making, and the evils of which we were speaking will be greatly lessened in the State. Yes, they will be greatly lessened.

At present the governors, induced by the motives which I have named, treat their subjects badly ; while they and their adherents, especially the young men of the governing class, lead a life of luxury and idleness both of body and mind ; they do nothing, and are incapable of holding out against pleasure and pain. Very true. They care only for making money, and are as indifferent as the pauper to the cultivation of virtue. Yes, quite indifferent.

Now in this state of things the rulers and their subjects come in one another's way, whether on a journey or some other occasion of meeting, or on a pilgrimage or march as fellow-soldiers or fellow-sailors ; they observe each other in the moment of danger (and where danger is there is no fear that the poor will be despised by the rich), and very likely the wiry, sunburnt poor man may be placed in battle at the side of a wealthy one who has never spoilt his complexion, and has plenty of superfluous flesh — when he sees such an one puffing and at his wits' -end, can he avoid drawing the conclusion that men of this sort are only rich because no one has the courage to despoil them ?

And when they meet in private will they not be saying to one another that our ** warriors are nothing worth ? ** Yes, he said, I am quite aware that this is their way of talking.

And, as where a body is weak the addition of a touch from without may bring on illness, and sometimes even when there is no external provocation a commotion rnay arise within, in the same way where there is weakness in the State there is also hkely to be illness, the occasion of which may be very slight, one party introducing their democratical, the other tiheir *^^ oligarchical allies, and the State may fsdl sick, and be at war with herself and in a state of distraction, even when there is no external cause.

p. 357Yes, surely. And then democracy comes into being after the poor have conquered their opponents, slaughtering some and banishing some, while to the remainder they give an equal share of freedom and power ; and this is the form of government in which the magistrates are commonly elected by lot.^^ Yes, he said, that is the nature of democracy, whether established by arms or by fear, and the withdrawal of the opposite party.

And now what is their manner of life, and what sort of a government is this ? For as the government is, such will be the man. Clearly, he said. In the first place, are they not free ? and the city is full of freedom and frankness — there a man may do as he likes. Yes, that is often said, he replied. And where this freedom is, there ev^y man is clearly able to order his life as he pleases? Clearly.

Then in this kind of State there will be the greatest variety of human natures ? There will. This, then, is likely to be the fairest of States, and may be compared to an embroidered robe which is spangled with flowers ; and being in like manner spangled with thef manners and characters of mankind will appear to be the fairest of them all.

And just as women and children think variety charming, so there are many men who will deem this the fairest of States. Yes. Yes, I said, my noble sir, and a good place in which to go and look for a government. Why?

Because of the liberty which reigns there: they have a complete assortment of constitutions ; and if a man has a mind to establish a State, as we are doing, he must go to a democracy as he would go to a bazaar, where they sell them, and pick out one that suits him ; then, when he has made his choice, he may lay the foundation of his State. He will be sure, he said, to have patterns enough. >* In Athens at that time many offices were assigned by lot

p. 358And there being no necessity, I said, for you to govern in this State, even if you have the capacity, or to be governed unless you like, or to go to war when the others go to war, or to be at peace when others are at peace, unless you are disposed— ^there being no necessity also because some law forbids you to hold office or be a dicast,^^ that you should not hold g office or be a dicast, if you have a mind yourself — is not ** that a way of life which for the moment is supremely delightful ?

Yes, for the moment, that is true. And is not the calmness of those against whom sentence has been given often quite charming? Under a government of this sort there are men who, when they have been condemned to death or exile, stay where they are and walk about the world ; the gentleman parades like a hero, as though nobody saw or cared. Yes, he replied, I have often remarked that.

Yes, I said ; and the forgiving spirit of democracy, and the *' don't care** about trifles, and the disregard which she shows of all the fine principles which we were solemnly affirming at the foundation of the city — as when we said that, except in the case of some rare natures, never will there be a good man who from his early youth has not made things of beauty an amusement and also a study — how grandly does she trample all that under foot, never giving a thought to the pursuits which make a statesman, and is satisfied to honor a man who says that he is the people's friend.

Yes, he said, that is glorious. These and other kindred characteristics are proper to democracy, which is a charming form of government, full of variety and diversity, and dispensing equality to equals and unequals alike. That, he said, is sufficiently well-known. Consider now, I said, what manner of man the individual is, or rather consider, as in the case of the State, how he is created. Very good, he said.

Is not this the way, — ^he is the son of the miserly and oligarchical father who has trained him in his own habits ? Exactly. >* An Athenian judicial officer corresponding somewhat to our juryman.