Timaeus — Plato

The means by zvJiich our State may be realized.

245 action, but simply as a matter of duty ; and when they have R'-pubik vii. brought up in each generation others hke themselves and Socrates, left them in their place to be governors of the State, then Glaucon. they will depart to the Islands of the Blest and dwell there ; and the city will give them public memorials and sacrifices and honour them, if the Pythian oracle consent, as demigods, but if not, as in any case blessed and divine.

You are a sculptor, Socrates, and have made statues of our governors faultless in beauty. Yes, I said, Glaucon, and of our governesses too ; for you must not suppose that what I have been saying appl-^s to men only and not to women as far as their na res can go. There you are right, he said, since we have m.' j them to share in all things like men.

Well, I said, and you would agree (would you not?) that what has been said about the State and the government is not a mere dream, and although difficult not impossible, but only possible in the way which has been supposed ; that is to say, when the true philosopher kings are born in a State, one or more of them, despising the honours of this present world which they deem mean and worthless, esteeming above all things right and the honour that springs from right, and regarding justice as the greatest and most necessary of all things, whose ministers they are, and whose principles will be exalted by them when they set in order their own city?

How will they proceed?

They will begin by sending out into the country all the Praticai inhabitants of the city who are more than ten years old, and '"^^^^''^^ for •' _ •' the speedy will take possession of their children, who will be unaffected foundation of by the habits of their parents ; these they will train in their ^^^ ^'^'^• own habits and laws, I mean in the laws which we have given them : and in this way the State and constitution of which we were speaking will soonest and most easily attain happiness, and the nation which has such a constitution will gain most.

Yes, that will be the best way. And I think, Socrates, that you have very well described how, if ever, such a constitution might come into being.

246 The end. Republic VII. Enough then of the perfect State, and of the man who Socrates, bears its image — there is no difficulty in seeing how we shall Glaucon. describe him. There is no difficulty, he replied ; and I agree with you in thinking that nothing more need be said.

BOOK VIII.

steph. And so, Glaucon, we have arrived at the conclusion that in ReprtbUc

I'lii.

Recapitulation of Book v.

543 the perfect State wives and children are to be in common ; and that all education and the pursuits of war and peace are Sockates, ^ ^ Glaucon. also to be common, and the best philosophers and the bravest warriors are to be their kings? That, replied Glaucon, has been acknowledged. Yes, I said ; and we have further acknowledged that the governors, when appointed themselves, will take their soldiers and place them in houses such as we were describing, which are common to all, and contain nothing private, or individual ; and about their property, you remember what we agreed? Yes, I remember that no one was to have any of the ordinary possessions of mankind ; they were to be warrior athletes and guardians, receiving from the other citizens, in heu of annual payment, only their maintenance, and they were to take care of themselves and of the whole State. True, I said ; and now that this division of our task is concluded, let us find the point at which we digressed, that we may return into the old path. There is no difficulty in returning ; you implied, then as Return to the now, that you had finished the description of the State : you ^""^ °^ ^"""^ said that such a State was good, and that the man was good who answered to it, although, as now appears, you had more 544 excellent things to relate both of State and man. And you said further, that if this was the true form, then the others were false ; and of the false forms, you said, as I remember, that there were four principal ones, and that their defects, and the defects of the individuals corresponding to them, were worth examining. When we had seen all the individuals, and finally agreed as to who was the best and who was the worst

IV.

p. 248

The four forms of government,

Republic VIII. Socrates, Glaucon.