wordgrammer/The_Entire_Western_Canon · Datasets at Hugging Face

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YOUNG SOCRATES: Quite true.

STRANGER: They act on no true principle at all; they seek their ease and
receive with open arms those who are like themselves, and hate those who
are unlike them, being too much influenced by feelings of dislike.

YOUNG SOCRATES: How so?

STRANGER: The quiet orderly class seek for natures like their own, and
as far as they can they marry and give in marriage exclusively in this
class, and the courageous do the same; they seek natures like their own,
whereas they should both do precisely the opposite.

YOUNG SOCRATES: How and why is that?

STRANGER: Because courage, when untempered by the gentler nature during
many generations, may at first bloom and strengthen, but at last bursts
forth into downright madness.

YOUNG SOCRATES: Like enough.

STRANGER: And then, again, the soul which is over-full of modesty and
has no element of courage in many successive generations, is apt to grow
too indolent, and at last to become utterly paralyzed and useless.

YOUNG SOCRATES: That, again, is quite likely.

STRANGER: It was of these bonds I said that there would be no difficulty
in creating them, if only both classes originally held the same opinion
about the honourable and good;--indeed, in this single work, the whole
process of royal weaving is comprised--never to allow temperate natures
to be separated from the brave, but to weave them together, like the
warp and the woof, by common sentiments and honours and reputation, and
by the giving of pledges to one another; and out of them forming one
smooth and even web, to entrust to them the offices of State.

YOUNG SOCRATES: How do you mean?

STRANGER: Where one officer only is needed, you must choose a ruler who
has both these qualities--when many, you must mingle some of each, for
the temperate ruler is very careful and just and safe, but is wanting in
thoroughness and go.

YOUNG SOCRATES: Certainly, that is very true.

STRANGER: The character of the courageous, on the other hand, falls
short of the former in justice and caution, but has the power of action
in a remarkable degree, and where either of these two qualities is
wanting, there cities cannot altogether prosper either in their public
or private life.

YOUNG SOCRATES: Certainly they cannot.

STRANGER: This then we declare to be the completion of the web of
political action, which is created by a direct intertexture of the brave
and temperate natures, whenever the royal science has drawn the two
minds into communion with one another by unanimity and friendship, and
having perfected the noblest and best of all the webs which political
life admits, and enfolding therein all other inhabitants of cities,
whether slaves or freemen, binds them in one fabric and governs and
presides over them, and, in so far as to be happy is vouchsafed to a
city, in no particular fails to secure their happiness.

YOUNG SOCRATES: Your picture, Stranger, of the king and statesman, no
less than of the Sophist, is quite perfect.End of Statesman, by Plato

END OF STATESMAN

YOUNG SOCRATES: Quite true.

STRANGER: They act on no true principle at all; they seek their ease and

receive with open arms those who are like themselves, and hate those who

are unlike them, being too much influenced by feelings of dislike.

YOUNG SOCRATES: How so?

STRANGER: The quiet orderly class seek for natures like their own, and

as far as they can they marry and give in marriage exclusively in this

class, and the courageous do the same; they seek natures like their own,

whereas they should both do precisely the opposite.

YOUNG SOCRATES: How and why is that?

STRANGER: Because courage, when untempered by the gentler nature during

many generations, may at first bloom and strengthen, but at last bursts

forth into downright madness.

YOUNG SOCRATES: Like enough.

STRANGER: And then, again, the soul which is over-full of modesty and

has no element of courage in many successive generations, is apt to grow

too indolent, and at last to become utterly paralyzed and useless.

YOUNG SOCRATES: That, again, is quite likely.

STRANGER: It was of these bonds I said that there would be no difficulty

in creating them, if only both classes originally held the same opinion

about the honourable and good;--indeed, in this single work, the whole

process of royal weaving is comprised--never to allow temperate natures

to be separated from the brave, but to weave them together, like the

warp and the woof, by common sentiments and honours and reputation, and

by the giving of pledges to one another; and out of them forming one

smooth and even web, to entrust to them the offices of State.

YOUNG SOCRATES: How do you mean?

STRANGER: Where one officer only is needed, you must choose a ruler who

has both these qualities--when many, you must mingle some of each, for

the temperate ruler is very careful and just and safe, but is wanting in

thoroughness and go.

YOUNG SOCRATES: Certainly, that is very true.

STRANGER: The character of the courageous, on the other hand, falls

short of the former in justice and caution, but has the power of action

in a remarkable degree, and where either of these two qualities is

wanting, there cities cannot altogether prosper either in their public

or private life.

YOUNG SOCRATES: Certainly they cannot.

STRANGER: This then we declare to be the completion of the web of

political action, which is created by a direct intertexture of the brave

and temperate natures, whenever the royal science has drawn the two

minds into communion with one another by unanimity and friendship, and

having perfected the noblest and best of all the webs which political

life admits, and enfolding therein all other inhabitants of cities,

whether slaves or freemen, binds them in one fabric and governs and

presides over them, and, in so far as to be happy is vouchsafed to a

city, in no particular fails to secure their happiness.

YOUNG SOCRATES: Your picture, Stranger, of the king and statesman, no

less than of the Sophist, is quite perfect.End of Statesman, by Plato

END OF STATESMAN