It has been well
said that 'he who has never learned to obey cannot be a good
commander.' The two are not the same, but the good citizen ought to be
capable of both; he should know how to govern like a freeman, and
how to obey like a freeman- these are the virtues of a citizen. And,
although the temperance and justice of a ruler are distinct from those
of a subject, the virtue of a good man will include both; for the
virtue of the good man who is free and also a subject, e.g., his
justice, will not be one but will comprise distinct kinds, the one
qualifying him to rule, the other to obey, and differing as the
temperance and courage of men and women differ. For a man would be
thought a coward if he had no more courage than a courageous woman,
and a woman would be thought loquacious if she imposed no more
restraint on her conversation than the good man; and indeed their part
in the management of the household is different, for the duty of the
one is to acquire, and of the other to preserve. Practical wisdom only
is characteristic of the ruler: it would seem that all other virtues
must equally belong to ruler and subject. The virtue of the subject is
certainly not wisdom, but only true opinion; he may be compared to the
maker of the flute, while his master is like the flute-player or
user of the flute.
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