On the other hand, the government
of a wife and children and of a household, which we have called
household management, is exercised in the first instance for the
good of the governed or for the common good of both parties, but
essentially for the good of the governed, as we see to be the case
in medicine, gymnastic, and the arts in general, which are only
accidentally concerned with the good of the artists themselves. For
there is no reason why the trainer may not sometimes practice
gymnastics, and the helmsman is always one of the crew. The trainer or
the helmsman considers the good of those committed to his care. But,
when he is one of the persons taken care of, he accidentally
participates in the advantage, for the helmsman is also a sailor,
and the trainer becomes one of those in training. And so in
politics: when the state is framed upon the principle of equality
and likeness, the citizens think that they ought to hold office by
turns. Formerly, as is natural, every one would take his turn of
service; and then again, somebody else would look after his
interest, just as he, while in office, had looked after theirs. But
nowadays, for the sake of the advantage which is to be gained from the
public revenues and from office, men want to be always in office.
One might imagine that the rulers, being sickly, were only kept in
health while they continued in office; in that case we may be sure
that they would be hunting after places.
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