Animals lead for the most part a life of nature, although
in lesser particulars some are influenced by habit as well. Man has
rational principle, in addition, and man only. Wherefore nature,
habit, rational principle must be in harmony with one another; for
they do not always agree; men do many things against habit and nature,
if rational principle persuades them that they ought. We have
already determined what natures are likely to be most easily molded by
the hands of the legislator. An else is the work of education; we
learn some things by habit and some by instruction.
XIV
Since every political society is composed of rulers and subjects let
us consider whether the relations of one to the other should
interchange or be permanent. For the education of the citizens will
necessarily vary with the answer given to this question. Now, if
some men excelled others in the same degree in which gods and heroes
are supposed to excel mankind in general (having in the first place
a great advantage even in their bodies, and secondly in their
minds), so that the superiority of the governors was undisputed and
patent to their subjects, it would clearly be better that once for
an the one class should rule and the other serve. But since this is
unattainable, and kings have no marked superiority over their
subjects, such as Scylax affirms to be found among the Indians, it
is obviously necessary on many grounds that all the citizens alike
should take their turn of governing and being governed.
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