[1332b]
[1]
for our habits make us alter them: some qualities
in fact are made by nature liable to be modified by the habits in either
direction, for the worse or for the better. Now the other animals live chiefly by nature, though some
in small degrees are guided by habits too; but man lives by reason also, for he
alone of animals possesses reason; so that in him these three things must be in
harmony with one another; for men often act contrary to their acquired habits
and to their nature because of their reason, if they are convinced that some
other course of action is preferable.Now we have
already1 defined the proper
natural character of those who are to be amenable to the hand of the legislator;
what now remains is the task of education, for men learn some things by
practice, others by precept.But since every political community is
composed of rulers and subjects, we must therefore consider whether the rulers
and the subjects ought to change, or to remain the same through life; for it is
clear that their education also will have to be made to correspond with this
distribution of functions. If then it were the case that the one class differed
from the other as widely as we believe the gods and heroes to differ from
mankind, having first a great superiority in regard to the body and then in
regard to
[20]
the soul, so that the
pre-eminence of the rulers was indisputable and manifest to the subjects, it is
clear that it would be better for the same persons always to be rulers and
subjects once for all; but as this
is not easy to secure, and as we do not find anything corresponding to the great
difference that Scylax states to exist between kings and subjects in India, it is clear that for many reasons it is
necessary for all to share alike in ruling and being ruled in turn. For equality
means for persons who are alike identity of status, and also it is
difficult2 for a constitution to endure that is
framed in contravention of justice. For all the people throughout the country
are ranged on the side of the subject class in wishing for a revolution, and it
is a thing inconceivable that those in the government should be sufficiently
numerous to over power all of these together. But yet on the other hand that the rulers ought to be
superior to the subjects cannot be disputed; therefore the lawgiver must
consider how this is to be secured, and how they are to participate in the
government. And this has been already3 discussed. Nature has given the distinction by making the
group that is itself the same in race partly younger and partly older, of which
two sets it is appropriate to the one to be governed and for the other to
govern; and no one chafes or thinks himself better than his rulers when he is
governed on the ground of age, especially as he is going to get back what he has
thus contributed to the common stock when he reaches the proper age. In a sense therefore we must say that the
rulers and ruled are the same, and in a sense different.
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