CHAPTER XXX.

POLITIKUS.

The Politikus by itself, apart from the Sophistês 260

Views of Plato on mensuration. Objects measured against each other. Objects compared with a common standard. In each Art, the purpose to be attained is the standard _ib._

Purpose in the Sophistês and Politikus is--To attain dialectic aptitude. This is the standard of comparison whereby to judge whether the means employed are suitable 261

Plato's defence of the Politikus against critics. Necessity that the critic shall declare explicitly what his standard of comparison is 262

Comparison of Politikus with Protagoras, Phædon, Philêbus, &c. _ib._

Definition of the statesman, or Governor. Scientific competence. Sokratic point of departure. Procedure of Plato in subdividing 263

King during the Saturnian period, was of a breed superior to the people--not so any longer 264

Distinction of causes Principal and Causes Auxiliary. The King is the only Principal Cause, but his auxiliaries pretend to be principal also 266

Plato does not admit the received classification of government. It does not touch the point upon which all true distinction ought to be founded--Scientific or Unscientific 267

Unscientific governments are counterfeits. Government by any numerous body must be counterfeit. Government by the one scientific man is the true government 268

Fixed laws, limiting the scientific Governor, are mischievous, as they would be for the physician and the steersman. Absurdity of determining medical practice by laws, and presuming every one to know it 269

Government by fixed laws is better than lawless government by unscientific men, but worse than lawless government by scientific men. It is a second-best _ib._

Comparison of unscientific governments. The one despot is the worse. Democracy is the least bad, because it is least of a government 270

The true governor distinguished from the General, the Rhetor, &c. They are all properly his subordinates and auxiliaries 271

What the scientific Governor will do. He will aim at the formation of virtuous citizens. He will weave together the energetic virtues with the gentle virtues. Natural dissidence between them 272

If a man sins by excess of the energetic element, he is to be killed or banished: if of the gentle, he is to be made a slave. The Governor must keep up in the minds of the citizens an unanimous standard of ethical orthodoxy 272

Remarks--Sokratic Ideal--Title to govern mankind derived exclusively from scientific superiority in an individual person 273

Different ways in which this ideal is worked out by Plato and Xenophon. The man of speculation and the man of action _ib._

The theory in the Politikus is the contradiction to that theory which is assigned to Protagoras in the Protagoras 274

Points of the Protagorean theory--rests upon common sentiment 275

Counter-Theory in the Politikus. The exigencies of the Eleate in the Politikus go much farther than those of Protagoras 276

The Eleate complains that under the Protagorean theory no adverse criticism is allowed. The dissenter is either condemned to silence or punished _ib._

Intolerance at Athens, not so great as elsewhere. Plato complains of the assumption of infallibility in existing societies, but exacts it severely in that which he himself constructs 277

Theory of the Politikus--distinguished three gradations of polity. Gigantic individual force the worst 278

Comparison of the Politikus with the Republic. Points of analogy and difference 279

Comparison of the Politikus with the Kratylus. Dictatorial, constructive, science or art, common to both: applied in the former to social administration--in the latter to the formation and modification of names 281

Courage and Temperance are assumed in the Politikus. No notice taken of the doubts and difficulties raised in Lachês and Charmidês 282

Purpose of the difficulties in Plato's Dialogues of Search--To stimulate the intellect of the hearer. His exposition does not give solutions 284