CHAPTER XXXVII.

REPUBLIC--REMARKS ON THE PLATONIC COMMONWEALTH.

Double purpose of the Platonic Republic--ethical and political 133

Plato recognises the generating principle of human society--reciprocity of need and service. Particular direction which he gives to this principle 133

The four cardinal virtues are assumed as constituting the whole of Good or Virtue, where each of these virtues resides 134

First mention of these, as an exhaustive classification, in ethical theory. Plato effaces the distinction between Temperance and Justice 135

All the four are here assumed as certain and determinate, though in former dialogues they appear indeterminate and full of unsolved difficulties 137

Difficulties left unsolved, but overleaped by Plato 138

Ethical and political theory combined by Plato, treated apart by Aristotle _ib._

Platonic Commonwealth--only an outline--partially filled up 139

Absolute rule of a few philosophers--Careful and peculiar training of the Guardians _ib._

Comparison of Plato with Xenophon--Cyropædia--OEconomicus 141

Both of them combine polity with education--temporal with spiritual 142

Differences between them--Character of Cyrus _ib._

Xenophontic genius for command--Practical training--Sokratic principles applied in Persian training 144

Plato does not build upon an individual hero. Platonic training compared with Xenophontic 146

Platonic type of character compared with Xenophontic, is like the Athenian compared with the Spartan 147

Professional soldiers are the proper modern standard of comparison with the regulations of Plato and Xenophon 148

Music and Gymnastic--multifarious and varied effects of music 149

Great influence of the poets and their works on education _ib._

Plato's idea of the purpose which poetry and music _ought_ to serve in education 151

He declares war against most of the traditional and consecrated poetry, as mischievous _ib._

Strict limits imposed by Plato on poets 153

His view of the purposes of fiction--little distinction between fiction and truth. His censures upon Homer and the tragedians 154

Type of character prescribed by Plato, to which all poets must conform, in tales about Gods and Heroes 155

Position of Plato as an innovator on the received faith and traditions. Fictions indispensable to the Platonic Commonwealth 156

Difficulty of procuring first admission for fictions. Ease with which they perpetuate themselves after having been once admitted 158

Views entertained by Kritias and others, that the religious doctrines generally believed had originated with law-givers, for useful purposes 159

Main points of dissent between Plato and his countrymen, in respect to religious doctrine 161

Theology of Plato compared with that of Epikurus--Neither of them satisfied the exigencies of a believing religious mind of that day _ib._

Plato conceives the Gods according to the exigencies of his own mind--complete discord with those of the popular mind 163

Repugnance of ordinary Athenians in regard to the criticism of Sokrates on the religious legends 165

Aristophanes connects the idea of immorality with the freethinkers and their wicked misinterpretations _ib._

Heresies ascribed to Sokrates by his own friends--Unpopularity of his name from this circumstance 168

Restrictions imposed by Plato upon musical modes and reciters _ib._

All these restrictions intended for the emotional training of the Guardians 169

Regulations for the life of the Guardians, especially the prohibition of separate property and family _ib._

Purpose of Plato in these regulations _ib._

Common life, education, drill, collective life, and duties, for Guardians of both sexes. Views of Plato respecting the female character and aptitudes 171

His arguments against the ordinary doctrine 172

Opponents appealed to nature as an authority against Plato. He invokes Nature on his own side against them 173

Collective family relations and denominations among the Guardians 174

Restrictions upon sexual intercourse--Purposes of such restrictions 175

Regulations about marriages and family 176

Procreative powers of individual Guardians required to be held at the disposal of the rulers, for purity of breed 177

Purpose to create an intimate and equal sympathy among all the Guardians, but to prevent exclusive sympathy of particular members 178

Platonic scheme--partial communism 179

Soldiership as a separate profession has acquired greater development in modern times 180

Spartan institutions--great impression which they produced upon speculative Greek minds 181

Plans of these speculative minds compared with Spartan--Different types of character contemplated 182

Plato carries abstraction farther than Xenophon or Aristotle 183

Anxiety shown by Plato for the good treatment of the Demos, greater than that shown by Xenophon and Aristotle _ib._

In Aristotle's theory, the Demos are not considered as members of the Commonwealth, but as adjuncts 184

Objection urged by Aristotle against the Platonic Republic, that it will be two cities. Spiritual pride of the Guardians, contempt for the Demos _ib._

Plato's scheme fails, mainly because he provides no training for the Demos 186

Principle of Aristotle--That every citizen belongs to the city, not to himself--applied by Plato to women 187

Aristotle declares the Platonic Commonwealth impossible--In what sense this is true 189

The real impossibility of the Platonic Commonwealth, arises from the fact that discordant sentiments are already established 191

Plato has strong feelings of right and wrong about sexual intercourse, but referring to different objects 192

Different sentiment which would grow up in the Platonic Commonwealth respecting the sexual relations 193

What Nature prescribes in regard to the relations of the two sexes--Direct contradiction between Plato and Aristotle 194

Opinion of Plato respecting the capacities of women, and the training proper for women, are maintained in the Leges, as well as in the Republic. Ancient legends harmonising with this opinion 195

In a Commonwealth like the Platonic, the influence of Aphroditê would probably have been reduced to a minimum 197

Other purposes of Plato--limitation of number of Guardians--common to Aristotle also 198

Law of population expounded by Malthus--Three distinct checks to population--alternative open between preventive and positive _ib._

Plato and Aristotle saw the same law as Malthus, but arranged the facts under a different point of view 202

Regulations of Plato and Aristotle as to number of births and newborn children _ib._

Such regulations disapproved and forbidden by modern sentiment. Variability of ethical sentiment as to objects approved or disapproved 203

Plato and Aristotle required subordination of impulse to reason and duty--they applied this to the procreative impulse, as to others 204

Training of the few select philosophers to act as chiefs 205

Comprehensive curriculum for aspirants to philosophy--consummation by means of Dialectic 206

Valuable remarks on the effects of these preparatory studies 207

Differences between the Republic and other dialogues--no mention of reminiscence nor of the Elenchus _ib._

Different view taken by Plato in the Republic about Dialectic--and different place assigned to it 208

Contradiction with the spirit of other dialogues Parmenidês, &c. 209

Contradiction with the character and declarations of Sokrates 210

The remarks here made upon the effect of Dialectic upon youth coincide with the accusation of Melêtus against Sokrates 211

Contrast between the real Sokrates, as a dissenter at Athens, and the Platonic Sokrates, framer and dictator of the Platonic Republic _ib._

Idea of Good--The Chiefs alone know what it is--If they did not they would be unfit for their functions 212

What is the Good? Plato does not know; but he requires the Chiefs to know it. Without this the Republic would be a failure 213