Dialogues

infliction of some other pain⁠—whether he practises out of a book or not out of a book, and whether he be rich or poor, whether he purges or reduces in some other way, or even fattens his patients, is a physician all the same, so long as he exercises authority over them according to rules of art, if he only does them good and heals and saves them. And this we lay down to be the only proper test of the art of medicine, or of any other art of command. Young Socrates Quite true. Stranger Then that can be the only true form of government in which the governors are really found to possess science, and are not mere pretenders, whether they rule according to law or without law, over willing or unwilling subjects, and are rich or poor themselves⁠—none of these things can with any propriety be included in the notion of the ruler. Young Socrates True. Stranger And whether with a view to the public good they purge the State by killing some, or exiling some; whether they reduce the size of the body corporate by sending out from the hive swarms of citizens, or, by introducing persons from without, increase it; while they act according to the rules of wisdom and justice, and use their power with a view to the general security and improvement, the city over which they rule, and which has these characteristics, may be described as the only true State. All other governments are not genuine or real; but only imitations of this, and some of them are better and some of them are worse; the better are said to be well governed, but they are mere imitations like the others. Young Socrates I agree, Stranger, in the greater part of what you say; but as to their ruling without laws⁠—the expression has a harsh sound. Stranger You have been too quick for me, Socrates; I was just going to ask you whether you objected to any of my statements. And now I see that we shall have to consider this notion of there being good government without laws. Young Socrates Certainly. Stranger There can be no doubt that legislation is in a manner the business of a king, and yet the best thing of all is not that the law should rule, but that a man should rule supposing him to have wisdom and royal power. Do you see why this is? Young Socrates Why? Stranger Because the law does not perfectly comprehend what is noblest and most just for all and therefore cannot enforce what is best. The differences of men and actions, and the endless irregular movements of human things, do not admit of any universal and simple rule. And no art whatsoever can lay down a rule which will last for all time. Young Socrates Of course not. Stranger But the law is always striving to make one;⁠—like an obstinate and ignorant tyrant, who will not allow anything to be done contrary to his appointment, or any question to be asked⁠—not even in sudden changes of circumstances, when something happens to be better than what he commanded for someone. Young Socrates Certainly; the law treats us all precisely in the manner which you describe. Stranger A perfectly simple principle can never be applied to a state of things which is the reverse of simple. Young Socrates True. Stranger Then if the law is not the perfection of right, why are we compelled to make laws at all? The reason of this has next to be investigated. Young Socrates Certainly. Stranger Let me ask, whether you have not meetings for gymnastic contests in your city, such as there are in other cities, at which men compete in running, wrestling, and the like? Young Socrates Yes; they are very common among us. Stranger And what are the rules which are enforced on their pupils by professional trainers or by others having similar authority? Can you remember? Young Socrates To what do you refer? Stranger The training-masters do not issue minute rules for individuals, or give every individual what is exactly suited to his constitution; they think that they ought to go more roughly to work, and to prescribe generally the regimen which will benefit the majority. Young Socrates Very true. Stranger And therefore they assign equal amounts of exercise to them all; they send them forth together, and let them rest together from their running, wrestling, or whatever the form of bodily exercise may be. Young Socrates True. Stranger And now observe that the legislator who has to preside over the herd, and to enforce justice in their dealings with one another, will not be able, in enacting for the general good, to provide exactly what is suitable for each particular case. Young Socrates He cannot be expected to do so. Stranger He will lay down laws in a general form for the majority, roughly meeting the cases of individuals; and some of them he will deliver in writing, and others will be unwritten; and these last will be traditional customs of the country. Young Socrates He will be right. Stranger Yes, quite right; for how can he sit at every man’s side all through his life, prescribing for him the exact particulars of his duty? Who, Socrates, would be equal to such a task? No one who really had the royal science, if he had been able to do this, would have imposed upon himself the restriction of a written law. Young Socrates So I should infer from what has now been said. Stranger Or rather, my good friend, from what is going to be said. Young Socrates And what is that? Stranger Let us put to ourselves the case of a physician, or trainer, who is about to go into a far country, and is expecting to be a long time away from his patients⁠—thinking that his instructions will not be remembered unless they are written down, he will leave notes of them for the use of his pupils or patients. Young Socrates True. Stranger But what would you say, if he came back sooner than he had intended, and, owing to an unexpected