GUIDE TO THE PHILOSOPHY 1938 - 1947.pdf - Rare Books at ...

38 ETHICS AND POLITICS: THE GREEKS
will be surveyed in a later chapter. 1 They are, however,
all exposed in one form or another to the criticisms which
I have brought against the theory as originally expounded
by Glaucon.
How far Society is Based upon Force. A third conclusion
suggested by the teleological view of human nature,
as reaching its fulfilment only in society, relates to the
place and function of force in a society. The question is
often raised, in what sense and to what extent is a society
based upon force. According to the arguments advanced
by Glaucon, arguments which were later to be developed
by the philosopher Hobhcs 1 , force is part of the nature of
society. That it should be so regarded, follows necessarily
from the general position which Glaucon adopts. If
morality is something whick is imposed by convention
in the teeth of man's "natural*' tendency, which is to be
amoral, then it is only by forte that the minimum of moral
conduct upon which the working of society depends, can
be maintained. We keep the laws, says Glaucon, not because
of a natural law-abidingncss, but through fear of the
consequences if we break them. The application of these
consequences depends upon the presence of force. Thus
the police force and the prisons are essential elements in
every society, since, if there were no police force and no
prisons, the law would not be obeyed and society would
break up. If, indeed, they are not essential, Glaucon asks,
why does every society take care to have them. The reason
can only be that the rulers of society know that its members
obey the laws unwillingly and that it is necessary, therefore,
if society is to be maintained, that it should be able to
invoke force to compel men to do what they would not
do of choice.
Put in this form, the argument is highly plausible;
yet if its full implications were admitted, if, that is to
say, we were to agree that people only obeyed the laws
1 See Chapter XIII, pp. 472-512.
See Chapter XIII, pp. 479-478.