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

78 ETHICS AND POLITICS: THE GREEKS
behalf of each citizen what status he shall assume, what
function perform, what kind of life live. 'In providing
that the Guardians who are tx-hypothesi wiser than the
ordinary citizen should, in the light of their knowledge
of his needs and character, make this choice for him I
have/ Plato would say, 'given the ordinary man the best
chance of realising such happiness as he is capable of
enjoying; for such happiness as he is capable of enjoying
depends upon the right performance of the functions
appropriate to his nature, and upon the holding of the
beliefs which are suited to his status, just as his appetites
only receive their maximum satisfaction, when they are
disciplined by his reason. And, seeing that he is not as a
rule reasonable enough to discipline them for himself, I
have done my best to provide him with a substitute for
self regulation in the education by which I have sought
to train his mind and character, and the laws which
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provide the framework ofhis conduct. Plato, one imagines,
would heartily endorse a somewhat similar sentiment
which Dr. Johnson was apt to express on the same issue:
"One evening, when a young gentlexpan teased him
with an account of the infidelity of his servant, who, he
said, would not believe the Scriptures, because he could
not read them in the original tongues, and be sure that
they were not invented. 'Why, foolish fellow/ said
Johnson, 'has he any better authority for almost everything
that
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he believes? BOSWELL: 'Then the vulgar,
Sir, never can know they are right, but must submit
themselves to the learned/ JOHNSON: 'To be sure, Sir.
The vulgar are the children of the State, and must be
taught like children/ BOSWELL: 'Then, Sir, a poor Turk
piust be a Mahometan, just as a poor Englishman must
be a Christian? 1
JOHNSON: 'Why, yes, Sir.'"
'As for the individuality,' Plato woifld continue, 'this
is a characteristic which is dependent upon and proportional
to ,the degree of the development of consciousness,
and mote particularly , of the rational consciousness; Hie
individuality ;of members of die third class must, there-