Vous êtes sur la page 1sur 1

[Type text]

SO YOU WANT TO BUILD A PERFECT STATE.


(The Etiquette of War, 154-63)
Achieving Unity
Unity is the greatest good
of the state, while discord is
the greatest evil.
Discord arises out of a
conflict of interests; e.g. If
Bob steals Alices car, Bob
gets pleasure while Alice
suffers pain.
To avoid discord, make pleasures and pains
communal. When there is no conflict of interest,
there is no discord. To do this:
Make Family Ties. The guardians are to not
only address each other by family titles, but
also treat each other as such. The elder will
rule over the younger guardians. The younger
will not strike back against the elder out of
shame and fear of revenge.
Settle Disputes. If discord occurs, disputes will
be settled immediately. Thus, no one should
take revenge after the fact, and trials/courts
are unnecessary.
Create Community. Everything is communal
among the guardians (ie. shared). The
guardians only payment is their food.
Why should a guardian want a communal life?
By having no material possessions, the
guardians are rid of many vices (eg. Having to
find money to pay for things).
The guardian gains honor for bringing honor to
his state. This is a greater reward than any
amount of material possession.
The Etiquette of War
Guardian children should be brought to
battles in order to learn how to defend the
state.
o To keep them safe, the children will be under
command of veterans and saddled on horses
that can run away easily.
Incentives for bravery:
Able to kiss any other guardian they desire (so
he has first choice over partners)
Crowned and honored by the other guardians
Will have hymns and legends made of them
Worshipped after their deaths
Punishment for cowardice:
Guardians who desert during war will be reduced
to the laborer class.
Guardians who become prisoners of the enemy
will not be rescued.
What not to do:
No looting dead enemies body parts (only
their armour). Disfiguring the dead is an excuse
to avoid fighting the live.
Discord vs. War: War is an external conflict
while discord is an internal one. Since all
Hellenistic (Greek) cultures are a unity, when
they fight each other it is discord, not war.
Thus to be respectful of other Greeks:
No disfiguring their bodies either.
No taking Greek slaves.
No razing Greek land; take only annual crop.

The One Body analogy: The
ideal state should be one
body, i.e. the finger of a
mans body is what a single
man is to the state. When
the finger bleeds, the entire
man suffers. So when a man
of the state incurs loss, the
entire state suffers.
Discussion Questions
1. Is it moral to have children participate in war? Why or why not?
2. Does having incentives for bravery detract from Platos ideal of community?
3. Is it ever possible for people to always have common interest?
4. What is the real difference between discord and war?
5. Would you rather have the life of a guardian or a laborer? Why or why not?

Vous aimerez peut-être aussi