(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?