Page - 848 - in The Complete Plato

YOUNG SOCRATES: Utterly. STRANGER: And if he who gave laws, written or unwritten, determining what was good or bad, honourable or dishonourable, just or unjust, to the tribes of men who flock together in their several cities, and are governed in accordance with them; if, I say, the wise legislator were suddenly to come again, or another like to him, is he to be prohibited from changing them?— would not this prohibition be in reality quite as ridiculous as the other? YOUNG SOCRATES: Certainly. STRANGER: Do you know a plausible saying of the common people which is in point? YOUNG SOCRATES: I do not recall what you mean at the moment. STRANGER: They say that if any one knows how the ancient laws may be improved, he must first persuade his own State of the improvement, and then he may legislate, but not otherwise. YOUNG SOCRATES: And are they not right? STRANGER: I dare say. But supposing that he does use some gentle violence for their good, what is this violence to be called? Or rather, before you answer, let me ask the same question in reference to our previous instances. YOUNG SOCRATES: What do you mean? STRANGER: Suppose that a skilful physician has a patient, of whatever sex or age, whom he compels against his will to do something for his good which is contrary to the written rules; what is this compulsion to be called? Would you ever dream of calling it a violation of the art, or a breach of the laws of health? Nothing could be more unjust than for the patient to whom such violence is applied, to charge the physician who practises the violence with wanting skill or aggravating his disease. YOUNG SOCRATES: Most true. STRANGER: In the political art error is not called disease, but evil, or disgrace, or injustice. YOUNG SOCRATES: Quite true. STRANGER: And when the citizen, contrary to law and custom, is compelled to do what is juster and better and nobler than he did before, the last and most absurd thing which he could say about such violence is that he has incurred disgrace or evil or injustice at the hands of those who compelled him. 848