Page - 1254 - in The Complete Plato
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And the drone of whom we spoke was he who was surfeited in pleasures
and desires of this sort, and was the slave of the unnecessary desires, whereas
he who was subject to the necessary only was miserly and oligarchical?
Very true.
Again, let us see how the democratical man goes out of the oligarchical: the
following, as I suspect, is commonly the process.
What is the process?
When a young man who has been brought up as we were just now
describing, in a vulgar and miserly way, has tasted drones’ honey and has
come to associate with fierce and crafty natures who are able to provide for
him all sorts of refinements and varieties of pleasure—then, as you may
imagine, the change will begin of the oligarchical principle within him into
the democratical?
Inevitably.
And as in the city like was helping like, and the change was effected by an
alliance from without assisting one division of the citizens, so too the young
man is changed by a class of desires coming from without to assist the desires
within him, that which is akin and alike again helping that which is akin and
alike?
Certainly.
And if there be any ally which aids the oligarchical principle within him,
whether the influence of a father or of kindred, advising or rebuking him, then
there arise in his soul a faction and an opposite faction, and he goes to war
with himself.
It must be so.
And there are times when the democratical principle gives way to the
oligarchical, and some of his desires die, and others are banished; a spirit of
reverence enters into the young man’s soul, and order is restored.
Yes, he said, that sometimes happens.
And then, again, after the old desires have been driven out, fresh ones
spring up, which are akin to them, and because he their father does not know
how to educate them, wax fierce and numerous.
Yes, he said, that is apt to be the way.
They draw him to his old associates, and holding secret intercourse with
them, breed and multiply in him.
1254
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book The Complete Plato"
The Complete Plato
- Title
- The Complete Plato
- Author
- Plato
- Date
- ~347 B.C.
- Language
- English
- License
- PD
- Size
- 21.0 x 29.7 cm
- Pages
- 1612
- Keywords
- Philosophy, Antique, Philosophie, Antike, Dialogues, Metaphysik, Metaphysics, Ideologie, Ideology, Englisch
- Categories
- Geisteswissenschaften
- International