Socrates “Far more,” said Glaucon, “for I will answer you in his behalf.”

“And do you not think that the reason for the old objection to licentiousness is similarly because that sort of thing emancipates that dread,¹ that huge and manifold beast overmuch?” “Obviously,” he said. “And do we not censure self-will² 590b and irascibility when they foster and intensify disproportionately the element of the lion and the snake³ in us?” “By all means.” “And do we not reprobate luxury and effeminacy for their loosening and relaxation of this same element when they engender cowardice in it?” “Surely.” “And flattery and illiberality when they reduce this same high-spirited element under the rule of the mob-like beast and habituate it for the sake of wealth and the unbridled lusts of the beast to endure all manner of contumely from youth up and become an ape⁴ instead of a lion?” 590c “Yes, indeed,” he said. “And why do you suppose that “base mechanic”⁵ handicraft is a term of reproach? Shall we not say that it is solely when the best part is naturally weak in a man so that it cannot govern and control the brood of beasts within him but can only serve them and can learn nothing but the ways of flattering them?” “So it seems,” he said. “Then is it not in order that such an one may have a like government with the best man that we say he ought to be the slave 590d of that best man⁶ who has within himself the divine governing principle, not because we suppose, as Thrasymachus⁷ did in the case of subjects, that the slave should be governed for his own harm, but on the ground that it is better for everyone to be governed by the divine and the intelligent, preferably indwelling and his own, but in default of that imposed from without, in order that we all so far as possible may be akin and friendly because our governance and guidance are the same?” “Yes, and rightly so,” he said. 590e “And it is plain,” I said, “that this is the purpose of the law, which is the ally of all classes in the state, ”

“and this is the aim of our control of children,⁸ our not leaving them free before we have established, so to speak, a constitutional government within them⁹ and, by fostering the best element in them 591a with the aid of the like in ourselves, have set up in its place a similar guardian and ruler in the child, and then, and then only, we leave it free.” “Yes, that is plain,” he said. “In what way,¹⁰ then, Glaucon, and on what principle, shall we say that it profits a man to be unjust or licentious or do any shameful thing that will make him a worse man, but otherwise will bring him more wealth or power?” “In no way,” he said. “And how that it pays him to escape detection in wrongdoing and not pay the penalty¹¹? 591b Or is it not true that he who evades detection becomes a still worse man, while in the one who is discovered and chastened the brutish part is lulled and tamed and the gentle part liberated, and the entire soul, returning to its nature at the best, attains to a much more precious condition in acquiring sobriety and righteousness together with wisdom, than the body¹² does when it gains strength and beauty conjoined with health, even as the soul is more precious than the body?” “Most assuredly,” he said. 591c “Then the wise man will bend all his endeavors¹³ to this end throughout his life; he will, to begin with, prize the studies that will give this quality to his soul and disprize the others.” “Clearly,” he said. “And then,” I said, “he not only will not abandon the habit and nurture of his body to the brutish and irrational pleasure and live with his face set in that direction, but he will not even make health his chief aim,¹⁴ nor give the first place to the ways of becoming strong or healthy or beautiful unless these things are likely to bring with them soberness of spirit, 591d but he will always be found attuning the harmonies of his body for the sake of the concord in his soul.¹⁵” “By all means,” he replied, “if he is to be a true musician.¹⁶” “And will he not deal likewise with the ordering and harmonizing of his possessions? He will not let himself be dazzled¹⁷ by the felicitations of the multitude and pile up the mass¹⁸ of his wealth without measure,¹⁹ involving himself in measureless ills.” “No, I think not,” he said. 591e “He will rather,” I said, “keep his eyes fixed on the constitution in his soul,²⁰ and taking care and watching lest he disturb anything there either by excess or deficiency of wealth,²¹ will so steer his course and add to or detract from his wealth on this principle, so far as may be.” “Precisely so,” he said.

“And in the matter of honors and office too this will be his guiding principle: 592a He will gladly take part in and enjoy those which he thinks will make him a better man, but in public and private life he will shun those that may overthrow the established habit²² of his soul.” “Then, if that is his chief concern,” he said, “he will not willingly take part in politics.²³” “Yes, by the dog,²⁴” said I, “in his own city he certainly will, yet perhaps not in the city of his birth, except in some providential conjuncture.²⁵” “I understand,” he said; “you mean the city whose establishment we have described, the city whose home is in the ideal;²⁶ 592b for I think that it can be found nowhere on earth.²⁷” “Well,” said I, “perhaps there is a pattern²⁸ of it laid up in heaven for him who wishes to contemplate it and so beholding to constitute himself its citizen.²⁹ But it makes no difference whether it exists now or ever will come into being.³⁰ The politics of this city only will be his and of none other.” “That seems probable,” he said.