A Treatise on Government | Page 7

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A TREATISE ON GOVERNMENT

BOOK I



CHAPTER I
As we see that every city is a society, and every society Ed. is established for some good
purpose; for an apparent [Bekker 1252a] good is the spring of all human actions; it is
evident that this is the principle upon which they are every one founded, and this is more
especially true of that which has for its object the best possible, and is itself the most
excellent, and comprehends all the rest. Now this is called a city, and the society thereof a
political society; for those who think that the principles of a political, a regal, a family,
and a herile government are the same are mistaken, while they suppose that each of these
differ in the numbers to whom their power extends, but not in their constitution: so that
with them a herile government is one composed of a very few, a domestic of more, a civil
and a regal of still more, as if there was no difference between a large family and a small
city, or that a regal government and a political one are the same, only that in the one a
single person is continually at the head of public affairs; in the other, that each member of
the state has in his turn a share in the government, and is at one time a magistrate, at
another a private person, according to the rules of political science. But now this is not
true, as will be evident to any one who will consider this question in the most approved
method. As, in an inquiry into every other subject, it is necessary to separate the different
parts of which it is compounded, till we arrive at their first elements, which are the most

minute parts thereof; so by the same proceeding we shall acquire a knowledge of the
primary parts of a city and see wherein they differ from each other, and whether the rules
of art will give us any assistance in examining into each of these things which are
mentioned.



CHAPTER II
Now if in this particular science any one would attend to its original seeds, and their first
shoot, he would then as in others have the subject perfectly before him; and perceive, in
the first place, that it is requisite that those should be joined together whose species
cannot exist without each other, as the male and the female, for the business of
propagation; and this not through choice, but by that natural impulse which acts both
upon plants and animals also, for the purpose of their leaving behind them others like
themselves. It is also from natural causes that some beings command and others obey,
that each may obtain their mutual safety; for a being who is endowed with a mind capable
of reflection and forethought is by nature the superior and governor, whereas he whose
excellence is merely corporeal is formect to be a slave; whence it follows that the
different state of master [1252b] and slave is equally advantageous to both. But there is a
natural difference between a female and a slave: for nature is not like the artists who
make the Delphic swords for the use of the poor, but for every particular purpose she has
her separate instruments, and thus her ends are most complete,