The Ancient Regime | Page 6

thus, herding together like animals and following the lead of the
strongest and bravest, the ruler's strength being here the sole limit to his
power and the name we should give his rule being monarchy.
But when in time feelings of sociability and companionship begin to
grow in such gatherings of men, then kingship has truck root; and the
notions of goodness, justice, and their opposites begin to arise in men.
6. The manner in which these notions come into being is as follows.
Men being all naturally inclined to sexual intercourse, and the
consequence this being the birth of children, whenever one of those
who have been reared does not on growing up show gratitude to those
who reared him or defend them, but on the contrary takes to speaking
ill of them or ill-treating them, it is evident that he will displease and
offend those who have been familiar with his parents and have
witnessed the care and pains they spent on attending to and feeding
their children. For seeing that men are distinguished from the other
animals possessing the faculty of reason, it is obviously improbable
that such a difference of conduct should escape them, as it escapes the
other animals: they will notice the thing and be displeased at what is
going on, looking to the future and reflecting that they may all meet
with the same treatment. Again when a man who has been helped or
succored when in danger by another does not show gratitude to his
preserver, but even goes to the length of attempting to do him injury, it
is clear that those who become aware of it will naturally be displeased
and offended by such conduct, sharing the resentment of their injured
neighbor and imagining themselves in the same situation. From all this
there arises in everyone a notion of the meaning and theory of duty,

which is the beginning and end of justice. Similarly, again, when any
man is foremost in defending his fellows from danger, and braves and
awaits the onslaught of the most powerful beasts, it is natural that he
should receive marks of favor and honor from the people, while the
man who acts in the opposite manner will meet with reprobation and
dislike. From this again some idea of what is base and what is noble
and of what constitutes the difference is likely to arise among the
people; and noble conduct will be admired and imitated because
advantageous, while base conduct will be avoided. Now when the
leading and most powerful man among people always throws the
weight of his authority the side of the notions on such matters which
generally prevail, and when in the opinion of his subjects he apportions
rewards and penalties according to desert, they yield obedience to him
no longer because they fear his force, but rather because their judgment
approves him; and they join in maintaining his rule even if he is quite
enfeebled by age, defending him with one consent and battling against
those who conspire to overthrow his rule. Thus by insensible degrees
the monarch becomes a king, ferocity and force having yielded the
supremacy to reason.

7. Thus is formed naturally among men the first notion of goodness and
justice, and their opposites; this is the beginning and birth of true
kingship. For the people maintain the supreme power not only in the
hands of these men themselves, but in those of their descendants, from
the conviction that those born from and reared by such men will also
have principles like to theirs. And if they ever are displeased with the
descendants, they now choose their kings and rulers no longer for their
bodily strength and brute courage, but for the excellency of their
judgment and reasoning powers, as they have gained experience from
actual facts of the difference between the one class of qualities and the
other. In old times, then, those who had once been chosen to the royal
office continued to hold it until they grew old, fortifying and enclosing
fine strongholds with walls and acquiring lands, in the one case for the
sake of the security of their subjects and in the other to provide them
with abundance of the necessities of life. And while pursuing these
aims, they were exempt from all vituperation or jealousy, as neither in
their dress nor in their food and drink did they make any great

distinction, but lived very much like everyone else, not keeping apart
from the people. But when they received the office by hereditary
succession and found their safety now provided for, and more than
sufficient provision of food, they gave way to their appetites owing to
this superabundance, and came to think that the rulers must be
distinguished from their subjects by