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In the previous books Plato has described the ideal State; now he

returns to the perverted or declining forms, on which he had

lightly touched at the end of Book IV. These he describes in a

succession of parallels between the individuals and the States,

tracing the origin of either in the State or individual which has

preceded them. He begins by asking the point at which he

digressed; and is thus led shortly to recapitulate the substance

of the three former books, which also contain a parallel of the

philosopher and the State.