Pagina 608 van 1391

'The same, or nearly the same, objections apply to Plato's later

work, the Laws, and therefore we had better examine briefly the

constitution which is therein described. In the Republic,

Socrates has definitely settled in all a few questions only; such

as the community of women and children, the community of

property, and the constitution of the state. The population is

divided into two classes-one of husbandmen, and the other of

warriors; from this latter is taken a third class of counsellors

and rulers of the state. But Socrates has not determined whether

the husbandmen and artists are to have a share in the government,

and whether they too are to carry arms and share in military

service or not. He certainly thinks that the women ought to share

in the education of the guardians, and to fight by their side.

The remainder of the work is filled up with digressions foreign

to the main subject, and with discussions about the education of

the guardians.