Book 4
714
Ath. That justice is what benefits the stronger.Cp.Plat. Rep. 1.338, 2.367..
714
Clin. Explain yourself more clearly.
714
Ath. This is how it is:—the laws (they say) in a State are always enacted by the stronger power? Is it not so?
714
Clin. That is quite true.
714
Ath. Do you suppose, then (so they argue), that a democracy or any other government—even a tyrant—if it has gained the mastery, will of its own accord set up laws with any other primary aim than that of securing the permanence of its own authority?
714
Clin. Certainly not.
714
Ath. Then the lawgiver will style these enactments justice, and will punish every transgressor as guilty of injustice.
714
Clin. That is certainly probable.
714
Ath. So these enactments will thus and herein always constitute justice.
714
Clin. That is, at any rate, what the argument asserts.
714
Ath. Yes, for this is one of those agreed claims concerning government.Cp. Plat. Laws 690b.
714
Clin. What claims?
715
Ath. Those which we dealt with before,—claims as to who should govern whom. It was shown that parents should govern children, the older the younger, the high-born the low-born, and (if you remember) there were many other claims, some of which were conflicting. The claim before us is one of these, and we said thatCp. Plat. Laws 690b, with the footnote.—to quote Pindar—the law marches with nature when it justifies the right of might.
715
Clin. Yes, that is what was said then.
715
Ath. Consider now, to which class of men should we entrust our State. For the condition referred to is one that has already occurred in States thousands of times.
715
Clin. What condition?
