Of these two propositions let us
examine the former: Is it possible for anyone to be a good king unless he is a
good man? No, it is not possible. But given a good man, would he not be
entitled to be called a philosopher? Most certainly, since philosophy is the
pursuit of ideal good. Therefore, a good king is found to be forthwith and of
necessity a philosopher also.
Now again that the philosopher is
entirely kingly you may understand from this. The attribute of a kingly person
is obviously the ability to rule peoples and cities well and to be worthy to
govern men.
Well, then, who would be a more
capable head of a city or more worthy to govern men than the philosopher? For
it behooves him (if he is truly a philosopher) to be intelligent, disciplined,
noble-minded, a good judge of what is just and of what is seemly, efficient in
putting his plans into effect, patient under hardship.
In addition to this, he should be
courageous, fearless, resolute in the face of things apparently disastrous, and
besides beneficent, helpful, and humane. Could anyone be found more fit or
better able to govern than such a man? No one. Even if he does not have many
subjects obedient to him, he is not for that reason less kingly, for it is
enough to rule one's friends or one's wife and children or, for that matter,
only oneself.
I will
sometimes find myself doubting the wisdom of Stoicism, at precisely those times
when I am most entranced by a culture of appearances. Inquiring into Nature
will increase my knowledge, while settling for impressions will leave me only
with opinion.
I get
all confused when I neglect the most basic principles, when I forget who I am
and what I am made for in favor of shiny trinkets. I then need to remind myself
of the foundation for what is good and bad.
If I am
not sure what sort of leader to trust, I ask myself what sort of man is deserving
of such trust. Whether he has charm, or cleverness, or riches, or power will make no
difference, but whether he has understanding, or self-control, or integrity, or
compassion will make all the difference. The good leader will, first and
foremost, possess a good character.
If I am
not sure what good character is, I ask myself what it ultimately means to be
human, and I can work from there. What makes me distinct from other living
things is my powers of reason and choice, which are perfected by wisdom and
virtue. It
is philosophy that nurtures such excellence.
If I am
not sure what makes for a philosophical life, I ask myself what qualities of
the mind and the will can most encourage me to live well. To be a philosopher has
nothing to do with any external trappings, but with an attitude, both deeply
profound and eminently practical, that seeks to improve the soul.
A kingly
man is a virtuous man, and a virtuous man is a philosopher. The breadth of his
rule will not be nearly as important as the depth of his rule, even if he only
has an authority over himself.
The best
people may not necessarily own much, but they will necessarily love much. The
best leaders will not necessarily have the greatest power, but they will necessarily
have the greatest wisdom. The best philosophers will not necessarily be the most
esteemed, but they will necessarily be the most thoughtful.
Years ago,
I recall a smug fellow, perhaps suffering from a bit of jealousy, putting down
one of our neighbors for getting elected to city council.
“I mean
really, it’s not like he got elected to Congress or anything. He’s nothing
special, and the stuff he’s going to do won’t really change the world, will it?
So he gets to pass laws about dog licenses and trash pickups! Big deal!”
“I
suppose, but he’s always seemed a truly decent fellow over all the years I’ve
known him. You couldn’t wish for a more stand-up guy living on your street.”
“Oh, just
wait, give him time. He’s bound to get all high and mighty!”
“Well,
he still stops to say hello when he walks or drives by, doesn’t he? He never
hesitates to help us out when we need something, without any complaining or
asking for anything in return. Give me a good neighbor, and a good friend, over
a Congressman any day.”
“Okay,
but a good politician needs to be so much more than that.”
“Let us
agree to disagree, because I think that is exactly what a good politician ought
to be.”
Written in 9/1999
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