It is also the prerogative of
kings (if they enjoy any whatever) to be invincible in reason and to be able to
prevail over disputants by their arguments, just as over their enemies by their
arms. Thus when kings are weak in this, it stands to reason that often they are
misled and forced to accept the false as the true, which is the price of folly
and dense ignorance.
Now philosophy by its nature
confers upon its devotees perhaps more than anything else the ability to remain
superior to others in debate, to distinguish the false from the true, and to
refute the one and to confirm the other.
Professional speakers, at any
rate, whenever they enter into the give and take of argument with philosophers,
one can see confused and confounded and obliged to contradict themselves. And
yet if such speakers, whose business it is to practice debate, are caught
because they are inferior to the philosophers in argument, what is bound to
happen to other men?
Therefore if it is the ambition
of anyone who is a king to be powerful in debate, he should study philosophy in
order that he may not have to fear that anyone will prevail over him in this,
for a king should be completely fearless and courageous and invincible.
The
human good expresses itself through the virtues, not as rules imposed from
without, but as principles springing from within. Every person is called to be
just, to be temperate, and to be brave, because every person must learn to have
respect for others, to bring order to his passions, and to find the strength to
face his fears.
A leader
is a person like any other, but he will require these virtues to the highest
degree, since he has taken it upon himself to carry others along with him.
Wisdom
is the last of the cardinal virtues treated here, even as it must be at the
root of all the others. Once again, there can be no doing without an awareness
of the doing, no action without the measure of purpose—the what must be preceded by a why.
A leader
is still a person like any other, but he will require understanding to the
highest degree, since he has taken it upon himself to guide others in forming
good judgments.
Any sort
of rule, whether it is a dominion over an entire country or just a dominion
over one’s own soul, demands the knowledge of true from false, of right from
wrong. We may struggle with the grave difficulties, with the seeming
ambiguities, with the grueling oppositions, but that is the cornerstone of a
good life. It is only a very real and practical engagement with philosophy that
can make this possible.
“Yes, I
think you’re right. I like my leaders to be smart!”
It
doesn’t hurt to be intelligent, quick-witted, or possess a good memory, but I
would suggest that wisdom is more than just being clever. Prudence is deeper
than these skills, because it involves a deliberate commitment to discerning
how ultimate questions of meaning apply to immediate concerns.
A smart
man might quickly solve an equation, while a wise man will consider how that
can assist us in being happy. If intelligence helps us to come up with
solutions, prudence is what sets the goal for the ends we seek.
We will
recognize the wise man when he clearly, calmly, and confidently explains his
reasoning, from premises to conclusions.
“Sure,
our leaders should be able to win in political debates.”
We must
be certain what we mean by “winning” here. Most of what we consider debating is
sadly about conflict over comprehension, about appearance over reality, about
personality over principle.
If
victory only means making another look the fool, then we are all fools for
buying into such standards. If success only means laughing at the opposition,
then the joke’s on us. If coming in first is only determined by an impressive
display, then everyone comes in last.
Rhetoric,
the art of convincing speech, is a wasted effort when it is divorced from a
love of truth. The philosopher can also be eloquent, but he doesn’t play games.
“Right,
leaders need to really convince people to follow them.”
By what
means should they do so? Will it be enough to depend on the weight of their own
authority, or appeal to the emotions of their listeners? What good will those
do without the truth of what is actually being said?
“Follow
me, because I am a great man, who has done marvelous things!” I’ve seen that
path get us into loads of trouble.
“Follow
me, because you know in your hearts that this great country can once again live
up to the noble legacy of our forefathers!” Lots of cheering follows, without
terribly much thinking.
“Follow
love over greed, because no man ever found happiness divided from his neighbors.”
That could be a beginning; those could be the words of a philosopher, and of a
wise king.
Written in 9/1999
IMAGE: Gustave Doré, Solomon in Old Age (1866)
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