Cicero, On the Commonwealth
Obligation to serve one's country
• The greater importance of experience and action than of philosophical
expertise
• Country parent is prior to our biological parents
• Cicero is Plato's companion
• One have to prefer virtue to pleasure:
○ Marcus Cato chose to be tossed in the waves and storms of public life
• Contribution to the safety of the state
• Nature has given men a need for virtue and a desire to defend his
community
• Virtue is not some kind of knowledge to be possessed without using it
○ Knowledge is but virtue is not
• Virtue's most important employment is the governance of states and
accomplishment in deeds
• The men who lead these cities should be considered far wiser than the
philosophers who have no experience at all of public life
• Our country give them birth and rearing but she claims, in return, our
minds, talents and judgements
• They say that they will aid to the commonwealth if there is a necessity,
but why do not they do that if there is not such an urge even if it is
easier to do?
• The founding of new states or the preservation of them is the most
divine virtue
• A conversation goes between Scipio and Tubero
○ They talk about
§ Two suns that have been seen,
§ Socrates's seeking of linking virtues with numbers and
harmony,
§ Plato's love of him (S.)
○ Then the others come
§ Once when a moon eclipse occurred, Gallus dared to say that
it was no omen but a moon eclipse taking place regularly
§ Pericles also said this to Athenians
§ The only true humans are those who have been educated in
truly human arts
§ Laelius asks Tubero why do they question the things in the
sky instead of things before our eyes. Why to question the two suns in the sky but to not the two senates and almost two peoples in one commonwealth?
□ It is better for us to have one senate and one people
§ We should learn the skills that make us useful to the state. It
is the most outstanding task of philosophy and the best
virtue.
• In Stoicism, universe is seen as the shared home of gods and men
• The study of public affairs is crucial
• Commonwealth is the concern of a people
• Judgement (consilium) is the best part of the mind, it should be the
only element of the ruler and necessary attribute of good government
• Then why don’t you admit that the situation in commonwealths is
similar, that the rule of a single person, so long as he is just, is best? ○ This person must be just and competent in ruling
• This excessive license, which they think the only true liberty, is the stock from which tyrants grow
• From this pure liberty arises a tyrant, the most unjust and harshest form of slavery
• Scipio decides that their commonwealth is the best
Romans regarded themselves as the shape of Ancient Greek thought in flesh and bones. The Roman Republic actualized the city of order by its employment of power which Plato thought it is only possible in the world of ideas. We ought to prefer virtue to pleasure, as Marcus Cato did, to contribute to the state and defend our community. We should first question not the things in the sky, but the things concern our commonwealth which are the main topics affecting our life.
Keywords: experience, action, virtue, country parent, public life, contribution, two Senate, useful skills, state, excessive license, pure liberty, tyrants
Obligation to serve one's country
• The greater importance of experience and action than of philosophical
expertise
• Country parent is prior to our biological parents
• Cicero is Plato's companion
• One have to prefer virtue to pleasure:
○ Marcus Cato chose to be tossed in the waves and storms of public life
• Contribution to the safety of the state
• Nature has given men a need for virtue and a desire to defend his
community
• Virtue is not some kind of knowledge to be possessed without using it
○ Knowledge is but virtue is not
• Virtue's most important employment is the governance of states and
accomplishment in deeds
• The men who lead these cities should be considered far wiser than the
philosophers who have no experience at all of public life
• Our country give them birth and rearing but she claims, in return, our
minds, talents and judgements
• They say that they will aid to the commonwealth if there is a necessity,
but why do not they do that if there is not such an urge even if it is
easier to do?
• The founding of new states or the preservation of them is the most
divine virtue
• A conversation goes between Scipio and Tubero
○ They talk about
§ Two suns that have been seen,
§ Socrates's seeking of linking virtues with numbers and
harmony,
§ Plato's love of him (S.)
○ Then the others come
§ Once when a moon eclipse occurred, Gallus dared to say that
it was no omen but a moon eclipse taking place regularly
§ Pericles also said this to Athenians
§ The only true humans are those who have been educated in
truly human arts
§ Laelius asks Tubero why do they question the things in the
sky instead of things before our eyes. Why to question the two suns in the sky but to not the two senates and almost two peoples in one commonwealth?
□ It is better for us to have one senate and one people
§ We should learn the skills that make us useful to the state. It
is the most outstanding task of philosophy and the best
virtue.
• In Stoicism, universe is seen as the shared home of gods and men
• The study of public affairs is crucial
• Commonwealth is the concern of a people
• Judgement (consilium) is the best part of the mind, it should be the
only element of the ruler and necessary attribute of good government
• Then why don’t you admit that the situation in commonwealths is
similar, that the rule of a single person, so long as he is just, is best? ○ This person must be just and competent in ruling
• This excessive license, which they think the only true liberty, is the stock from which tyrants grow
• From this pure liberty arises a tyrant, the most unjust and harshest form of slavery
• Scipio decides that their commonwealth is the best
Romans regarded themselves as the shape of Ancient Greek thought in flesh and bones. The Roman Republic actualized the city of order by its employment of power which Plato thought it is only possible in the world of ideas. We ought to prefer virtue to pleasure, as Marcus Cato did, to contribute to the state and defend our community. We should first question not the things in the sky, but the things concern our commonwealth which are the main topics affecting our life.
Keywords: experience, action, virtue, country parent, public life, contribution, two Senate, useful skills, state, excessive license, pure liberty, tyrants