MAN DEPENDS ON SOCIETY 273 



pendence on society is much more close than he deems, 

 and the Socialist that the welfare of society depends on 

 providing for the individual the means for the most 

 vigorous growth of an independent personality means 

 which include, amongst other things, full rights of privatg_ 

 property and full scope for private enterprise. 



In this lecture I shall take up the first of these tasks. 

 I shall try to show, not that the Individualist's sense of 

 his own rights is too strong, nor that he values his inde- 

 pendence too highly, but that he owes his rights, his 

 independence, and the sphere for their exercise, to society ; 

 and that, in consequence, his obligations to society are as 

 sacred as his obligations to himself. 



There is in j^lato's Crito a passage which brings this 

 forth with so much clearness that I am tempted to quote it. 



Socrates^ is in prison, awaiting the hour of his death. 

 He is advised by his friends, who have provided the 

 opportunity, to escape from prison rather than suffer the 

 unjust sentence of his fellow-citizens. But the voice of 

 the laws of the state of Athens keeps ' ' murmuring in 

 his ears like the sound of the flute in the ears of the 

 mystic," and "prevents him from hearing any other." 



"Tell us," say the laws, "what complaint you have 

 to make against us which justifies you in attempting to 

 destroy us and the state? In the first place did we not 

 bring you into existence? Your father married your 

 mother by our aid and begat you. Say whether you have 

 any objection to urge against those of us who regulate 

 marriage?" "None," I should reply. "Or against 

 those of us who, after birth, regulate the nurture and 

 education of children, in which you also were trained? 

 Were not the laws which have the charge of education 



