7 2 GREEK ' PHILOSOPHY. 



Physics, and Dialectic. Under Morals he comprehended Politics; 

 and under Physics, that science which was afterwards distinguished 

 by the name of Metaphysics. 



Plato's Moral Of Plato's moral doctrines the most important are, that, inde- 

 pendently of other ends, virtue is to be pursued as the proper per- 

 fection of man's nature ; l that vice is a disease of the mind, originating 

 in some delusion or misapprehension of our proper interests ; 2 that the 

 real freedom of a rational being consists in his being able to regulate 

 his conduct by the determinations of his Reason ; that every person 

 who is not guided by his Reason, encourages insubordination in the 

 faculties of his mjnd, and becomes the slave of caprice or passion ; 3 

 that a course of virtuous conduct, independently of its advantages to 

 society, is beneficial to the individual practising it, as insuring that 

 regularity of imagination, that tranquillity and internal harmony which 

 is the mind's proper happiness. 4 



The earnestness of a virtuous mind in the attainment of truth, and 

 the propriety of pursuing the ordinary gratifications of life, only so 

 far as they are subservient to, or at least compatible with, man's 

 higher and nobler duties, 5 are topics insisted upon and adverted to 

 with peculiar force and frequency. But, perhaps, a more complete 



Summary, summary cannot be given of the principal points of Plato's Morals, 

 than is contained in the following passage, extracted from his own 

 writings. It is at the commencement of his fourth * Book of Laws,* 

 and the remarks with which it closes on the coincidence of the pre- 

 cepts of morality with the conclusions of prudence and enlightened 

 self-love, though written in a more popular manner than most of 

 Plato's moral dissertations, are very happily conceived. 



"It remains to consider by what mode of life a man may best 

 consult his own interests, so that he may not be merely restrained by 

 the necessity of obeying the laws, and by a fear of punishment, but 

 may be influenced by a kindly regard towards the laws, as being 

 sensible that what is established is for his benefit. This point then 

 we proceed to consider. Truth, in the sight of heaven and of man, 



1 'AptTtt ftlv cipx us toixtv vy'mx vi rig xv ZIYI xx} xxX\os xou ili^ioc. ^u^fis. De 

 Republ. lib. iv. p. 444. et Gorg. pp. 491, 492. 



2 Kxxix $1 voffog Ti xxi Attr^og xxi xtrOivtix. De Republ. qua supra. 



^ T/ o Sv 5 ^oyXjy $ tXii>0&pxv TWV TOIXVTVIV <pv<rii; nvxi ^/ti^^v 5 AovXtjv oyfov \yuyi. 

 - fi rvptx.vvov/u.ivn OLOX -^v^ wxtffTX roi^tr&i & xv $ovXn6r, u; <xtf\ oXns tiWi7 

 "^u^y;' VTO $g o'iffTpou a.ii iXxoftsvn j3/a Txpx^s xxi ftiTXfttteixg fttffTri itrrcu. De 

 Republ. lib. ix. p. 577. 



4 "OTI s xai TK$ apiTa; riyi~<ro aTva/ 01 avTff.s aipSTK? u; a,xo^.ov6ov ys, ^.yifrsov TM 

 ptovov avrav riy<r6a.t TO xetXov nya.6w. K.at S>j iv wte'urroi; rovro KVTO tvri'b&tx'rw XKI 

 fAa.Xtffrx iv oA.j T>J HaXir'na. -- Albini, iiira-y. tts TO. <rov TlXetTeavo? VoyfAKra,, cap. 27. 



* Ovxovv %yt, vow %&>v V&VTK TO. KUTOV tig TOVTO ffWTtivcts fiiufftTKi^ vrpurov fttv TO, 



O.VTM <rnv -wxviv a.<7ri%yu.ffi7a.i, vu. > ctXXa art/uaeav 

 y t'lfov rwv TOU ffu(&tt,<ro$ \%iv xa.} Tgetyytv ov^ owug Tin, 6y\^nuou XKI 

 <L\oyw faovy '^tT^i^a.; \vra.u6oc, T^T^ctf^uivog &ffii, etAX e ovSt wge; vy'nixv fixivrvv, ov^l 

 TOVTO TPiirfituuv, ofu; ttr^voos vi vy>ir.c % xctXo; 'terTXi t lav p.v\ xxi erutpgovriffiiv ftiXXri ctf 

 KVTUV XX* ce.it TVV Iv Tea ffeafAXTt agpovixv Ttis Iv Tti tyux*] ixixx %uft<puvixs O.^I>TTO- 

 IAIVOS tyxiwiTxi. De Republ. ix. p. 591. 



