78 GREEK PHILOSOPHY. 



there is a great and striking difference between the characters of 

 the inhabitants of different countries, whether the circumstance is to 

 be attributed to the climate, or to some peculiar constitution, or to 

 whatever other cause. 1 Against trade and navigation Plato enter- 

 tained considerable prejudice. Like all statesmen of old times, he 

 interfered unnecessarily in the detail of personal economy, and pro- 

 posed the establishment of numerous and trivial sumptuary laws. He 

 considered, too, a part of the human race as necessarily destined" to 

 slavery, but his regulations in regard to the slaves are full of consider- 

 ation and humanity. 



But Plato's moral and political system received its completion from 

 His Natural his doctrines of natural theology. The Supreme Being was considered 

 Theology. ^ k| m ag a k em g o f p er f ec t benevolence, who willed the good of the 

 system which he had organized, and whose providence was constantly 

 engaged in its superintendence. Negligence, or love of ease, or some 

 other weakness is generally the cause of human indifference or neglect; 

 but such imperfections are inconsistent with the first notions of God. 2 

 He thought that to suppose God intent only on affairs of great moment, 

 and indifferent about minor concerns and petty details, is a mere error, 

 originating in like manner from our imputing to a higher intellect the 

 shortsightedness and distractions incident to ourselves, and from the 

 difficulty of our apprehending the nature of a perfect being. 3 Plato 

 urges too, that it is a mark of a narrow and contracted mind to infer 

 from any disasters or misadventures which seem to befall individuals, 

 that the world is out of order, and that there is no wise superintending 

 providence. The system of the universe is regulated by general prin- 

 ciples, and as far as the nature of the materials would allow, every- 

 thing is adjusted so as to produce the highest good both of the whole 

 and of the parts. But particular must give way to general interests ; 

 and each individual should consider that the world was not framed for 

 him alone, but that his good is in a sense merely relative, and to be 

 viewed in subordination to the good of the whole system. 4 Never- 

 theless, the virtuous man has no ground for doubt as to the conduct 

 he should pursue, or for despair in whatever difficulties he may be cir- 



1 De Legg. lib. v. p. 746. b. 2 Ibid. lib. x. p. 900, et seq. 



3 Mfl roivvv rov yt 6iov dQiuffiaftiv rtan Svriruv lytpiov^yuv (pauXorsgov o'l TO. 



'offU *7tlQ KV Kf/.itVOV; Ciiffl rOff&> oLxOlfilffTtaK XIX,} TtXturt 



fffiixp^u, xou fjt,iyo.^.oc, uvrtgycifyvrar rov $1 6tov ovrtx, n. ffotyurctrov (2>ov\d[Jt,iv6v r 

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 x,a,6u,'7fio d-p^yov t] Js/XoV rivet S/a vrovov; pexfoftouvra, ruv $1 pt,ya.\uv. De Legg. lib. x. 

 p. 902. 



4 TJti&uftsv rov veaviKv <ro~s Xayais uf rS rov tfcivro; 'v7ri(t,t,\ovp,iv(p vrgcs rqv ffarvgiav 

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 ro ffov u ff^irXit ftopiov t'ig rn yfaiv %uvriivn /SX<yov oLst, xetlnp <ffKVfffjt,ixoov ov, at ^>\ 

 Z.i)<.n6i <fftp^ reuro uvro a; yi\iff}; IVIXK Ixtivou yiynrcti faffot,. bfivs y % rif rov wavros 

 fitci) v-xa.^ovffa. lu^aiftuv outria ov^ '{vino, ffov yiyvoptvyr ffv %l 'tvixa, tKltvav ffv ^l a.ya.- 

 vctxrriffiis a.yvoeav owy ro *vio\ fff, cLoiffrov rea fiivri l^vf&fioitYit, Ktti ffoi xctrx ovvufjiiv TJJV 

 r?j xoivn; ywiffiu;. De Legg. lib. x. 



