Suffer me, he says, to entertain myself as men of listless minds are wont to do when they journey alone. Such persons, I fancy, before they have found out in what way ought of what they desire may come to be, pass that question by lest they grow weary in considering whether the thing be possible or no; and supposing what they wish already achieved, they proceed at once to arrange all the rest, pleasing themselves in the tracing out all they will do, when that shall have come to pass—making a mind already idle idler still. Republic, 144.
NOTES
236. +Transliteration: Peri Dikaiosynês. Pater's translation: "on the nature of justice."
236. +Transliteration: tod' ên hôs eoike prooimion. E-text editor's translation: "this was only by way of introduction." Plato, Republic 357a.
241. +Transliteration: to hen prattein, to ta hautou prattein. E-text editor's translation: "to do one thing [only], to do only things proper to oneself." Plato, Republic 369e.
241. +Transliteration: poikilia, pleonexia, polypragmosynê. Liddell and Scott definitions: "poikilia = metaph: cunning; pleonexia = a disposition to take more than one's share; polupragmosunê = meddling."
242. +Transliteration: Prôton men phyetai hekastos ou pany homoios hekastô, alla diapherôn tên physin, allos ep allou ergou praxin. E- text editor's translation: "To begin with, each person is of a nature not the same as another's; rather, people differ in nature, and so one person will be best fitted for one task, and another for a different kind of work." Plato, Republic 370a-b.
242. +Transliteration: ergon. Liddell and Scott definition: "work . . . employment."
242. +Transliteration: poikilia. Liddell and Scott definition: "metaph: cunning."
243. +Transliteration: gignetai toinyn hôs egômai polis epeidê tunchanei hêmôn hekastos ouk autarkês. E-text editor's translation: "As I see it, the city will come into existence because it so happens that as individuals we are not sufficient to provide for ourselves." Plato, Republic 369b.