youth or the dotage of age, makes some rash prayer, the son, like
Hippolytus, may have reason to pray that the word of his father may be
ineffectual. 'You mean that a man should pray to have right desires,
before he prays that his desires may be fulfilled; and that wisdom should
be the first object of our prayers?' Yes; and you will remember my saying
that wisdom should be the principal aim of the legislator; but you said
that defence in war came first. And I replied, that there were four
virtues, whereas you acknowledged one only--courage, and not wisdom which
is the guide of all the rest. And I repeat--in jest if you like, but I am
willing that you should receive my words in earnest--that 'the prayer of a
fool is full of danger.' I will prove to you, if you will allow me, that
the ruin of those states was not caused by cowardice or ignorance in war,
but by ignorance of human affairs. 'Pray proceed: our attention will show
better than compliments that we prize your words.' I maintain that
ignorance is, and always has been, the ruin of states; wherefore the
legislator should seek to banish it from the state; and the greatest
ignorance is the love of what is known to be evil, and the hatred of what
is known to be good; this is the last and greatest conflict of pleasure
and reason in the soul. I say the greatest, because affecting the greater
part of the soul; for the passions are in the individual what the people
are in a state. And when they become opposed to reason or law, and
instruction no longer avails--that is the last and greatest ignorance of
states and men. 'I agree.' Let this, then, be our first principle:--That
the citizen who does not know how to choose between good and evil must not
have authority, although he possess great mental gifts, and many
accomplishments; for he is really a fool. On the other hand, he who has
this knowledge may be unable either to read or swim; nevertheless, he
shall be counted wise and permitted to rule. For how can there be wisdom
where there is no harmony?--the wise man is the saviour, and he who is
devoid of wisdom is the destroyer of states and households. There are