That question, I said, is easily answered: the four governments of which I spoke, so far as
they have distinct names, are, first, those of Crete and Sparta, which are generally
applauded; what is termed oligarchy comes next; this is not equally approved, and is a
form of government which teems with evils: thirdly, democracy, which naturally follows
oligarchy, although very different: and lastly comes tyranny, great and famous, which
differs from them all, and is the fourth and worst disorder of a State. I do not know, do
you? of any other constitution which can be said to have a distinct character. There are
lordships and principalities which are bought and sold, and some other intermediate
forms of government. But these are nondescripts and may be found equally among
Hellenes and among barbarians.
Yes, he replied, we certainly hear of many curious forms of government which exist
among them.
Do you know, I said, that governments vary as the dispositions of men vary, and that
there must be as many of the one as there are of the other? For we cannot suppose that
States are made of 'oak and rock,' and not out of the human natures which are in them,
and which in a figure turn the scale and draw other things after them?
Yes, he said, the States are as the men are; they grow out of human characters.
Then if the constitutions of States are five, the dispositions of individual minds will also
be five?
Him who answers to aristocracy, and whom we rightly call just and good, we have
already described.
Then let us now proceed to describe the inferior sort of natures, being the contentious and
ambitious, who answer to the Spartan polity; also the oligarchical, democratical, and
tyrannical. Let us place the most just by the side of the most unjust, and when we see
them we shall be able to compare the relative happiness or unhappiness of him who leads
a life of pure justice or pure injustice. The enquiry will then be completed. And we shall
know whether we ought to pursue injustice, as Thrasymachus advises, or in accordance
with the conclusions of the argument to prefer justice.
Certainly, he replied, we must do as you say.
Shall we follow our old plan, which we adopted with a view to clearness, of taking the
State first and then proceeding to the individual, and begin with the government of
honour?--I know of no name for such a government other than timocracy, or perhaps
timarchy. We will compare with this the like character in the individual; and, after that,
consider oligarchy and the oligarchical man; and then again we will turn our attention to
