ecting the
departing glory of Hellas. As well might we complain of St. Augustine,
whose great work 'The City of God' originated in a similar motive, for
not being loyal to the Roman Empire. Even a nearer parallel might be
afforded by the first Christians, who cannot fairly be charged with
being bad citizens because, though 'subject to the higher powers,' they
were looking forward to a city which is in heaven.

2. The idea of the perfect State is full of paradox when judged of
according to the ordinary notions of mankind. The paradoxes of one age
have been said to become the commonplaces of the next; but the
paradoxes of Plato are at least as paradoxical to us as they were to his
contemporaries. The modern world has either sneered at them as absurd,
or denounced them as unnatural and immoral; men have been pleased to
find in Aristotle's criticisms of them the anticipation of their own
good sense. The wealthy and cultivated classes have disliked and also
dreaded them; they have pointed with satisfaction to the failure of
efforts to realize them in practice. Yet since they are the thoughts of
one of the greatest of human intelligences, and of one who had done
most to elevate morality and religion, they seem to deserve a better
treatment at our hands. We may have to address the public, as Plato does
poetry, and assure them that we mean no harm to existing institutions.
There are serious errors which have a side of truth and which therefore
may fairly demand a careful consideration: there are truths mixed with
error of which we may indeed say, 'The half is better than the whole.'
Yet 'the half' may be an important contribution to the study of human
nature.

(a) The first paradox is the community of goods, which is mentioned
slightly at the end of the third Book, and seemingly, as Aristotle
observes, is confined to the guardians; at least no mention is made of
the other classes. But the omission is not of any real significance, and
probably arises out of the plan of the work, which prevents the writer
from entering into details.

Aristotle censures the community of property much in the spirit of
modern political economy, as tending to repress industry, and as doing
away with the spirit of benevolence. Modern writers almost refuse to
consider the subject, which is supposed to have been long ago settled
by the common opinion of mankind. But it must be remembered that the
sacredness of property is a notion far more fixed in m