w that government represents
the interest of the strong; {149} primarily of the ruler himself,
enabling him to aggrandize himself at the expense of the weak. But in
the Second Book the sceptic is made to suggest that government
represents rather the interest of the weak, since it affords him a
protection which he is not strong enough to afford himself. Now the
moral of this paradox lies in the fact that government represents the
interest neither of the strong nor of the weak, but of the community as
a whole. This moral is virtually pointed in the reply which Plato
makes to the first of these two sceptical positions. The ruler gains
his power and prestige not from the exploitation of the interests of
his subjects, but from his protection of them. His activity touches
all the interests of the community, and is tolerated only in so far as
it conciliates them. In other words, his strength is drawn wholly from
the constituency which he serves. The many individual interests, on
the other hand, owe their security to that concentration and
organization which centres in the ruler. They only participate in a
power which the ruler may exercise and enjoy as a unit. But unless
that power be engaged in their service it ceases to exist. It is not a
personal power, but a permanent function, through which the many
interests of society unite, and so share severally the security, glory,
and resourcefulness of the whole body.

{150}

Government in this sense is both a necessity and an opportunity.
Suppose men to be in contact through propinquity or common descent.
Divided among themselves they are prey to natural forces, wild beasts,
or human enemies. But acting as a unit they are sufficiently strong to
protect themselves. He who wields them as a unit to this end is for
the time-being the ruler; and to submit to his leadership is simply to
submit to the necessity of protection. Or, divided among themselves,
they remain in a condition of poverty and fear; while united they can
wage an aggressive campaign against nature, and against those who
threaten them or possess what they lack. Again, he who settles their
internal differences, accomplishes their organization, and makes it
effective, is their ruler; and he owes his authority to the opportunity
of conquest which his leadership affords.

The fact that government is thus of natural origin, the inevitable
solution of an inevitable problem, has been obscured through confusing