Medieval Political Ideas (Routledge Revivals) by Ewart Lewis

Author:Ewart Lewis [Lewis, Ewart]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: History, Europe, Medieval, Political Science, History & Theory, General
ISBN: 9781136170775
Google: v-3kgOmjVBYC
Publisher: Routledge
Published: 2013-06-26T01:18:04+00:00

CHAPTER XIV

Now, even as the establishment of a city or kingdom is conveniently understood through the analogy of the establishment of the world, so also the nature of governing can be understood through the governing of the world. But, first, it must be noticed that to govern is to bring that which is governed suitably to its proper end. Thus, also, the helmsman is said to govern a ship when through his skill it is brought safely to its harbour by the right route. If, therefore, something is ordained to an end beyond itself, as the ship to the harbour, it will belong to the function of the governor not only to preserve it unharmed but, further, to bring it to its end….

Now there is a certain good, extraneous to man as long as he is in this mortal life: namely, the ultimate beatitude which he hopes for after death in the enjoyment of God…. Whence the Christian man, for whom that beatitude has been won by the blood of Christ, and who to seek it has received the Holy Spirit as pledge, needs another, spiritual office by which he may be guided to the harbour of eternal salvation, and this office is performed for the faithful by the ministers of the Church of Christ.

Moreover, the end of a multitude and the end of one man must be judged to be the same. If, therefore, the end of one man were some good existing in himself, the ultimate end of ruling a multitude would also likewise be that the multitude should attain such a good and remain in it. And if, indeed, such an ultimate end of one man or of a multitude were corporeal, the life and health of the body, the office of the king would be that of a physician. If, however, the ultimate end were affluence of riches, the king would be a sort of household manager for the multitude. If, however, the ultimate end were the good of knowing such truth as the multitude could attain, the king would have the office of a teacher. But it seems that the ultimate end of an associated multitude is to live according to virtue; for this is the purpose for which men congregate: that they may live well together, an end whose attainment would not be possible to anyone who lived alone; now the good life is life according to virtue; therefore, a virtuous life is the end of human congregation. Moreover, the evidence of this is the fact that only those who communicate with one another in living well are parts of the associated multitude. For if men came together for the sake of life only, animals and slaves would be a part of the civil congregation. Or, if for the acquiring of wealth, all who do business together in one city would belong. But we see that only those who are directed to the good life under the same laws and the same government are counted as one multitude.

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