Principles of western civilisation

182 WESTERN CIVILISATION CHAP.

relations, and even to the rights of life itself—falls completely within these limits.*

It is not, of course, to be expected that in a period of the world’s history, when the first epoch of social evolution was soon to merge into the second, that conceptions of relationship to the infinite and the universal should be absolutely unrepresented in the thought and literature of the Greek period. But what the scientific observer has always to keep clearly in view is the fact, that so far as such ideas existed, they simply had no relationship to the principles upon which society was constructed. The key to the comprehension of all details is the one never absent underlying assumption that the ideal ends to which consciousness related were in the present time, and comprised within the narrow limits of the associated life of the existing body of citizens.

It may, in consequence, always be distinguished that in the last resort the military ideals overlie and overrule all others. The consistent and growing tendency of the modern epoch has been to ennoble the ideal of work. But it was the business of war and of government, which alone was ennobled in the ancient State. To Socrates it was idleness that was the sister of freedom. Every occupation which required its follower to work and to receive pay was viewed with contempt. It made no difference that the condemnation might and did

1 One of the proposals under discussion is the best method of bearing children to the State. That for which approval is claimed is that woman in the ideal State should bear children to the State to the age of 40, the man being bound to the age of 55. After this the sexes were to be free to follow their own inclinations. If children were afterwards conceived they were not to be brought to the light, or if brought forth, were to be exposed as creatures for whom no provision was made (Af. v.)