Considérations de SOCRATE sur le gouvernement idéal relaté par PLATON dans 'La République'(4 siècles Av JC) Voir auteurs des traductions sur la page SOHCAHTOA

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Une certaine vision de l'organisation sociale par Socrate,qui le fit condamner à Athènes en 399 Av JC pour atteinte à l'ordre public.
C'est Platon,quelques années plus tard,qui a relaté ces reflexions philosophiques dans ses écrits.

Ne sais tu pas que l'amour
de l'argent et de l'honneur
passe pour chose honteuse,
et l'est en effet!
A cause de cela les gens de bien
ne veulent gouverner
ni pour les richesses, ni pour l'honneur
car ils ne veulent point etre traités de mercenaires en exigeant un salaire,
ni de voleurs tirant de cette fonction des profits secrets.
C'est pourquoi prendre le pouvoir de son plein grè
sans que la necessité nous y contraigne
risque d'etre taxé de honte...

Si une cité d'hommes bons venait à l'existence,
il semble qu'on y lutterait
pour échapper au pouvoir
comme maintenant on lutte pour l'obtenir !

LE VERITABLE GOUVERNANT N'EST POINT FAIT,
EN REALITE,POUR CHERCHER SON PROPRE AVANTAGE

PLATON
(Traduit par L BRISSON,J F PRADEAU,C DALIMIER,
M CANTO,L A DORION,M DIXSAUT,L GUILLERMIT,F ILDEFONSE,L CORDERO,M NARCY)

Integral English version: http://www.constitution.org/pla/repub_01.htm

Don't you know that ambition and avarice are held to be, as indeed they are, a disgrace? Very true it is !
And for this reason, I said, money and honour have no attraction for them; good men do not wish to be openly demanding payment for governing and so to get the name of hirelings, nor by secretly helping themselves out of the public revenues to get the name of thieves.
And not being ambitious they do not care about honour.
Wherefore necessity must be laid upon them, and they must be induced to serve from the fear of punishment.
And this, as I imagine, is the reason why the forwardness to take office, instead of waiting to be compelled, has been deemed dishonourable.
Now the worst part of the punishment is that he who refuses to rule is liable to be ruled by one who is worse than himself.
And the fear of this, as I conceive, induces the good to take office, not because they would, but because they cannot help — not under the idea that they are going to have any benefit or enjoyment themselves, but as a necessity, and because they are not able to commit the task of ruling to any one who is better than themselves, or indeed as good.
For there is reason to think that if a city were composed entirely of good men, then to avoid office would be as much an object of contention as to obtain office is at present;
then we should have plain proof that the true ruler is not meant by nature to regard his own interest, but that of his subjects;
and every one who knew this would choose rather to receive a benefit from another than to have the trouble of conferring one.