The Love of money - it can be dangerous

Sometimes it is both interesting and instructive to read what the ancients had to say about life in general and in particular about money and wealth. Plato (427 – 347 BC) in his Dialogues, particularly the Republic (Jowett translation) writes about Oligarchy as:-

“A government resting on the valuation of property, in which the rich have power and the poor man is deprived of it.

“The accumulation of gold in the treasury of private individuals is the ruin of Timocracy (for definition of Timocracy, see below); for first they invent for themselves new models of expenditure and wrest the laws to allow of these; for what do they or their wives care about the law? Seeking to rival rich men, the great mass of citizens become lovers of money. The more they think of money the less they honour virtue. At last instead of loving contention and glory, men became lovers of money and money-making; they honour and look up to the rich man and promote him to high office and dishonour the poor man. A law is passed which fixes a sum of money as qualification of citizenship.....

.... There is a further defect, its division. The State is not one but two States, the one of the poor, the other of rich men, living in the same spot and always conspiring against one another....

.... At the same time their fondness of money makes them unwilling to pay taxes. And perhaps the greatest evil of all, a man may sell all that he has and live without participating in any way (the drone); thus poverty arises, and with that arise thieves and cut-purses.”

All this sounds distressingly familiar, doesn’t it? We can all relate to Plato’s comments, which show that human nature hasn’t changed in twenty five centuries (at least)! (refer ‘Republic’ paragraphs 550 c and d, 551 c and d)

Timocracy:-
Plato defines this as, “An intermediate state between Oligarchy and Aristocracy (Aristocracy according to Plato is a state ruled by philosopher kings – rule by the wise) ... unique in the fear of philosophers as rulers (preferring passionate, less complex characters more fitted to war than peace) and on the value placed on military stratagems and contrivances, and in the waging of everlasting wars. Like the Oligarchy in the covetousness of money.... They will spend large sums of money on women, and other others who please them .... they will spend that which is another man’s on the gratification of their desires, stealing their pleasures and running away like children from the law...” (‘Republic’, para. 547c)

Oh dear; Oh deary me!! I wonder where I have heard all this before – it seems that we never learn! There are ways of escaping the maelstrom that we are descending into, but I don’t know how many times I have to repeat it; – have some sort of moral compass, establish your values, connect with and honour the universal virtues and live an ethical life. It cannot be that difficult surely? Unless of course you love money more, in which case the status quo remains.