be saved and hoarded up without end; the reason for
which disposition is, that they are intent upon living,
but not upon living well; and this desire being boundless
in its extent, the means which they aim at for that
purpose are boundless also; and those who propose
to live well, often confine that to the enjoyment
of the pleasures of sense; so that as this also seems
to depend upon what a man has, all their care is to
get money, and hence arises the other cause for this
art; for as this enjoyment is excessive in its degree,
they endeavour to procure means proportionate to supply
it; and if they cannot do this merely by the art of
dealing in money, they will endeavour to do it by
other ways, and apply all their powers to a purpose
they were not by nature intended for. Thus, for
instance, courage was intended to inspire fortitude,
not to get money by; neither is this the end of the
soldier’s or the physician’s art, but
victory and health. But such persons make everything
subservient to money-getting, as if this was the only
end; and to the end everything ought to refer.
We have now considered that art of money-getting which
is not necessary, and have seen in what manner we
became in want of it; and also that which is necessary,
which is different from it; for that economy which
is natural, and whose object is to provide food, is
not like this unlimited in its extent, but has its
bounds.
CHAPTER X
We have now determined what was before doubtful, whether
or no the art of getting money is his business who
is at the head of a family or a state, and though
not strictly so, it is however very necessary; for
as a politician does not make men, but receiving them
from the hand of nature employs them to proper purposes;
thus the earth, or the sea, or something else ought
to supply them with provisions, and this it is the
business of the master of the family to manage properly;
for it is not the weaver’s business to make
yarn, but to use it, and to distinguish what is good
and useful from what is bad and of no service; and
indeed some one may inquire why getting money should
be a part of economy when the art of healing is not,
as it is as requisite that the family should be in
health as that they should eat, or have anything else
which is necessary; and as it is indeed in some particulars
the business both of the master of the family, and
he to whom the government of the state is entrusted,
to see after the health of those under their care,
but in others not, but the physician’s; so also
as to money; in some respects it is the business of
the master of the family, in others not, but of the
servant; but as we have already said, it is chiefly
nature’s, for it is her part to supply her offspring
with food; for everything finds nourishment left for
it in what produced it; for which reason the natural
riches of all men arise from fruits and animals.
Now money-making, as we say, being twofold, it may
be applied to two purposes, the service of the house
or retail trade; of which the first is necessary and
commendable, the other justly censurable; for it has
not its origin in [1258b] nature, but by it men gain
from each other; for usury is most reasonably detested,
as it is increasing our fortune by money itself, and
not employing it for the purpose it was originally
intended, namely exchange.
Copyrights
Politics: A Treatise on Government from Project Gutenberg. Public domain.
