Topic 5 - Cicero

MARCUS TULIUS CICERO

05/03/23 [email protected] 1

INTRODUCTION• Aristotle was the last Greek

great philosopher to think exclusively in terms of the city-state.

• Athens: widespread participation of the citizens.

• However the city-states were unable to develop and hold together a federation that could withstand the pressure of Macedonian imperialism. They were defeated and became dependent fraction of the empire.


INTRODUCTION• Events that make Greek

political thought irrelevant:– (1)The destruction of the

polis by Alexander the Great. Create empire: different languages, people and cultures: new problem of governance:• A. labeling himself as

king and God: merged the divine and secular. All political power vested in one person


INTRODUCTION

• B. New meaning to citizenship and duties: problem to create institution to represent all people.

• C. The meaning of political geography and authority; what community the people are members? Who rule? What are justification for political authority?


INTRODUCTION• Attempt to redefine The

relationship of the individual to the community:– Stoicism

• The proper role for humans in the universe is a life lived according to nature

• Emphasizes a universality emcompassing a commitment to human equality and membership in a world community that transcends existing political boundaries.


INTRODUCTION• Two schools of thought that

expressed their disappointment and frustration from the failure of city-state.

• The Epicureans– Athens– Rejected the Aristotelian

principle that man is by nature political animal.

• The Cynics– Made their appeal to the poor

and the disfranchised– Proposed that the distinction

between men is the distinction between the wise man and the fool. The wise men are self-sufficient; the fool requires the institutions and conventions of political society.

– Stoicism: a highly significant development of political thought originated from Cynicism.


The Stoics• By 320 B.C: Athens was

under the control of Alexander.

• City-state was more generally regarded as an anachronism, and disillusionment was wide spread.

• A new philosophy is needed: Cynicism was too harsh and too negative.

• Stoicism was developed: by Zeno and Chrysippus


STOICISM

• Is a philosophy:– Proper role for humans in the universe is a life

lived according to nature.– Universality encompassing a commitment to

human equality and membership in a world community transcends existing political boundaries

– All citizens are equal– Emphasis on law and legality


Stoicism

• Rejected the idea that who one is has importance. What one is that matters.– If one is good, it makes no difference whether one

is Greek or barbarian, slave or free, rich or poor.– Man is master of his one fate


Stoicism• Goodness in man is conformance with nature.– Nature is the force that seeks perfection through growth.– Nature is a law that acts upon and governs all living things.– Nature is absolute and inexorable, and always beneficent.– Common tie among wise man was that they recognized

the universality of nature and the necessity of their own submission to it.

– The good man lived and acted as he did because it was the “right” thing to do, because there was a law and it had to be obeyed….thus men received satisfaction.


Stoicism and Roman Thought• By 167 B.C Rome had

defeated Macedon.• The teachings of Greek

Philosophers were well known to Romans.

• Through doctrines of Stoicism, the Romans found suitable philosophy.

• The Romans was attracted to the Stoic principle that life is a stern calling, to be devoted to duty and to be lived in accordance with nature.


Stoicism and Roman Thought

• Stoicism was inadequate:• It merely emphasized self-sufficiency rather than

public service• It was too exclusive, confining the applicability of its

doctrine to the “ wise men”• It lacked in humaneness to attract widespread support.

• Stoicism was altered to made it applicable to all men.

• The influence of Stoicism upon Roman was great and apparent through Cicero


CICERO (106-43 B.C)• A lawyer, a statesman, a consul• His writings:

• On the Commonwealth– Addressed mainly the

topic of the best political regime

• On the Laws– Discussed the

institutional and legal instruments necessary to maintain and order the ideal republic.

• .

• Developed and spread the idea of Stoicism


CICERO (106-43 B.C)

• On Duties


The Commonwealth• On public duty and example of

such duty:– He stated that defending the

commonwealth is the highest obligation individuals have. Then only the obligations to gods, family and parent.

• Type of authority to hold the commonwealth together;– Pure types of states,

monarchy, aristocracy, and democracy. They were characterized by the love of subjects and reason, wisdom, or freedom respectively. But the mixes of all three are preferable.


The Commonwealth

• Reasons for mix government:– Adopting a mixed

government can prevent the government from degenerating into corrupt form.

– It achieves a balance between the values of a monarchy and those of an aristocracy


On the Laws• 1. Ensure Justice and

harmony• A true commonwealth is a

government that produces harmony, but harmony is obtained only when the state is a true people’s affair, that is, one that binds the people together according to the law.

• Good laws protect the equal rights of all.

• Commonwealth seeks concord or balance. Concord can be achieved when justice is the aim of the law


On the Laws

• 2. Applicable to all people• “ If justice is natural, then nature would have

laid down our laws; all people would be subject to the same laws; and the same people would not be subject to different laws at different times. Now I put the question to you: If it be the duty of a just man and a good citizen to obey the laws, what laws should he obey?” Philius.


On the Laws

• 3. Basic Guidance for Human Actions• “there is in fact a true law- namely, right reason- which is in

accordance with nature, applies to all men, and is unchangeable and eternal. By its commands this law summons men to the performance of their duties; by its prohibitions it restrains them from doing wrong. Its commands and prohibitions always influence good men, but are without effect upon the bad. To invalidate this law by human legislation is never morally right, nor is it permissible ever to restrict its operation.”


On the laws

• 4. Constitution of the world– “ There is a law of

nature which is the constitution of the world. It is the same for everyone everywhere.”


On the laws• 5. Universally imprinted on all minds• “Laws is the highest reason, implanted in Nature,

which commands what ought to be done and forbids the opposite.”

• Features of laws;– Law is a natural force– A command from the gods– It’s the origin of justice– It is an eternal standard– The ‘right reason’ contains justice: Those who have reason

have the capacity to know what the law is because it is “universally imprinted on all minds”


On the Laws

• 6. Eternal– Everyone has the potential to

know the law as long as he or she lives in harmony with nature.

– Eternal law is a standard by which we can distinguish between good and bad human laws. Both must have the purpose for ‘justice’ and safety of the citizens.


Law of Nature

• 7. Equal ability to understand– Men are equal

• have the capacity to reason, can understand it.

– Men share the same characteristics everywhere.

– Men may be corrupted by bad habits, and justice is not always done, but men have received right reason and they are equal under the law.


Law of nature

• 8. Principle of true commonwealth– Government are people united for certain loves,

such as greed. Law is the guiding principle of the true commonwealth, and a true commonwealth, is a group of people united in the love of justice.

– True commonwealth promotes concord if it brings human law and ideal law together.


Law of Nature

• 9. Law for citizens and non-citizen– Not merely citizens are equal but all men.– Slave, nevertheless a human being with capacity

to reason, has rights that must be respected.– State has an inescapable obligation to act

according to principles of the natural law.– State laws must be in accord to the law of nature.

05/03/23 [email protected]

Law of nature

• 10. Describe a true commonwealth– That can hold people together– It is not only based on a system: Democracy could

easily degenerate into mob rule just as monarchy could turn into tyranny or aristocracy into oligarchy.

– Only government represented by all three of the possible governing elements. Monarchy, aristocracy and democracy could provide the necessary degree of stability.


Law of nature

• 11. Equal participation of people– Since all men can reason and can understand the

natural law, they are entitled to a share in the exercise of political power.


On Duties• (1) What rules to guide human behaviour?

– Concept of “decorum” / (good manners)or sense of ‘fitting’ to seek to use the intellect to ensure that the soul is in harmony with nature.

– It helps one to understand duties according to rankings:• To gods• To the state• To parents• To children• To other family members• To friends• To others

– Leaders must protect the interest of citizens over their personal interest. He must give precedence/priority to the majority interests over the faction


On Duties

• (2)Leaders:– Protect property rights– Abstain from burdensome taxation– Ensure all have abundance of necessities in life– Remain above suspicion and corruption.– Maintaining good reputation– Have ability to persuade: public speaking


Review:

• The differences between Greek and Roman political thought:– Greeks see the essence of politics as involving

common involvement within the polis, while the Roman, the aims of politics is toward creating and maintaining an empire.

– Greeks emphasizes more the shared communal values of the polis, especially education and political participation, the Roman mythologize their leaders and value power and power politics


Review: continue-– The Greek abhor self-interest and political

factionalism as dangers to politics, the Roman readily recognize that self-interest, power, and party competition are at the heart of politics

– The Greeks stress civic education and participation, commonality, loyalty to the polis, and disdain for self interest, The Roman seek to deal with the problem of self-interest in a large, heterogeneous political system, which cannot grant the same level of participation and citizenship duties as in a small, homogeneous political community.


Review-continue-

– Instead of engaging in speculative politics, such as the idea of the good(Plato), the Roman thinkers stressed the practical and the applied: Ex. Plato argued that acquisition of knowledge and virtue is its own good, Cicero states that virtue must be applied, and that true knowledge lies in action, speech and practical affairs.


Conclusion• Cicero offer an approach to understand politics within the

context of a larger and more diverse community.• He defines the hierarchy of roles and duties to be assumed

by the individual, family , state, religion, and men and women.

• His emphasis on describing a commonwealth and a statesman or leaders as serving the people forms the basis of ideas that would eventually be used to advocate popular government.

• His theory of natural law serves as a powerful tool of dissent and criticism of the status quo, supporting theories of civil disobedience and others.


Date post:	14-Apr-2017
Category:	News & Politics
Upload:	fatin-nazihah-aziz
View:	192 times
Download:	1 times

Topic 5 - Cicero

News & Politics