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All societies that have ever existed have been based on the government of the many by the few, who have used their power to exploit the many in their own interest. The lives of most people have, as a result, been meagre, wretched and oppressed.</u> What has induced the many to put up with this treatment? Force, no doubt, but not only force; for the moral sentiments have also been utilized, the rulers having throughout history made the laws, laid down the lines of education, and set the standards of public opinion, including those of right and wrong, to operate in their own interests. The consequence is that by merely obeying the laws and accepting the standards, the many tend to maintain the power of the few. Our ethical notions, then, are the prop of our ruler's power. This line of thought is first suggested by Plato in his Republic. [早稲田大]
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