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Narcissism and Plato’s Reluctant Politician
The relationship between political participation and narcissism
Plato’s idea of the reluctant politician transcends history.
From Plato’s Republic [347b-d]:
“…that is why the good are not willing to rule either for the sake of money or of honor. They do not wish to collect pay openly for their service of rule and be styled hirelings nor to take it by stealth from their office and be called thieves, nor yet for the sake of honor, for they are not covetous of honor.
So there must be imposed some compulsion and penalty to constrain them to rule if they are to consent to hold office. That is perhaps why to seek office oneself and not await compulsion is thought disgraceful. But the chief penalty is to be governed by someone worse if a man will not himself hold office and rule.
It is from fear of this, as it appears to me, that the better sort hold office when they do, and then they go to it not in the expectation of enjoyment nor as to a good thing, but as to a necessary evil and because they are unable to turn it over to better men than themselves [347d] or to their like.”
The idea is that the best politicians are reluctant ones, who don’t serve their community for the honour, glory or fun of it. They…
