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Cicero's Concept of the Commonwealth

mmonwealth, Cicero uses the character of Philus to deny the existence of any true, or universal, justice, because "experience and observation teach that there is no agreement about what is just, either in religious customs or in legal practice" (Sabine and Smith 53). In essence, how can laws be just, when mankind can't agree on what is just? Cicero uses the dialogues to argue his assertions, while presenting some arguments of his Greek predecessors (as represented by Philus).

Some definitions will prove useful at this point. Cicero's own definition of a commonwealth necessitates that it must be (1) a gathering together for the sake of mutual advantages and pleasures, (2) of adequate size to insure a universality of good, (3) unified in terms of feeling and interest in the peoples' affair ("populi res"), and (4) united by the peoples' agreement about the laws which are to govern them (Sabine and Smith 51).

Sabine and Smith note that, toward the end of the dialogue, Cicero argues, again, through Scipio, that "if justice is not present in a government, such a government is not in any sense a true commonwealth"

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Cicero's Concept of the Commonwealth. (1969, December 31). In LotsofEssays.com. Retrieved 12:34, March 28, 2024, from https://www.lotsofessays.com/viewpaper/1689924.html