Pagina 499 de 734

In the deflections from the constitutional forms, just as the

principle of Justice is but small so is the Friendship also: and

least of all in the most perverted form: in Despotism there is

little or no Friendship. For generally wherever the ruler and the

ruled have nothing in common there is no Friendship because there

is no Justice; but the case is as between an artisan and his

tool, or between soul and body, and master and slave; all these

are benefited by those who use them, but towards things inanimate

there is neither Friendship nor Justice: nor even towards a horse

or an ox, or a slave qua slave, because there is nothing in

common: a slave as such is an animate tool, a tool an inanimate

slave. Qua slave, then, there is no Friendship towards him, only

qua man: for it is thought that there is some principle of

Justice between every man, and every other who can share in law

and be a party to an agreement; and so somewhat of Friendship, in

so far as he is man.