But whether any person is such by nature or not, and whether it is better and more just to be a slave to any one or not, but all slavery is preternatural, must after these things be considered. It is not however difficult to survey this by a reasoning process, and to learn [the truth pertaining to it] from facts. For to govern and be governed, are not only among the number of things necessary, but also rank among things advantageous. And some persons immediately from their birth are formed to govern, but others to be governed. There are likewise many species of those that govern, and those that are governed; and the better those are who are governed, the better also is the government, as for instance of a man than of a brute. For the work is better which is completed from better materials. But where one person governs, and another is governed, there is a certain work of these. For in all such things as consist of many particulars, and which become one common thing, whether they consist of things continuous or divided, that which governs and that which is governed are apparent. And this is inherent in the nature of every thing that has life. In things likewise which do not participate of life, there is a certain dominion, as for instance in harmony. These things, however, are perhaps too foreign from the present disquisition.
But an animal first consists of body and soul; of which the one is the governor by nature, and the other is governed. It is necessary, however, rather to consider what is natural in things which subsist conformably to nature, and not in things which are corrupted. Hence we must survey the man who is disposed in the best manner both in soul and body, in whom this is manifest. For it would seem that the body of the depraved, and of those who are in a depraved condition, frequently rules over the soul, in consequence of their being disposed badly, and contrary to nature. We may, therefore, as we have said, first survey in an animal the despotic or herile, and political government. For the soul, indeed, rules over the body with a despotic, but intellect over appetite, with a political and royal dominion; by which it is evident that it is advantageous to the body to be governed by the soul, and to the passive part to be governed by intellect, and that part of the soul which possesses reason. But for these to rule equally, or vice versa, for the inferior to rule over the superior, is hurtful to all of them. The same thing likewise takes place in other animals as well as in man. For tame are naturally better than wild animals; and to all these it is better to be governed by man; for thus they obtain safety. Again, when the male is compared with the female, the former is naturally better than the latter; and the former is naturally adapted to govern, but the latter to be governed. And this must necessarily be the case with all mankind. Such men, therefore, that differ as much from others as the soul from the body, or man from brute (but those are disposed after this manner whose work consists in the employment of the body, and in whom this is the best thing they possess),—these indeed are slaves by nature, and it is better for these to be under the dominion we have before mentioned. For he is by nature a slave, who is able to become the property of another person. Hence, also, he is something belonging to another person; and is one who so far participates of reason as to perceive that there is such a thing, without any [further] possession of it. For other animals have no perception of reason, but are subservient to passions. And slaves differ but little from brutes in their use. For assistance in things necessary to the body is derived both from slaves and tame animals. It is the intention therefore of nature, to make the bodies of freemen and slaves different from each other, causing the bodies indeed of the latter to be robust for necessary purposes; but those of the former erect, and useless for such works as slaves are employed in, but useful for political life; and this life is divided into the purposes of war and peace. The contrary however to this frequently happens, viz. that slaves have the bodies of freemen, and freemen the souls of slaves, since it is evident that this is the case. Hence, if some men excelled in body only, as much as the images of the gods, it would be generally acknowledged that other bodies ought to be slaves to them. But if this is true in the body, it is much more just to determine this with respect to the soul. It is not, however, similarly easy to perceive the beauty of the soul, and the beauty of the body. It is evident, therefore, that some men are free and others slaves by nature, and that slavery to the latter is advantageous and just.
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