The principles are important. First, the interest of the state or society counts for everything, that of the individual for nothing. Second, the only difference between men and women is one of physical function- one begets, the other bears children. Apart from that, they both can and should perform the same functions - though men on a whole, perform them better and should receive the same education to enable them to do so; for in this way society will get the best value from both.

He who can properly define and divide is to be considered a god.

We obtain better knowledge of a person during one hour's play and games than by conversing with him for a whole year

He who is only an athlete is too crude, too vulgar, too much a savage. He who is a scholar only is too soft, to effeminate. The ideal citizen is the scholar athlete, the man of thought and the man of action.

Even the good artisans fell into the same error as the poets; because they were good workmen they thought that they also knew all sorts of high matters, and this defect in them overshadowed their wisdom.

Aspiring minds must sometimes sustain loss.

The judge should not be young, he should have learned to know evil, not from his own soul, but from late and long observation of the nature of evil in others.