Economics

Ah, Socrates! rejoined Critobulus, I see you are eager to avoid giving me any help towards lightening the weight of my troublesome duties. Not at all, not at all, said Socrates, I am all eagerness to tell you all I know.

Suppose that you had come to me for fire, and I, having none by me, had taken you to some place where you could get it; you would not, I think, have found fault with me: or, if you had asked for water, and I, having none myself, had brought you to some other place for it, I feel sure that you would not have found fault with me for that either: or, suppose you wanted to learn music with me and I directed you to persons far more skilled in music than I am, who would be grateful to you for taking lessons with them, what fault could you find with me for doing so?

None, if I were fair, Socrates.Well then, Critobulus, I will direct you to others far more skilled than I in the things you now seek to learn from me. I confess that I have made a point of finding out who are the greatest masters of various sciences to be found in Athens.

For observing once that the same pursuits lead in one case to great poverty and in another to great riches, I was filled with amazement, and thought it worth while to consider what this could mean. And on consideration I found that these things happen quite naturally.

For I saw that those who follow these pursuits carelessly suffer loss, and I discovered that those who devote themselves earnestly to them accomplish them more quickly, more easily and with more profit. I think that if you would elect to learn from these, you too with God’s favour would turn out a clever man of business.

Socrates, exclaimed Critobulus on hearing this, I don’t intend to let you go now, until you have proved to my satisfaction what you have promised in the presence of our friends here to prove. Well then, said Socrates, what if I prove to your satisfaction, Critobulus, to begin with, that some men spend large sums in building houses that are useless, while others build houses perfect in all respects for much less? Will you think that I am putting before you one of the operations that constitute estate management? Yes, certainly.

And what if I show you next the companion to this—that some possess many costly belongings and cannot use them at need, and do not even know whether they are safe and sound, and so are continually worried themselves and worrying their servants, whereas others, though they possess not more, but even less, have whatever they want ready for use?What is the reason of this, then, Socrates?

Is it not simply this, that the former stow their things away anywhere and the latter have everything neatly arranged in some place?Yes, of course, arranged carefully in the proper place, not just anywhere.Your point, I take it, is that this too is an element in estate management.

Then what if I show you besides that in some households nearly all the servants are in fetters and yet continually try to run away, whereas in others they are under no restraint and are willing to work and to stay at their posts? Won’t you think that here too I am pointing out to you a notable effect of estate management?Yes, of course; very much so.