good citizen

confers benefit by his expression, a nod of the head, his silent obduracy, his very walk.

Recast in definition form from: “… his silent obduracy, by his very walk he confers benefit. …”

sometimes serves best by surviving: Rome thanked Varro, who escaped Cannae, above Paulus, who died there, because he had not despaired of the commonwealth.

Recast in definition form from: “Of those two Consuls at the battel of Cannes, I account Varro a more excellent citizen, who escaped, than Paulus that was slain; & so did the Senate & people of Rome judge, giving him thanks publikely for that he had not lost all hope, nor despaired wholly of the commonwealth.”

need not be a good man: a well-built state pits selfish forces against each other until each person is compelled to be, if not morally good, at least a good citizen.

Recast in definition form from: “And hence, from the standpoint of reason, the result will be the same as if both forces did not exist, and each individual is compelled to be, if not a morally good man, yet at least a good citizen.”

good citizen, n.Definitions

good citizen