Politics

​And to use leisure seems itself to contain pleasure and happiness and living blessedly. And this is present not to those who are busy but to those who use leisure. For the person who is busy acts for the sake of some end as not being present, whereas happiness is an end, which all think is accompanied not by pain but by pleasure. However, they no longer posit this pleasure as the same, but each according to themselves and their own disposition, and the best person posits the best pleasure and that which comes from the most beautiful things. So it is clear that one must also learn certain things and be educated with a view to the occupation in leisure, and that these subjects of education and these studies are for their own sake, whereas those looking to business are necessary and for the sake of other things. Therefore, those of old also placed music in education, not as being necessary (for it has nothing of this sort) nor as being useful (as reading and writing are useful with a view to money-making, household management, learning, and many political actions, and drawing also seems to be useful with a view to judging the works of artisans better), nor again as gymnastics is with a view to health and vigor (for we see neither of these arising from music); it remains, then, for the occupation in leisure, into which indeed they are seen to introduce it. For that which they think is the pastime of free persons, in this they class it. Therefore Homer wrote thus: “but such a one alone is it right to call to a rich feast,” and after having spoken beforehand of certain others, “who call a singer,” he says, “who may delight them all.” And in other passages Odysseus says that this is the best pastime, when, while men are making merry, “the banqueters throughout the house listen to a singer, sitting in order.” That, therefore, there is a certain education in which one must educate one’s sons not as being useful or as being necessary, but as being liberal and beautiful, is manifest; but whether it is one in number or more, and what these are and how, must be spoken of later concerning them. But for the present, so much has become of service for our way, that we have some testimony also from the ancients from the established subjects of education; for music makes this clear. And furthermore, that even of the useful subjects, children must be educated in some of them not only because of their usefulness, such as the study of reading and writing, but also because it is possible for many other studies to arise through them; and similarly also drawing, not so that they may not make mistakes in their private purchases, but so that they may be free from deceit in the purchase and sale of utensils.