Free Political Propositions

...is attempted. And if they now desire and will this best state so powerfully, would it be difficult to persuade them of such? But if the Deceiver, so as not to be called a Deceiver, now feigns that these are merely tricks to bring the wild and dull human to a better hearing of reason, I, in turn, ask him: where has this ever succeeded or benefited any people with such tricks? And I affirm at once that nothing other than one's own imperfect and clinging weaknesses, stirred up by excessive greed and ambitious desires, are the cause of all deceitful mistreatments and pretended tricks regarding our fellow man. No one can then deny that, just as the whole is greater than its part, the wisdom and knowledge of an entire people for their own benefit and particular well-being, in all occurrences, is greater and reaches further than the knowledge of one or a few among that same people. And accordingly, that no wisdom, however great, by anyone in particular among any people, much less by anyone outside that same people, can be claimed, upon which the entire people, regarding the commonwealth, could calmly and, as it were, safely rely without looking back. For there shall be, nor can there be, a greater reason for suspicion regarding some silently lurking deceit than when someone would want one to calmly, without the slightest concern, let everything regarding the commonwealth depend solely and only upon his word and governance.

But perhaps someone, seeing and noticing this clearly, will press and insist that, in order to achieve greater concord and swift decisions—which are hindered by the multi-headedness and * difference of opinions of the entire people—one should let the care and governance of the commonwealth rest and depend solely and most safely upon the most sensible and best among that same people. To which I would not seek to object so very much, if one knew how to provide sufficient assurance of such a means by which one could accurately, clearly, and indubitably pick and choose the most sensible and best among them, so that no aptitude would remain for the others. And not only that, but also—which would be the most important of all—no less assurance that those same presumed most sensible and best people would always and inseparably remain devoted and inclined toward the commonwealth as their own, to seek and observe it unfeignedly at all times. Just as it has also been shown to be impossible that they, even if they wanted to, could know how to perform this on their own as well as with the entire people together. Both the one and the other are impossible to do: for all people, in seeking and pursuing, cannot—given the nature of their boundless desires—fail to always seek their greatest advantage and well-being according to their ultimate and best concepts. And so, it is also not possible that any person (of Saints, who are perhaps rarely found, and even less so among humans...

(N.B.) Not the multi-headedness and diversity of opinions, but the multitude of conflicting interests of a Council, even if consisting of few heads, are the cause of discordant counsels and often disadvantageous, as well as slow, decisions.