possible: in its collective sense it would by no means contribute to
the concord of the state. Besides, there would be another inconvenience
attending this proposal, for what is common to many is taken least care
of; for all men regard more what is their own than what others share
with them in, to which they pay less attention than is incumbent on
every one: let me add also, that every one is more negligent of what
another is to see to, as well as himself, than of his own private
business; as in a family one is often worse served by many servants than
by a few. Let each citizen then in the state have a thousand children,
but let none of them be considered as the children of that individual,
but let the relation of father and child be common to them all, and they
will all be neglected. Besides, in consequence of this, [1262a] whenever
any citizen behaved well or ill, every person, be the number what it
would, might say, this is my son, or this man's or that; and in
this manner would they speak, and thus would they doubt of the whole
thousand, or of whatever number the city consisted; and it would be
uncertain to whom each child belonged, and when it was born, who was to
take care of it: and which do you think is better, for every one to say
this is mine, while they may apply it equally to two thousand or ten
thousand; or as we say, this is mine in our present forms of government,
where one man calls another his son, another calls that same person
his brother, another nephew, or some other relation, either by blood
or marriage, and first extends his care to him and his, while another
regards him as one of the same parish and the same tribe; and it is
better for any one to be a nephew in his private capacity than a son
after that manner. Besides, it will be impossible to prevent some
persons from suspecting that they are brothers and sisters, fathers and
mothers to each other; for, from the mutual likeness there is between
the sire and the offspring, they will necessarily conclude in what
relation they stand to each other, which circumstance, we are informed
by those writers who describe different parts of the world, does
sometimes happen; for in Upper Africa there are wives in common who
yet deliver their children to their respective fathers, being guided
by their likeness to them. There are also some mares and cows which
naturally bring forth their young so like the male, that we can easily
distinguish by which of them the