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ἂν -- ἄριστα. The political applications of this principle are developed from II 369 E onwards: cf. IV 433 A ff.

ἀκούσαις κτλ. The rapid succession of questions makes it possible to dispense with ἄν in the second: cf. II 382 E.

φαῖμεν. See cr. n. If φαμέν is retained, ἄν will belong to εἶναι (cf. VI 493 C), but it is inappropriate here to make εἶναι future or hypothetical. Schneider, while retaining φαμέν, refers ἄν to δικαίως, “ut sensus sit: οὐκοῦν, εἰ ταῦτα τούτων φαμὲν ἔργα εἶναι, δικαίως ἂν φαῖμεν”—a harsh and unnatural view. We may either drop ἄν and keep φαμέν, as (with one of Stobaeus' MSS Flor. 9. 63) I formerly did: or change φαμέν to φαῖμεν. The latter solution is easier and better. Similarly in φαῖμεν below (353 D) the ι is due to A^{2}. See also Introd. § 5.

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