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καὶ ἐκείνου. See cr. n. Stobaeus (Flor. 43. 152) reads καὶ ὅτι (or ὅ τι) μάλιστα ἐκείνου κτλ., which is good enough Greek, and would mean ‘whatever policy he thinks by bringing prosperity to the other brings prosperity also to himself,’ ὅ τι being an accusative of respect belonging to εὖ πράττοντος. If the principle of this interpretation is right, I should read ὅ τι ἄν for ὅταν, taking ἄν with ξυμβαίνειν. ἄν loves the shelter of a relative, particularly ὅ τι, and the corruption is the easier because ὅταν in A and other MSS is written ὅτ᾽ ἄν. But φιλεῖν cannot well be said of one's attitude to a policy or course of action; and Hermann's proposal gives a more satisfactory sense. The occurrence of (τοῦτ）ό γ᾽ ἂν μάλιστα just before may be responsible for the slip. It is to be understood—though Plato has not expressly said so—that the guardians believe their own interests to be best consulted by promoting those of their country. μὴ δέ is μὴ δὲ εὖ πράττοντος, and τοὐναντίον is ξυμβαίνειν καὶ ἑαυτῷ κακῶς πράττειν.
The Republic of Plato. James Adam. 1902. Cambridge. Cambridge University Press.
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