Cobblers Quote by Plato
“... the community suffers nothing very terrible if its cobblers are bad and become degenerate and pretentious; but if the Guardians of its laws and constitution, who alone have the opportunity to bring it good government and prosperity, become a mere sham, then clearly it is completely ruined.”
About This Quote
Source Dialogue: The Republic, Book VII
If the guardians become corrupt, the state collapses despite otherwise good citizens.
In simple terms: Bad leaders ruin a society.
Key Takeaway
Demand integrity from leaders.
Themes
politics
leadership
corruption
societal health
Mood
cautionary
philosophical
Type
critical
thought‑provoking
When to use this quote
- government
- nonprofits
- community groups
- corporate boards
Key Concepts
ethics
social contract
governance
Questions to Reflect On
- Who holds guardians accountable?
- Can institutions prevent elite decay?
A Different Perspective
Even with good citizens, a corrupt elite can cause systemic failure.
![“...those who sit at their work and are therefore called 'chair workers,' such as cobblers and tailors, suffer from their own particular diseases ... [T]hese workers ... suffer from general ill-health and an excessive accumulation of unwholesome humors caused by their sedentary life ... so to some…” quote by Bernardino Ramazzini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/5e1/bernardino-ramazzini-41586_accumulation_those-who-sit-at-their-work-and-are-ther_614122.jpg)
![“Other people had strived for freedom and promise and ratatatata but the Constitution [of USA] was the first time we codified it aspirationally and wrote it down and put it up on a wall and said, "this is us." If your father was a cobbler, and his father was a cobbler, and his father was a cobbler…” quote by Ben Dreyfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/b5c/ben-dreyfuss-43214_cobblers_other-people-had-strived-for-freedom-and_267365.jpg)
