Politica

II-III The Family

Politica_001-050.indd 27 1/11/12 10:09 PM 11-111 The Family II THUS FAR WE HAVE DISC USSED the general elements of politics. We turn now to types of association or of symbiotic life. Every association is either simple and private,1 or mixed and public.2§ 1 The simple and private association is a society and symbiosis §2 initiated by a special covenant (pactum) among the members for the purpose of bringing together and holding in common a particular interest (quid peculiare). This is done according to their agreement and way of life, that is, according to what is necessary and useful for organized private symbiotic life. Such an association can rightly be called primary, and all others derivative from it. For without this primary association others are able neither to arise nor to endure. The efficient causes ofthis simple and private association and §3 symbiosis are individual men covenanting among themselves to communicate whatever is necessary and useful for organizing and living in private life. Whence arises the particular and private union and society among the covenanters, whose bond (vinculum) is trust granted and accepted in their communication of mutual aid, counsel, and right (jus) 3 And such an association, because it is smaller than a public and universal one, also requires less extended communication, support, and assistance. The members of the private association are individuals har- §4 moniously united under one head and spirit, as members of the same 1 [family and collegium.] 2 [city, province, and commonwealth.] 3 [just structure or order.] 27 Politica_001-050.indd 28 1/11/12 10:09 PM 28 Politica body. For, as Petrus Gregorius says, "just as there is one end for the sake ofwhich nature made the thumb, another the hand or foot, still another the whole man; so there is one end to which nature directs the individual man, another the family, and another the city and realm. But that end is most to be esteemed for which nature made the whole man. Accordingly, it is not to be thought that since there is a defmite end for each type ofassemblage there is none for the whole, nor that since there is order in the parts of human life there is only confusion in the more inclusive kind of life, nor lastly that since the parts are united among themselves by reason of their intending one end the whole itself is disunited."4§5 The particular interest that is communicated among the symbiotes by a special covenant ofthis kind, and through which they are united as by a certain bond, consists in symbiotic right (jus symbioticum ),5 together with structure and good order for communicating it§6 with consensus, mutual service, and common advantage. Symbiotic right is what the private symbiote fulfills on behalf of his fellow symbiote in the private association, which varies according to the§ 12 nature of the association. . .. Because of this symbiotic right, the private association often performs as one person, and is acknowledged to be one person.. . .§ 13 There are two types ofsimple and private association. The first§ 14 is natural, and the second is civil.6 The private and natural symbiotic association is one in which married persons, blood relatives, and inlaws , in response to a natural affection and necessity, agree to a definite communication among themselves. Whence this individual, natural, necessary, economic, and domestic society is said to be contracted permanently among these symbiotic allies of life, with the same boundaries as life itself. Therefore it is rightly called the most intense society, friendship, relationship, and union, the seedbed of every other symbiotic association. Whence these symbiotic allies are called relatives, kinsmen, and friends.§ 15 This simple and private natural association is nourished, fostered , and conserved by private functions and occupations through 4 De republica, V, 5, 13. s(See page 19, footnote 10.] '' [the family and the collegium respectively.] Politica_001-050.indd 29 1/11/12 10:09 PM The Family 29 which these associated symbiotes communicate each to the other every aid and assistance needed in this symbiosis. They do this according to the judgment ofthe chiefand the laws (leges) ofgood order and proper discipline prescribed by him for inferior symbiotes. These functions are §16 either agricultural, industrial, or commercial. ...7 Moreover, there are §37 two kinds of private and natural domestic association. The first is conjugal (conjugalis), and the second is kinship (propinqua...