Arts to Be Separated from Statesmanship

The final definition begins (287B) with the Stranger's observation that the art of the king (or statesman) has been separated from many others of similar sort, in particular from other arts concerned with herds. This was accomplished in the course of the initial definition. Directly parallel is the separation of weaving from other arts of prevention, accomplished by the initial definition of the weaver's art (see Figure 5.1 and Table 5.2).

But there are still countless (μυρίοι: 279A3) people who challenge the king in his role of caring for cities (περὶ τὰς πόλεις ἐπιμελείας: 279A2). These others must be separated off as well. It was for this purpose expressly (279A) that the paradigm of weaving was introduced.

By the time the final definition has been completed, statesmanship has been distinguished from four classes of skills that also pertain to the care of cities. For reasons that at first appear unclear, the Stranger is careful to enumerate the membership of each class in specific sequence. Let us begin our examination of this final definition with a consideration of the lists of skills (corresponding to those of Table 5.2) to be separated from the art of statesmanship.

The first group of skills to be set aside fall under the general class of contributory causes (τῶν … συναιτίων: 287B6–7), in contrast to that of direct causes to which the statesman belongs.