Averroes' Paraphrase of Plato's Republic

This also, once they have been brought to belief and persuaded of the knowledge of the first principle and the end, as much as has been granted to them, will indeed be helpful; and all the more so if there is added that other element, namely, that they are already disposed toward other moral virtues and manual arts. Furthermore, moral virtues and those practical arts are confirmed in their souls by the former way (which we have mentioned), namely, by leading them to the actions of those arts and virtues through both of these types of speech: that which is persuasive, and that which excites the affections, which are the things that lead to good morals. This type of discipline is, for the most part, suitable for those citizens who from their tender years have been accustomed to similar things. And of these two ways of discipline, the former is more agreeable to nature. The latter, however, is the one whose use is especially against adversaries and those hateful to us, and those who refuse to adhere to those due virtues; which way someone might name as one that chastises both with blows and with harsher words. Yet it should escape no one that for this latter way, there is no place among the citizens of this most excellent Res Publica Republic; or, if it is understood to exist in any way at all, it is not by that highest kind of punishment, which is proper to the art of war and military duty. But some other nations are so wicked, and so minimally obedient to virtue, and their morals are

the way in which persuasion of exciters or castigation is given to virtues