Averroes' Paraphrase of Plato's Republic

several moral virtues and mechanical arts. For many virtues are acquired for the sake of the arts, and in turn, not a few arts are discovered because of the virtues. This is what Aristotle sensed regarding the wars of the most excellent Republic, as Alpharabius records. This, however, seems to have been said by Plato in this book not in the sense that this art was invented for that end, but because of necessity; namely, by this primary institution, so that they might snatch from other cities those faculties which they bear with difficulty that others possess, and this certainly on account of necessity, or because it is better so. A secondary proposal could also be, that they might do it for the sake of protection, so that outsiders might not inconvenience them. This opinion is certainly probable if there were a certain kind of humanity that was inclined toward human perfections, especially contemplative ones. This itself, even if Plato seems to opine this of the Greeks, and we accept them as having the most natural aptitude for receiving knowledge, we cannot deny that others also, and many, are found so affected, as can be seen in the nations near Greece, as well as in our region, Vandalia the region of the Vandals, Samia the region of Samos, and Egypt; certainly, this talent is more frequent in Greece. Nevertheless, even if we concede that, we can say further that, in another type of virtue, nothing prevents another nation from being naturally prepared (as often happens) for some certain virtue, as
why war may be instituted

many virtues are for the sake of the arts; whence also many arts are discovered on account of virtues