In duties

based on a highly precise hierarchy. The homeland is at the top of the pyramid. In truth, the entire Ciceronian ethical system is built upon the sanctity of the homeland. If the homeland is worth sacrificing everything for, then it is, first and foremost, worth occasionally violating a set of ethical rules – primarily the rule that integrity trumps utility – in order to preserve it and protect the integrity of its territories.

Second in rank are the elites of society: philosophers, consuls, advisors, senators, judges, lawyers, and military leaders. The general public comes in third, without

• Category: Thought and Philosophy

• Number of pages: 205 pages

this classification diminishing their value,