"I was curious to know how this prince, to whose dominions there is no access from any other country, came to think of armies, or to teach his people the practice of military discipline. But I was soon informed, both by conversation, and reading their histories. For in the course of many ages they have been troubled with the same disease to which the whole race of mankind is subject; the nobility often contending for power, the people for liberty, and the King for absolute dominion. "
(last paragraph of Chapter VII, Part II)
It seems clear from this passage and from Swift's description of both the Lillipution and Brobdingnagian (?) cultures that Swift believes some problems are universal to mankind. But would he consider all problems universal? Does he allow for any significant difference between cultures, or is it all relative? Our narrator is pretty loyal to England, but I wonder if Swift actually agrees. Is any form of government truly better than another? And is there no hope of escape from this cycle of war? Is it inevitable that every government will become corrupt? This reminds me a lot of Plato's Republic and his devolution from timocracy to tyranny.
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