I believe that Cicero wrote this book for intelligent individuals who wanted to attain power in life through morally positive avenues; it was written almost as an academic piece. It was also written as a gage with which a person who was reading it could weigh himself.

Cicero begins the volume by relating to us why he has chosen Philosophy as his current field of study, his only field of study. He had once been a political leader but since the government “lay under domination of a single individual” (120) he was angry and sorrowful that he had lost some of his good friends to the uprising. That he was no longer able to practice politics deeply saddened Cicero. So to forget his sorrows he took up philosophy. Cicero believed tha

Finally, Cicero discusses hospitality. Again he maintains that defending someone in the courts is the most effective way of increasing ones popularity. “There is nothing so effective as to defend someone in the courts” (156). Along with defense comes the ability to speak eloquently. “For eloquence is specifically adapted to winning the admiration of one’s hearers” (157). Cicero also notes that if you want to help one group it is imperative not to offend the other group. It is also more important to help the poor than to help those with money and power. Although it may serve some people better to help the rich because they have more power; Cicero believes that helping the poor will echo your character and help one to gain power. I also like the quote by Themistocles, “I like a man without money better than money without a man” (160). I feel the same way, character is much more important than money. Cicero also believes that it is a great duty of ‘”everyone who holds a high governmental office to make absolutely sure that the private property of all citizens is safeguarded” (161). He did not agree with just giving land to the poor and taking it away from its owners. “Citizens shall be allowed the free and unassailed enjoyment of his own property” (164). Cicero also does not agree that the government should levy property taxes. He believes that the government should be run so that there is no shortage of money in the treasury. There are other ways of obtaining the money such as Aratus of Sicyon did. He went to the Egyptians and got a grant from them so that he would more easily convince people to move and accept money for this burden. Cicero was big on making sure that there was not much debt among the people of the country so that it could never constitute a national emergency.

Kindness and liberality are the next topics of Cicero’s discussion. There are two ways in which to help those in need. They are by personal services and by money. Cicero believed that it was more respectable to give of yourself and personally help someone out. The people who give money as a means of help are classified as the extravagant and the generous. Those who are extravagant use their money to show off their wealth with large dinners and gladiator shows. Cicero did not respect them as much as those who helped the less fortunate. For example, those who pay a ransom or dowries. Moderation is the best policy for spending money.

Moral goodness can be classified into three subdivisions. “The first is the ability to distinguish

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