In contrast with Moses, Solon wastes no words with legalisms–he sums up everything inthree words: do good things. This is an essential moral principle, lacking fromthecommands of Moses, which allows one to qualify all the others.
Let us now turn to the Ten Commandments of Solon (Diogenes Laertius, Lives ofEminent Philosophers, 1.60), which run as follows:
1. Trust good character more than promises.
2. Do not speak falsely.
3. Do good things.
4. Do not be hasty in making friends, but do not abandon them once made.
5. Learn to obey before you command.
6. When giving advice, do not recommend what is most pleasing, but what is mostuseful.
7. Make reason your supreme commander.
8. Do not associate with people who do bad things.
9. Honor the gods.
10. Have regard for your parents.
Unlike the Commandments of Moses, none of these is outdated or antithetical tomodernmoral or political thought. Every one could be taken up by anyone today, of anycreed–except perhaps only one. And indeed, there is something much more profound in thesecommandments. They are far more useful as precepts for living one’s life. Can society, cangovernment, prevail and prosper if we fail to uphold the First Commandment of Moses? Byour own written declaration of religious liberty for all, we have staked our entirenational destiny on the belief that we not only can get by without it, but we ought toabolish it entirely. Yet what if we were to fail to uphold Solon’s first commandment? Thedanger to society would be clear–indeed, doesn’t this commandment speak to the heartofwhat makes or breaks a democratic society?
Isn’t it absolutely fundamental thatwe nottrust the promises of politicians and flatterers, but elect our leaders and choose ourfriends instead by taking the trouble to evaluate the goodness of their character? This,then, can truly be said to be an ideal that is fundamental to modern moral and politicalthought.
Now, two of the commandments of Solon are almost identical to those advocated by Moses:do not speak falsely, and have regard for your parents. Of course, Solon does not restricthis first injunction to false accusations or testimony against others, as Moses does.Solon’s commandment is more profound and thus more fundamental, and is properlyqualifiedby the other commandments in just the way we believe is appropriate–for Solon’s rulesallow one to lie if doing so is a good deed (no such prescription to do good appearsinthe Ten Commandments of Moses). And whereas Moses calls us to honor our parents(in theHebrew, from kabed, “to honor, to glorify”), Solon’s choice ofwords ismore appropriate–he only asks us to treat our parents in a respectful way (inthe Greek,from aideomai, “to show a sense of regard for, to have compassion upon”),which we can do even if we disobey or oppose them, and even if we disapprove oftheircharacter and thus have no grounds to honor them.
In contrast with Moses, Solon wastes no words with legalisms–he sums up everything inthree words: do good things. This is an essential moral principle, lacking fromthecommands of Moses, which allows one to qualify all the others. And instead of simplycommanding us to follow rules, Solon’s commandments involve significant socialandpolitical advice: temper our readiness to rebel and to do our own thing (whichSolon doesnot prohibit) by learning first how to follow others; take care when making friends, andstick by them; always give good advice–don’t just say what people want to hear; shun badpeople. It can be said without doubt that this advice is exactly what we need in order tobe successful and secure–as individuals, as communities, and even as a nation.The idealsrepresented by these commandments really do rest at the foundation of modern Americanmorality and society, and would be far more useful for school children whose greatestdangers are peer influence, rashness and naivete.
There is but one that might give a secularist pause: Solon’s commandment tohonor thegods (in the Greek, timaô, “to honor, to revere, to pay due regard”).Yet when we compare it to the similar First Three Commandments of Moses, we seehow muchmore Solon’s single religious commandment can be made to suit our society and our civicideals: it does not have to restrict religious freedom, for it does not demandthat webelieve in anyone’s god or follow anyone’s religious rules. It remains in the appropriateplural. Solon asks us to give the plethora of gods the regard that they are due,and we can say that some gods are not due much–such as the racist gods and gods ofhellfire. In the end, it is good to be respectful of the gods of others, whichwe can doeven if we are criticizing them, even if we disbelieve in them. This would remain true toour most prized American ethic of religious liberty and civility. Though it might betterbe rendered now, “Respect the religions of others,” there is something fittingin admitting that there are many gods, the many that people invent and hope for.
It is clear then, that if anyone’s commandments ought to be posted on schoolandcourthouse walls, it should be Solon’s. He has more right as the founder of ourcivicideals, and as a more profound and almost modern moral thinker. His commandments are morebefitting our civil society, more representative of what we really believe andwhat wecherish in our laws and economy. And indeed, in the end, they are essentially secular. Isit an accident that when Solon’s ideals reigned, there grew democracies and civil rights,and ideals we now consider fundamental to modern Western society, yet when theideals ofMoses replaced them, we had a thousand years of oppression, darkness, and tyranny? Is itcoincidence that when the ideals of Moses were replaced with those of Solon, when mendecided to fight and die not for the Ten Commandments but for the resurrectionof Atheniancivil society, we ended up with the great Democratic Revolutions and the socialand legalstructures that we now take for granted as the height and glory of human achievement andmoral goodness? I think we owe our thanks to Solon. Moses did nothing for us–his lawswere neither original nor significant in comparison. When people cry for the hanging ofthe Ten Commandments of Moses on school and court walls, I am astonished. Solon’s TenCommandments have far more right to hang in those places than those of Moses. TheAthenian’s Commandments are far more noble and profound, and far more appropriate to afree society. Who would have guessed this of a pagan? Maybe everyone of sense.