上句见：Day310
The Story of Philosophy《哲学的故事》第1章Plato第5节V. The Political Problem第6段第4句：

The more Plato thinks of it, the more astounded he is at the folly of leaving to mob caprice and gullibility the selection of political officials — not to speak of leaving it to those shady and wealth-serving strategists who pull the oligarchic wires behind the democratic stage. Plato complains that whereas in simpler matters — like shoe-making — we think only a specially-trained person will serve our purpose, in politics we presume that every one who knows how to get votes knows how to administer a city or a state. When we are ill we call for a trained physician, whose degree is a guarantee of specific preparation and technical competence — we do not ask for the handsomest physician, or the most eloquent one; well then, when the whole state is ill should we not look for the service and guidance of the wisest and the best? To devise a method of barring incompetence and knavery from public office, and of selecting and preparing the best to rule for the common good — that is the problem of political philosophy.
浙江大学译本：设法阻止没能力和不诚实的人靠近公共权力，挑选并培养最优秀的统治者来服务公共利益——这就是政治哲学所要考虑的问题。

解析

1、To devise a method of barring incompetence and knavery from public office, and of selecting and preparing the best to rule for the common good — that is the problem of political philosophy.
设计出一种方法，将无能之辈和无赖之徒排除在公职之外，挑选并培养最优秀的、为公共利益服务的统治者——这才是政治哲学的问题所在。
devise: to invent or plan (something that is difficult or complicated)设计；发明；策划；想出
History of Magic was by common consent the most boring subject ever devised by wizard kind.《魔法史》被公为巫师界有史以来设计出的最枯燥的学科。《哈利波特与凤凰社》
knavery: Unprincipled or deceitful behavior, tricker; an unprincipled deed or practice 狡猾
The knavery and extravagance of their stock-jobbing projects are sufficiently known, and the explication of them would be foreign to the present subject.他们那些投机倒把项目中的欺诈行为和铺张浪费已是人尽皆知，而对这些行为的详细解释则与当前的话题无关。《国富论》

这句话指出政治哲学的问题所在，要考虑选拔政治人才。

整段

这段通过类比来指出人们不应如此漠视政治人才。挑选他们有如为自己的脚找专业的鞋匠，又有如为自己的身体寻专业的医生，而不是选个外在的且没经过历练的人。

第6段

将挑选政府官员的权利交给善变的、轻信他的暴民是多么愚蠢，柏拉图越想，越发震惊——更别提将它交给那些在民主舞台后面操纵寡头政治的不见得光且为富人服务的战略家们。柏拉图抱怨道，在像制鞋这样较为简单的事务上，我们认为只有经过专业训练的人才满足我们的需求，而在政治领域上，我们却假定，任何懂得如何赢得选票的人就懂得如何管理一座城市或一个国家。生病了，我们会去找训练有素的医生，他的证书便是受过特定培训及专业能力的证明——我们不会要求找相貌俊美或者最能说会道的医生；那么， 当整个国家“生病”了，难道我们不应该找寻最有智慧的、最优秀的人的服务及指引吗？设计出一种方法，将无能之辈和无赖之徒排除在公职之外，挑选并培养最优秀的、为公共利益服务的统治者——这才是政治哲学的问题所在。

整节

这节到这章也结束了。伦理学的“正义”转入了政治学，人性不简单，理想社会总是不存在，看似完美的民主制也逃不出制度亡于自身准则的宿命。底层是选举，有选举权的人不知道怎么选，只会看外在听鼓吹。人才选拔及培养才是政治哲学应该关心的问题。

政治学问题大总结