his mother, or his mother giving birth to him. Likewise, he has not witnessed the births of his family members or the inhabitants of his town, yet he must acknowledge that this woman is so-and-so’s mother and that this is her son. Ordinarily, only some women witness a birth. Likewise, people must know that their fathers and mothers were born, that their grandparents died, and that people die in general, although not everyone has personally witnessed the deaths of those absent from him.

Each person must also seek another’s assistance in securing some benefit or warding off some harm. The other comes to him and prepares food, drink, or clothing for him. These things are obtained through various crafts and exchanges whose details he has not personally witnessed; rather, he learns of them from the reports of those directly involved. Likewise, concerning what takes place in his village or town—the circumstances of its inhabitants, their occupations, and those aspects of their lives on which his interests depend—not everyone knows everything through direct observation. Rather, some witness these things and inform others, and they even inform one another about nearby towns and their circumstances.

No one of sound mind can fail to recognize that the food he eats and the clothing he wears have been brought to him from a place he has not seen and produced through various means, most of which he has not witnessed. Likewise, every nation must have a leader who is obeyed and a prominent figure from among its people