In Plato’s The Republic, Socrates described the just city- what shall take place in this city, who shall live there and their social hierarchy, among other topics. At the top of the just city’s aforementioned hierarchy is the ruling class. By the end of book V Plato has established that the only appropriate ruler for the just city is a philosopher. Plato offers various arguments to support his claim, with his main arguments revolving around the nature of the philosopher and their expansive knowledge of the world around them and the nature of the just city that he has created. The argument that philosophers are the ideal rulers of the just city is introduced in Book V, in his efforts to persuade Glaucon that the just city is not impossible, …show more content…
Socrates then introduces the idea that, since they have come to understand these truths and amassed great amounts of knowledge, the philosopher is humble, and is humbled by the enormity of the truths and knowledge. This knowledge and these truths also make the philosopher courageous as he no longer fears his death. The philosopher is also considered the optimal leader due to his disregard for wealth and material goods, Socrates clarifies that since his energy and desire are all concentrated on knowledge and truth his appetite will mimic that of a stream, with his mind flowing in the direction of “learning and everything like it” (485d) Socrates says that, assuming he is a “true philosopher, a genuine lover of wisdom, and not a pretend lover of wisdom” (485e) that the pleasures of the mind will be more than enough for …show more content…
Socrates then claims two reasons it is viewed as better for the philosopher to educate those in the cave. First is the utilitarian account. Socrates argues that, at first, the philosopher will be very unhappy in having to return to the cave, but ultimately they will decide it is for the best as afterwards they will be able to continue practicing philosophy on their own and continue to contemplate on the form of the good. In this account, Socrates also argues that the philosopher realizes it is better to return since, should he choose not to, philosophy will be in danger of becoming corrupt inside of the cave, by those who do not possess his same understanding. Overall returning to the cave becomes beneficial for both the individual philosopher and philosophers in general. The second account Socrates argues is that the true philosopher, after he exits the cave will eventually be able to come to understand the true form of the good and after they have achieved this they will always be happy, and will never be unhappy. After realizing the true form of the good philosophers will be psychologically harmonious and happy, and will encourage them to return to the cave so that they may maximize the good by sharing it with others. Socrates argues that even if returning back to the
In his philosophical text, The Republic, Plato argues that justice can only be realized by the moderation of the soul, which he claims reflects as the moderation of the city. He engages in a debate, via the persona of Socrates, with Ademantus and Gaucon on the benefit, or lack thereof, for the man who leads a just life. I shall argue that this analogy reflecting the governing of forces in the soul and in city serves as a sufficient device in proving that justice is beneficial to those who believe in, and practice it. I shall further argue that Plato establishes that the metaphorical bridge between the city and soul analogy and reality is the leader, and that in the city governed by justice the philosopher is king.
In Plato’s reasoning he explains that everyone is born with innate qualifications that make them more fit than others for a certain occupation. He suggests that in this way each person’s function will be completed thoroughly. The same theory applies when deciding how the city with be ruled. Only people who possess superior traits will have the power to rule. These people will pertain to the highest ranking class of the state called the guardian class.
Three of the arguments in the Republic that I agree with stress equality. They include women and men sharing the same responsibilities, having women and children in common, and recognition being based on ability. These would make life less confusing for everyone, and the city would be more efficient as a whole. Another point, which Socrates makes that I agree with, is that the best philosophers are useless to the multitudes. This is because they are the ones that make progress in how society views the world, and not everyone can clearly understand the importance of this. I also agree that the rulers should think like philosophers because after all it is their job to see that the city improves, and that its intentions are just.
According to Pierre Hadot, “Thus philosophy was a way of life, both in its exercise and effort to achieve wisdom, and its goal, wisdom itself. For real wisdom does not merely cause us to know: it makes us “be” in a different way” ( Pierre 265) This explanation of a philosophical way of life is in all ways the definition of Socrates’ life. Socrates made his way through his entire life living in this way, seeking out wisdom, seeking out answers and never once got in trouble with the court until the age of seventy years old. He believed that by telling people about ignorance and wisdom, that he was only doing so for the good of the people. Socrates even goes as far as saying, “I am that Gadfly which God has attached to the state, and all day long and in all places am always fastening upon you, arousing and persuading and reproaching you”(Plato 9). Socrates believes that he was sent from God to show people a different way of life, a life of questioning and reason to which he should teach to all people. When asked if he was ashamed of a course of life of which would likely bring him to an untimely end Socrates says, “you are mistaken: a man who is good for anything ought not to calculate the chance of living or dying; he ought only to consider whether in doing anything he is doing right or wrong” (Plato 7).
This quote can be used to argue what kind things he would say to our society by providing an example of what his beliefs are. He is saying that once we can only become philosophers we will be able to stop indulging ourselves with our senses and only use them when necessary. Socrates point view of philosophy is when one wants to acquire prudence and irrefutable truth, which was discussed in a classroom community among classmates, simply when wants continuously want to learn and can never be satisfied with what they know. By learning, what Socrates means is our soul 's recollecting knowledge that body hinders the soul from remembering. This is seen in Meno where Socrates shows Meno how a boy figuring out the answers to a question is actually recollecting the knowledge instead of learning something new. He would make a statement about our education system and what we currently see as knowledge what was we should see as knowledge. The way we should learn by his definition would be to have classroom discussions sessions as agreed upon by critical think by my classmates and myself in a philosophy course. Socrates would tell us how we would need to focus on recollecting and focus on feeding our soul instead of our bodies, how we would need to make major changes such as our use of technology for only necessary uses and not merely for mindless entertainment much like how we all use laptops, phones, and the
In the book Republic by Plato, Socrates argues with his colleagues that there is a just city, Kallipolis, and there is a certain way that this just city can be obtained. It involves a semi-communistic form of rule that is guided by a philosopher king and a three-part hierarchy. The hierarchy represents all the people in the city, and is set up in a pyramidal shape to represent the ratios that the three classes make up. The top group, and by far the smallest, is composed of the rulers. The middle group, and still fairly small group, comprises of the warriors. The common people (proles) make up the increasingly dominant bottom portion of the pyramid. The placement of the people in the pyramid also represents the importance of the citizens within each class; with the people on the top (rulers) being most important and the common people of the bottom being the least important. Contrasting to Socrates’ ideas, in The City and Man, Leo Strauss argues that the just city is impossible for two main reasons. Throughout this paper, I will argue for Strauss’ view on the impossibility of the just city. However, I believe that there are other points, besides Strauss’, on why the just city is infeasible. I will then argue through Plato’s text how Socrates’ idea of Kallipolis is unreasonable and defies the ideas of realism.
Socrates evaluates four city constitutions that evolve from aristocracy: timocracy, oligarchy, democracy and tyranny. As a result that these four types of cities exist, four additional types of individuals who inhabit them also exist. Although these city constitutions evolve from aristocracy, Socrates deems aristocracy to be the most efficient, therefore the most just, of the constitutions because the individuals within it are ruled by the rational part of the soul.
During the time period of The Republic, the problems and challenges that each community was faced with were all dealt with in a different way. In the world today, a lot of people care about themselves. For many people, the word justice can mean many different things, but because some only look out for themselves, many of these people do not think about everyone else’s role in the world of society. The struggle for justice is still demonstrated in contemporary culture today. One particular concept from Plato’s The Republic, which relates to contemporary culture is this concept of justice. In the beginning of The Republic, Socrates listeners, Cephalus, Polemarchus, and Thrasymachus, ask Socrates whether justice is stronger than injustice, and
Throughout The Republic, Plato constructs an ideal community in the hopes of ultimately finding a just man. However, because Plato’s tenets focus almost exclusively on the community as a whole rather than the individual, he neglects to find a just man. For example, through Socrates, Plato comments, “our aim in founding the
The citizens of Socrates’ Republic are divided into three classes. Those who are deemed fit to rule, the philosopher/rulers, are those who have been chosen to pass through several stages of training and preparation. They are the most fit to rule, because the...
One of Plato's goals in The Republic, as he defines the Just City, is to illustrate what kind of leader and government could bring about the downfall of his ideal society. To prevent pride and greed in leaders would ensure that they would not compromise the well being of the city to obtain monetary gains or to obtain more power. If this state of affairs becomes firmly rooted in the society, the fall to Tyranny begins. This is the most dangerous state that the City become on i...
Plato believes that the principle of specialization is the only way the city can perform at its highest level. For example, “Well,now, we prevented a shoemaker from trying to be a farmer, weaver, or a builder at the same time, instead of just a shoemaker, in order to ensure that the shoemaker’s job was done well”(Book II, 53, Plato’s Republic). Plato, then goes on to explain the most important aspect of his just city and that is the role of the guardians. He believes that the education of the guardians in the just city is one of the most important aspects of the purification process. “ What, then, will the education be? Or is it difficult to find a better one than the one that has been discovered over a long period of time-physical training for bodies and musical training for the soul?”(Book II, 56, Plato’s Republic). Plato believes that poetry and music are proper tools for the soul and physical training is for the body. The training and proper education should be implemented as they are children so that they grow up in an environment where impurities can be purged. Plato states that the sacrifices of the more aesthetic measure in place of the education form are something that needs to be done in order to change the unhealthy luxurious city into the pure just
The Republic is an examination of the "Good Life"; the harmony reached by applying pure reason and justice. The ideas and arguments of Plato center on the social settings of an ideal republic - those that lead each person to the most perfect possible life for him. Socrates was Plato's early mentor in real life. As a tribute to his teacher, Plato uses Socrates in several of his works and dialogues. Socrates moderates the discussion throughout, as Plato's mouthpiece. Through Socrates' powerful and brilliant questions and explanations on a series of topics, the reader comes to understand what Plato's model society would look like. The basic plan of the Republic is to draw an analogy between the operation of society as a whole and the life of any individual human being. In this paper I will present Plato’s argument that the soul is divides into three parts. I will examine what these parts are, and I will also explain his arguments behind this conclusion. Finally, I will describe how Plato relates the three parts of the soul to a city the different social classes within that city.
In conclusion, Plato draws all the elements of his perfect city-state and started it by the kings. Those kings have to understand the good, because all the achievements of society will rely on them. Therefore all the evidence and Plato’s information of philosopher king will be useful for uniting people.
In Plato’s Republic, the main argument is dedicated to answering Glaucon and Adeimantus, who question the reason for just behavior. They argue it is against one’s self-interest to be just, but Plato believes the behavior is in fact in one’s self-interest because justice is inherently good. Plato tries to prove this through his depiction of an ideal city, which he builds from the ground up, and ultimately concludes that justice requires the philosopher to perform the task of ruling. Since the overall argument is that justice pays, it follows that it would be in the philosopher’s self-interest to rule – however, Plato also states that whenever people with political power believe they benefit from ruling, a good government is impossible. Thus, those who rule regard the task of ruling as not in their self-interest, but something intrinsically evil. This is where Plato’s argument that justice is in one’s self-interest is disturbed. This paper will discuss the idea that justice is not in one’s self-interest, and thus does not pay.