The Reflection Of The Republic

Reading The Republic has been a great eye opener. Knowing that Plato and Socrates dabbled in philosophical thinking excited me even more to read the book. Although I disagree with the way in which the argument was carried out, I love how Socrates questioned many of the things that he noticed was wrong within his government as well as with the thinking process of his fellow citizens—I believe this whole time he was trying to tell his counterparts that the government in which they live is corrupted and there needs to be a change.

With that being said, there are many ideas and concepts Socrates mentioned that created serious dialogue within my thoughts and struck me as worth noting. Primarily, it was very significant for me when Socrates shone

“While I was contemplating on the logistics of the parable, I stumbled upon a thought: If the partially unrighteous and the perfectly righteous are allowed to enjoy the same reward, with one of the two categories being delayed by some time of punishment, what is the point of giving much effort in trying to be good? …It even goes against Socrates’ notion of the importance of the just man being completely good or else he is not just. It also clashes against the importance of pursuing the higher intellectual realm because even those who are not above that realm will enjoy the same “heavenly delights and visions of inconceivable beauty” that is the reward for those who do little to great good.” (quoted from my last assignment). When I noticed this contradiction, it became apparent to me that we must question the validity of everything “normal” in our society and our lives. I strongly believe that people who have grown up being spoon fed their thoughts and ideas would benefit greatly from noticing this quirk because they will find the purposefulness or the uselessness of many things in their lives that guide them in their daily crafts. I also think that people who have been surrounded by things that are far from the guide lines of normalcy would benefit from noticing this

I relate to this because all my life, or at least for as long as I can remember, I have tried to be perfect at everything because that’s how I was raised to think—that I am “the best” and that anything that I have accomplished or that anyone has accomplished before me, I could do even better. Though this thought process is helpful in the sense that it led me to be a persistent child growing up, it also led to me wanting to be a perfectionist and having anxiety at times when I couldn’t achieve exactly what I had in mind. “In the text, Socrates gives an example of a hypothetical situation where a man who is a trader by nature forcibly becomes a warrior because of the potential benefits that may arrive with the obtainment of the duty. With his inadequacy, his decision places the citizens of the state in danger… when one gives themselves to their natural craft, they help the State and are actively contributing to keep it out of harm 's way.” (quoted from one of my reflections) This realization helped me to see that I am not meant to be everything and anything; I am not perfect and that’s okay. Though I shouldn’t give up my passions, I should narrow down what I would like to do in life to what I am skilled at and to what I enjoy. I believe people like me in the world would benefit from hearing that. Some people stress