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Plato
Philosophy
Ancient Philosophy
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This article is for information and educational purposes only and is not
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Using Plato and his conception of the perfected state in order to compare in how his idea of state-citizen relations compares to how the state and the citizen exist today.
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Introduction
We will not be directly comparing our society with platos ideal. The task is relayed to the reader. It would seem to us the difference is so evident, that there really is no need to literally compare and contrast both societies. Rather, showing a more vivid example of what life would be like in plato's philosopher kingdom.
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The basics of the Republic
The fourth and fifth book of Plato’s Republic concentrates mainly in a Socratic dialogue between Socrates and Adeimantus. The conversation follows a traditional maieutic route in which Socrates educates Adeimantus on the best possible “State”. There is more in these books than just political discourse, but what is of importance to us is on how there is an emphasis on the microscopic aspects of society: individual happiness, and the role the citizen plays towards said society.
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Plato designates no specific order in how he explains how the state should be organized. Rather, as the conversation with Adeimantus flowed, so to did Plato’s ideas on diverse topics. Because of the discontinuous aspect of his literary style, we believe that another approach may serve better to illustrate the ideal relationship between the state and the individual. Therefore, the informational design of this essay will take on the life of citizens and their growth and development up until their death.
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On early childhood
Infants in The Republic are born as a collective, being undifferentiated from each other. “That the wives of our guardians are to be common, and their children are to be common, and no parent is to know his own child, nor any child his parent.” (pg. 254, Book V). Not to say that there will be no parental figures, the traditional familial structure will still be in place; however, to ensure a more streamline control of the individual, the process of undifferentiation begins from the moment of birth, less the individual philosophies disrupt the stability and efficiency of the totality of the state. They are treated as the next generation of citizens with the teleological end of the complete betterment of society. Closer to perfection than their former generation, less perfect than the next. Children are bred from the best parents. As stated by Socrates:
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“The principle has been laid down that the best of either sex should be united with the best as often as possible, with the inferior as seldom as possible; and that they should rear the offspring of the one sort of union, but not of the other, if the flock is to be maintained in first rate condition.” (Book V, pg. 257).
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Officers, whose origin will be assumed to be from the auxiliary class (which we will discuss further) will, at birth, take the infants and separate them from their birth-mothers. Nursing them until an ge when they are capable of being differentiated into their respective social classes.
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On the question of masculinity and femininity, The Republic does not regard any real significant difference between either gender, without including the evident biological differences which define said genders in the first place. When referring to this issue Plato states that as dogs are divided into: he’s and she’s, both participating equally in hunting and in keeping watch; so to are humans both equally participating in all duties of the state. Given that both have the same nurture and education.
Whether or not the infant is born male or female is of no importance to the state, both destined to participate in their fullest for the improvement of the state.
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All children are thus brought up with the same education, concentrated in music, gymnastics and the art of war. Plato is very clear in determining the importance of the different natures. Whether the child is more attuned naturally at being a warrior, an artist, a worker, or an intellectual figure head will be essentially determined as he or she matures. As Socrates states:
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“ Plato
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Keywords
plato,
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See Also
Philosophy
The Republic
The World Of Ideas
Facism
Society
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References
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Bibliography
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