plato

Essay on Plato’s Republic
by Charles Glenn

For a dialogue that began with a simple challenge to define justice, Plato’s Republic covers a lot of philosophical ground. In his search for the ultimate meaning of justice, truth, and other absolutes, the author manages to introduce his conception of a perfect society. More importantly, however, Plato reveals his idealistic philosophy, best represented by his "myth of the cave."

Socrates, the author’s protagonist, is unwilling to answer a question directly. Instead, true to the "Socratic dialogue" form, he asks his listeners to agree with each step in his series of posits. The result is a very long, drawn out discussion that eventually always traps Socrates’ opponents into agreeing to a position they had previously disagreed with.

After a series of such arguments, he begins to create a "perfect state," in which the best part of each person’s nature is maximized and the worst part minimized. He conceptualizes a city in which an elite few, called "Guardians," hold the power and responsibility of governing. From among this class of citizens, according to Socrates, must be drawn an entirely new kind of ruler – the "Philosopher King."

In his efforts to develop a society in which such seemingly contrary attributes (philosopher and ruler) will effectively combine, he creates elaborate systems of social rules for his hypothetical guardians. One of these systems is education, and it is when he begins discussing this that he reveals the radical nature of his idealist philosophy – truth, as most people know it, is merely a shadow. To explain this, he offers an analogy of a cave whose residents are restrained so that they can only see the back wall. Behind them is a low wall, a fire, and the opening of the cave, none of which can be seen by the residents. Outside the cave, the world is operating normally, and the activities of this "real" world cast shadows on the wall of the cave. The residents, of course, mistake the shadows for reality, and when they discuss the definition of justice, truth, good, bad, etc., amongst themselves, they are unknowingly referring only to shadows of the real nature of these things.

Real truth, according to Socrates, is as different from what most people mean when they discuss it, as a real person is from his shadow. In the same way, says Socrates, education must deal with the reality and not the shadows.

The philosopher, says Socrates, is that type of individual who is willing to break free and climb up out of the cave. To be of any use to anyone, however, the philosopher must descend back into the cave and attempt to relate the truth to his fellow residents. In the same way, his "Philosopher Kings" must descend from their education and participate in governing the state, an activity that would seem mundane to any person who had experienced "reality," but is nevertheless a necessity.