the republic
The Republic by Plato (427-347 B.C.) is a basically an examination of the "Good Life," or the harmony achieved by applying pure reason and justice. As a typical Plato piece, the book itself is a series of arguments between Socrates, Plato's mentor, and several other theorists. They argue issues concerning the social conditions of an ideal republic, which is chiefly Plato's vision projected through the book's words into our minds' eye. The book contains many ideas that really made sense to me and that surprised me because you could apply these standards to any group of people, of any race, and any economic background anywhere in the world. Even more surprising is that this was written so long ago and yet still today we are reading Plato's theories, but I don't think we're really paying attention, looking at all the chaos in the world today. In the story, Socrates is returning to Athens from a festival when he meets Polemarchos on the road. Polemarchos insists that Socrates accompany him home where they greet his father and start right into a discussion of old age. Socrates says, "It seems right to enquire of them [meaning the elderly men], as if they traversed a long journey which perhaps we will have to traverse." This
This may be due to my tendency to be a perfectionist, but I remember my dad's lessons in life to include balance also and moderation in all things in order to achieve a happy and successful life. Socrates discusses censorship in even more depth and urges a delicate balance between gymnastic and "musical" education. I have long email discussions with my grandfather in California, with whom I am very close. Thrasymachos, another theorist, offered his definition of justice in the argument as being "nothing but the advantage of the stronger. The next topic of discussion with Socrates concerns justice or "doing the right thing. This reminds me of my philosophy studies of the id, ego, and superego and also how there must be that balance between all three in order for an individual to function at his/her best. He discusses next the elements that make a city-state virtuous. He believes the philosopher would make the best ruler because he/she would act most just and civil and show the most ideal "harmony" in ruling over the passions and appetites of the other two classes. By doing these instructions, we avoid chaos and create the ideal republic, as envisioned by Plato. I expect myself to study hard, work hard, and play hard. Like the Epic of Gilgamesh, Plato's book sets out to teach a lesson. The rest of the story, I must summarize. Socrates believes that the ruler should live at a common level with his/her people and that the city should supply all of its needs, rather than have the ruler conduct "dealings with gold or silver. " Socrates believes that "right living" is basically dutiful service to others and doing that which is "appropriate" to the person and situation are the prerequisites to individual happiness and prerequisites for avoiding chaos within a republic.
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