In Plato’s Republic the philosopher creates an ideal efficient state built on a system that places people into one of three social classes based on their natural inclinations as a young child. Plato divides the people of the ideal state into the three main social classes: guardians, auxiliaries, and craftspeople. Each class has a very ...
Plato’s concept of freedom involves the attainment of a perfected form of society. His theoretical republic embodies this freedom in a way that most Americans would not see as a free society at all, but rather a strictly controlled community. Philosopher-kings were Plato’s conception of what a perfect ruler or rulers would be like. Freedom ...
Socrates begins this book by first putting the discussion of the tyrannical man aside for the moment, and instead exploring the natures of the desires. According to him, some of the unnecessary desires are totally lawless; they are awakened in sleep and pursued while dreaming, no matter how shameful. This untoward dreamlike behavior is exacerbated ...
A Renaissance man is renown for his multiple proficiencies. Perhaps he is apt in science, as well as politics and economy, similar to Benjamin Franklin. Or maybe he is a skilled tradesman, interpreter, and negotiator, among several other things. Such were a few of Thomas More’s countless abilities. These skills allowed More passage into positions ...
Anyone who has known me for nearly any length of time will know that I am what qualifies as a gigantic Star Trek fan; whether it is the Original Series with Kirk and Spock, The Next Generation with Picard and company, or Voyager with Captain Janeway. With the upcoming release of the next Star Trek ...
In Plato’s Republic, virtues like moderation and courage are key. They are examined through the construction of the ideal city-state to explain how the soul of a human should be composed. Courage is important in order to uphold what one believes and to fight for ideas that are just. It is also necessary to control ...
Within philosophy, Plato’s Allegory of the Cave is almost unparalleled in its fame as a way of describing the human condition. Written as a conversation between the philosopher Socrates and Glaucon, it is contained within Plato’s Republic, written more than 2,400 years ago. Since then, it has been referenced in a John Lennon song and ...
Too often students become entirely lost when trying to understand philosophy. Professors only make matters worse with complicated explanations and poor examples, leaving students in the dark. Philosophy can be frustrating, but it does not have to be, and many sites have popped up trying to explain things like Plato’s “Cave” metaphor, but still don’t ...
One thing that becomes profoundly evident in Book III of Plato’s Republic is that he is not an advocate of such modern concepts as free speech or academic freedom as far as education is concerned. His primary concern is the education of the guardians, the ruling/protector class of the state, and the qualities these individuals ...
Plato’s Republic is generally regarded as his greatest work, and is certainly his most well-known; most undergraduates in the West will be exposed to it at some point in their college careers. The central theme of the Republic is justice: in the individual and in the state. However, at several places in the work, Plato ...
