The Influence Of Plato In The Republic

Western philosophy has been around since before the time of Jesus. Few philosophers have had as much influence on the world as Plato in western philosophy. Born over 400 years before Jesus, Plato’s influence may be second only to Christianity in this day and age (outside of eastern philosophy). One of Plato’s greatest works, and considered by many his masterpiece, is The Republic, which is widely read today and covers many topics. In The Republic, Plato presents many interesting ideas and thoughts that look to expand one’s wisdom and knowledge of the world. Plato uses a unique style of writing and welcomes controversy and opposing opinions. Some of the main concepts covered are justice, both on an individual and societal level, what is the

This entails a ruler (guardian) ruling with just intentions and having others in mind, or a craftsman (producer) performing his duties crafting material objects for those in need, and auxiliaries (warriors) that protect the city-state from foreign enemies looking to do harm. Socrates inquires to identify the virtues of a city and the soul as a process of function. The city is complex, with many functions such as provisions, protections, and rule over the land. Justice, then, on a social level is obtained by agreeing on who should rule.1

Different people are effective at performing different duties, while none are self-sufficient. This is the foundation of a city. Plato takes on a very communistic point-of-view, where a person does their best when they devote their energy to what it is they do best. Performing one’s duties and helping the whole through this mode of work, then receiving from others what they would need. Justice, then, is when a person is practicing what they are best suited to practice. After diving deeply into justice, morality, and virtue, Plato moves to a more metaphysical wisdom

The second State is constructed on principles of communistic point-of-view and ruled by philosophers. The contemplation of the idea of good takes the place of the social and political virtues. This is the section that contains the famous cave, where subjects are held in caves, away from true knowledge. The captives are essentially members of society, living their lives blindly. The subjects’ purpose in life is to free themselves from the shackles and step out of the cave and into the light. As Plato puts it, “imagine people living in a cavernous cell under the ground; at the far end of the cave, a long way off, there’s an entrance open to the outside world. They’ve been there since childhood, with their legs and necks tied up in a way which keeps them in one place and allows them to look only straight ahead, but not to turn. There’s a firelight burning a long way further up the cave behind them, and up the slop between the fire and the prisoners there’s a road, beside which you should imagine a low wall has been built – like the partition which conjurors place between themselves and their audience and above which they show their tricks.”2 Through the pursuit of knowledge and wisdom, a person may be able to free themselves and get out of this metaphorical cave. A wise person is able to understand everything in the light, which is