Analysis Of Plato's Republic

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Plato who was a Greek philosopher and was the founder of the academy in Athens. Plato was Socrates student, but as education furthered, he began to form his own ideals. Plato’s Republic, translated from the New Standard Greek Text and an introduction by C.D.C. Reeve is the compilation of Plato’s teachings. An incredibly common concept that is discussed throughout the text is the idea of Justice and what it truly means to be just and to live a just life. Plato is asked to argue his definition of justice and explain why his definition is the correct one. Plato is not the only philosopher who analyzes what it means to be just and what it truly means to be considered a good citizen. Aristotle: The Politics is another compilation of texts and teachings …show more content…

Plato believes that the principle of specialization is the only way the city can perform at its highest level. For example, “Well,now, we prevented a shoemaker from trying to be a farmer, weaver, or a builder at the same time, instead of just a shoemaker, in order to ensure that the shoemaker’s job was done well”(Book II, 53, Plato’s Republic). Plato, then goes on to explain the most important aspect of his just city and that is the role of the guardians. He believes that the education of the guardians in the just city is one of the most important aspects of the purification process. “ What, then, will the education be? Or is it difficult to find a better one than the one that has been discovered over a long period of time-physical training for bodies and musical training for the soul?”(Book II, 56, Plato’s Republic). Plato believes that poetry and music are proper tools for the soul and physical training is for the body. The training and proper education should be implemented as they are children so that they grow up in an environment where impurities can be purged. Plato states that the sacrifices of the more aesthetic measure in place of the education form are something that needs to be done in order to change the unhealthy luxurious city into the pure just

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