Conflicting Points in Plato's Republic

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Conflicting Points in Plato's Republic

In his Plato’s Republic Socrates tries to find the values of an ideal city in order to rightly define justice. Although I agree with most of his ideals for the city, there are also many that I disagree with. Some of his ideas that I accept are that women should be able to share the same responsibilities as the men, having women and children in common, , the recognition of honor based on the self rather than heredity, that the best philosophers are useless to the multitudes, and the philosopher / king as a ruler. I disagree with his views on censorship, having assigned positions in society, his views on democracy, and that art cannot be a respectable occupation.

Three of the arguments in the Republic that I agree with stress equality. They include women and men sharing the same responsibilities, having women and children in common, and recognition being based on ability. These would make life less confusing for everyone, and the city would be more efficient as a whole. Another point, which Socrates makes that I agree with, is that the best philosophers are useless to the multitudes. This is because they are the ones that make progress in how society views the world, and not everyone can clearly understand the importance of this. I also agree that the rulers should think like philosophers because after all it is their job to see that the city improves, and that its intentions are just.

I disagree with his views on censorship, having assigned positions in society, his views on democracy, and that art cannot be a respectable occupation. In books II and III Socrates argues that much of epic poetry that contains false statements about the gods and other immoral subjects should be removed from their city. If the education of the citizens were to be censored in this way, they would not properly be able to learn the divisions between the moral and immoral (just and unjust). In this sense the people may wish to explore what is being censored more than if it were not, and subsequently lead to injustice.

Another one of Plato’s ideas that I disagree with is having assigned positions in society. This eliminates the free choice of the citizens, and they will not be as productive doing something that they are forced to do rather than something they choose.

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