Republic by Plato
This post is part of my journey through the classic texts of Western civilization.
By this point, I have read quite a bit of Plato. It was during the reading of this dialogue that the thought truly came to my mind that this was the work of a genius.
Plato's Republic is a stunningly profound work with incredible insight into the nature of man and his psyche. This dialogue is popularly thought of as a work of political theory—Plato does of course spend most of the dialogue discussing the just city and its political organization. Certainly, there is much political insight to be gained from this work, but careful readers will remember that the entire discussion of political affairs was ultimately to examine the individual man. By examining the larger thing we could gain insight into the smaller.
Plato's description of the tripartite soul deserves special attention. Any reader can see the wisdom in Plato's consistent insistence that the rational part of man must rule his other parts, most especially his desires. Justice requires each do its own business and not meddle with other affairs. Each part of a man must stick to its place, not overtaking the place of the other parts or succumbing its role to the other parts. Seeing that it is the rational part that must rule, ultimately the man should dictate his actions according to what coincides with right reason.
Of course, even whilst the political insights are not the main point, there is still much to be learned from the dialogue regarding political theory. The manner in which Plato draws connections from each part of the soul to a different class in the city is particularly noteworthy, and it rings true that the just city must be ruled by those who possess the most wisdom. It the task of the rulers (the philosopher-kings, as Plato famously calls them) to seek after the highest good, namely the Good itself, and unselfishly rule the city with this knowledge. Plato's sharp critiques of democracy should particularly be taken seriously in our day and age.
Republic brilliantly comes full circle with Plato's demonstration that justice is indeed worth pursuing over injustice, even over perfect injustice. The unjust man is a slave to his desires. He has no friends, he betrays those who have done good to him, and he lives in constant fear of retribution from his enemies. He is the most miserable and wretched of all men.
On the contrary, the just man is a happy man, one whose soul possesses concord, temperance, and balance. The just man is not devoured and enslaved by his desires, but is the master of his desires, being ordered rightly. He is the one who has knowledge of truth, goodness, and beauty. Yes, Glaucon, justice is worthwhile.
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