Essay - Plato's Republic Introduction the Purpose of This Paper Is to...

PLATO'S REPUBLIC

INTRODUCTION

***** purpose of this paper is to compare and discuss Pla*****'s belief that the love ***** wisdom must be joined with political power if there is to ***** well being in his work, "The Republic."

DISCUSSION

Pla***** wrote "The *****" sometime around 360 B.C. ***** narrator of the book is Socrates, who was Plato's teacher ***** mentor. The core theme of the ***** is "justice," and creating a "just" society, or what came to be known as a Utopia. Central to this core theme are several other key ingredients, including the love of wisdom, political *****, and personal ***** being. Plato begins the book with a search for what ***** is, ***** by the end of the first book, Socrates admits ***** he still ***** not sure ***** is "*****."

***** says, "I do not think that I misapprehend your meaning, Thr*****ymachus, I replied; but still I cannot hear *****out amazement ***** you class injustice with wisdom and virtue, and justice with the opposite." Later, the players switch their classing of justice, and agree that ***** ***** ***** are indeed part ***** what make up "just." Already, ***** is defining justice as ***** wisdom, which is setting the stage for furthering these beliefs as "The Republic" continues.

*****n the second book, Socrates and his friends begin to discuss and then plan ***** perfect city, ***** is just, ***** where all the inhabitants ***** happy. He defines ***** love of wisdom as they are deciding how to educate the guards who will keep the city safe. "And is not ***** love of learning the love ***** w*****dom, which is philosophy? They are ***** same, he replied. And may we not say confidently of man also, ***** he who is likely to be gentle to his ***** and acquaintances, must ***** nature be a lover of wisdom and knowledge?"

Here he clearly defines that ***** finds a lover of ***** is *****, "gentle to his friends and *****," ***** a philosopher. He makes it clear that these are ***** only desirable traits, but also necessary in a just society such ********** they are *****.

Education is one of the most important principles of ***** "Just City" that Socrates and his friends ***** creating, ***** one who loves learning and wisdom ***** go far in the leadership of this city. Socrates advocates testing all the children ***** the city to find who have ***** traits that make a good le*****der, traits such as "the correct mix of intellectual tenacity, spiritedness and aggressiveness, and philosophical moderation. That ***** ***** would test for these traits, even those of the lower classes, s*****s ***** Pla***** felt everyone had the ability to lead, no matter their origins, ***** was not a popular belief at the time.

The children's education would not be easy, ********** Socrates felt "Then, as I was saying, our youth should be trained from the first in a stricter system, for if amusements become lawle*****, and the youths ********** become *****ss,