The Republic is a Socrate’s Dialogue with various Athenians and philosophers written by Plato around 375 BC. The republic proved to be a very influential work of Philosophy and Political theory.
Socrates and his fellow philosophers had many concerns and topics to discuss. Some of the questions:
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- How to live well?
- What and how to build the “Ideal” State?
- What are Justice and Injustice? Which is better?
- Who are the Guardians of the state? How to educate them?
- Who are Philosophers and Tyrants?
- What is Good and Evil?
- What is the image and faculties of the soul?
Socrates seems to have touched some kernel of Philosophical truth. In his Dialogue, you can feel his sincere love for truth and philosophy.
He relies mainly on Reason and dialogue (Questioning and answering). {Further critique by Nietzche on Socrate’s method for a later post.}
Guardians of the state:
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- Temperant: Obedient and self-restraint
- Not Allowed: To laugh, To lie, To receive money or gifts, Drunkness, Softness
- Imitators of one thing by voice and gesture
- Educated by Music and Gymnastics
Socrates talks about: The Absolute/Being, The first principles, The essence of all things. To him, reaching there and observing and understanding that “Absolute” by reason and hard study is important. For according to Socrates you will be wide awake = Able to distinguish between essence/absolute/abstract/template/first-principles and mere shadows – reflections of the true being.
Justice:
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- Art that gives Good to friends and Evil to enemies
- Speak of Truth
- Giving to each man what is proper to him
- Virtue
- Useful with money partnerships when money is useless
Philosophers:
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- Lovers of truth, wisdom, learning
- Absorbed in pleasures of the soul
- Have a good memory
- Temperate, courageous, and magnificent
- Hate Lies
- Loves knowledge that shows eternal nature
- Inevitably fall under the censure of the world
- Preserved by some divine power
The philosopher will not rest in the multiplicity of individuals which is an appearance only but will go on the keen edge. He will not be blunted, nor the force of his desire decrease until the philosopher has attained the knowledge of the true nature of every essence by sympathetic and kindred power in the soul, and by that power drawing near and mingling and becoming incorporate with the very being.
Dangers and risks for the philosopher:
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- Own virtues: Courage and temperance. For Evil is a greater enemy to what is good than to what is not
- Ordinary goods of life: Beauty, wealth, strength, rank, and great connections of state
- An overwhelming flood of popular opinion
The philosopher will have the knowledge, live, and grow truly. Then he will cease from his travail.
To be continued,
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