Christian Analysis of "The Republic of Plato"
4. Book IV
BOOK IV
Adeimantus interrupts Socrates and points out that his plan would not make rulers happy by restricting ownership, refusing to pay wages other than food alone, and hindering their movement through a lack of funding, unable to give gifts to lady companions, or have a life of happiness that the other city dwellers enjoy (420a, b). Socrates establishes that happiness cannot be based upon any one class of people, but what is best for the city as a whole (420b).
Purple-eyed statue
Socrates uses the example of not painting the fairest eyes of a sculptured statue purple, the most beautiful color in existence. Though both the eyes and the color purple the fairest parts, together they create an image that is untrue. But, if the eyes are subdued by black paint, but all the other parts colored to their appropriate tint, the end result will work together in unity to form that is fully beautiful (420c).
He likens this example to the necessary obligation to deal with each class of the city appropriately in order to make the city as good as possible for the whole. When money is part of an individual’s and city’s market, then acquisition of wealth or the fall into poverty creates producers that cease making their products well (421d). Wealth produces luxury, idleness, and innovation and poverty produces illiberality, wrongdoing, and innovation (422b). Thus, the guardians must guard against this possibility if a just city is to be founded by preventing the city from making and distributing money.
A just city without currency would receive support of a neighboring city promised the spoils of war with the protection of the best warriors against invasion. But, the city without money must ensure that the boundaries of the city remain manageable for the rulers. The guardians must be tasked with keeping it from being too little or too big (423b).
The education of the guardians that has been developed in the logos with a harmonization of gymnastics, music, and philosophy should place them in a position to settle any disagreements amongst the citizens of the city. Therefore, there is no need for laws to govern the people. The judgment of disagreements can be accomplished by rulers that have been properly educated.
The Founding of the Just City
Socrates announces that the Just City is founded fully in the logos, and encourages participation in the discussion to see “…where the justice might be and where the injustice, in what they differ from one another, and which the man who’s going to be happy must possess…”[1] (427d). He suggests and examination of the four Greek virtues of wisdom (428b), courage (429a), moderation (430d), and justice (432b), to see if the just city is good.
Wisdom is discovered in the just city in the smallest group of citizens, the true guardians. It is this small group of ruling guardians that express enough knowledge in their judgment that brings wisdom to bear (429a).
Courage is found among the auxiliary guardians that have come to them through their perfect education of gymnastics and music. Those that have received this harmonization of education are able to preserve that given to them to protect, just as the color purple is preserved on a carefully dyed cloth (429d; 430a, b).
Moderation is discovered, once again, in the ruling guardians, whose nature is well-trained and better than the weaker community it guards. “But the simple and moderate desires, pleasures, and pains, those led by calculation accompanied by intelligence and right opinion, and those ones born with the best natures and best educated,”[2] are determined by Socrates to exhibit the trait of moderation (431c). But, unlike wisdom and courage which is limited to a small group, moderation is spread throughout the citizens, but made difficult to master in the oppressed minorities, such as children, women, domestics, and slaves (432a; 431c). For those of weak moderation, the desires of the common are mastered by the desires and prudence of the more decent few (431d). A unanimous desire for moderation must rule in the city and among dwellers with the stronger helping the weaker, causing the citizen’s to chant in unity (432a). Moderation is connected with the decision of who should rule, and the concept that those best suited for each job are doing actively participating in that work.
The Definition of Justice
Socrates and his listeners finally arrive at their goal, the definition of justice. It is this definition they sought after since the logos was first developed beginning with Book I. Socrates says that justice is probably “the practice of minding one’s own business – when it comes into being in a certain way”[3] (433b).
Socrates explains that the definition of justice was found “after having considered moderation, courage, and prudence, this is what’s left over in the city; it provided the power by which all these others came into being; and once having come into being, it provides them with preservation as long as it’s in the city. Money-making, auxiliary, and guardian classes doing what’s appropriate, each of them minding its own business in a city, is justice and what would make the city just (434d).
Greatest Harm to the City is Injustice
“Meddling among the classes, of which there are three, and exchange with one another is the greatest harm for the city and would most correctly be called extreme evil-doing”[4] (434c).
Definition of Justice Tested With Man Association
Socrates reminds them that their whole purpose to discover the justness was to identify it in a person. Since the city was bigger, it would be much easier to dissect its nature to arrive at a conclusion. Now, Socrates suggests that they apply their finding of the definition of justice to a single man, and if the two agree, then everything is fine. But if something turns up different in their examination of justice in a man, then they must go back to the city and test it to confirm or readjust their definition.
Three Forms of Virtue within a Man
Socrates claims there are three forms within a soul that can be known by examining human desires. The rational part of the soul seeks truth, the spirited part wants honor, and the appetitive part lusts for drink, food, sex, and especially money. These three parts of the soul correspond to the three classes in the just city. The producing class has most prominent the appetitive aspect of the soul, the auxiliaries shows the spirited side, and the guardians exhibit reason through their love of knowledge (437a-443e).
As with the just city, each of the parts of the soul minds their own business (443b). The rational part, however, rules the spirited which rules the appetitive (calculating). When a soul is ruled by spirit, it seeks honor (spirited); ruled by appetite seeks wealth, goods, drink, food, and sex (desiring). The just soul seeks knowledge to bring reason to the forefront (441a).
Each part of the soul can potentially rebel in an effort to take control. When all three parts are harmonized perfectly, as in the just city, and the nature of the man is ruled by the proper one accordingly, the body is healthy. But, sickness occurs when one is ruled by a form that is contrary to his nature (444c, d).
Justice in the Man
Justice in a man then is not exactly minding a man’s external business; rather, justice is found in the soul when each part of the soul stays out of each other and other people’s business (443d). In Socrates’ words:
“He doesn’t let each part in him mind other people’s business or the three classes in the soul meddle with each other, but really sets his own house in good order and rules himself; he arranges himself, becomes his own friend, and harmonizes the three parts, exactly like three notes in a harmonic scale, lowest, highest, and middle. And if there are some other parts in between, he binds them together and becomes entirely one from many, moderate and harmonized. Then, and only then, he acts, if he does act in some way – either concerning the acquisition of money, or the care of the body, or something political, or concerning private contracts. In all these actions he believes and names a just and fine action one that preserves and helps to produce this condition, and wisdom the knowledge that supervises this action; while he believes and names an unjust action one that undoes this condition, and lack of learning, in its turn, the opinion that supervises this action.”[5] (443d)
These three parts, working together establish the virtue of justice. But, there are as many types of the ruler of a soul, as there are regimes that rule a city:
Christian Application
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