Christian Analysis of "The Republic of Plato"
6. Book VI
BOOK VI
Socrates continues his discussion about the philosopher’s nature that qualifies him to be ruler over the just city. The nature of a philosopher is defined as “those who are able to grasp what is always the same in all respects (484a).” Philosophers are moved toward learning from their youth with knowledge gained adding to their wisdom (485d). The seeking of truth demands moderate behavior; Philosophers forsake pleasure to reach this truth (485e).
Adeimantus brings up the point that Philosophers are not trusted. When people try to talk about truth, little questions steer them a bit askew; but, these little questions add up until eventually the Philosopher has changed their truth (487b). Socrates offers an image of mutiny to explain that exercise (487e, 488a-e). He speaks on untrained men seizing the ship steering from the captain because he looks at the stars for direction. Untrained men have no understanding of why the captain would do this, and feel more qualified than he to steer. “Don’t you think that the true captain will be called a real stargazer, a babbler, and a good-for-nothing by those who sail in ships governed in that way?”[1] (488e)
And that is just part of the job for a Philosopher; Socrates makes the point “Don’t you also share my supposition that the blame for the many’s being harshly disposed toward philosophy is on those men from outside who don’t belong and have burst in like drunken revelers, abusing one another and indulging a taste for quarreling, and who always make their arguments about persons, doing what is least seemly in philosophy?”[2] (500b)
Socrates next tries to convince Adeimantus that there are good Philosophers and bad (vicious) Philosophers, dependent upon the sources of ruin that come to them. Specifically, part of the soul of a Philosopher can be destroyed by courage, moderation, beauty, wealth, strength of body, and even relatives that are powerful in the city (491, b, c). Good Philosophers, if the few can be found, must escape corruption, but those that are able to escape are the most virtuous of men, ruled by their rational soul and always seeking the truth rather than the opinion.
The Philosopher/Kings chosen to rule must come from the best of the best of the guardian class. They must be “lovers of the city, tested in pleasures and pains, and they must show that they don’t cast out this conviction in labors or fears or any other reverse”[3] (503a). He must be known to be “pure, like gold tested in fire,” and then set up as ruler. Gifts and prizes must be given him in life and death.[4] But, by these strict requirements for rulership, comes few candidates; those with the philosopher nature are easily stirred to corruption by their quick minds (503c).
Form of the Good
The most important thing, greater than even justice, for the Philosopher/Kings to know is the understanding of the idea of good (504d, 505a). Socrates analogizes the Form of the Good with three metaphors that relate together and provide more definition than simple words can provide. These three metaphors, in Book VI and Book VII are the sun, the line, and the cave and these lead the listeners to understanding the identity of the philosopher.
1. The Sun – The visible is illuminated by the sun (507d). Because we know this, we can infer about the intelligible world with its “idea of the good.” Thus, reality extends far beyond what can be seen and known by practical man. The soul has the same characterization when it fixes its attention upon that which is illuminated by truth and “that which is, it intellects, knows, and appears to possess intelligence.”[5] The sun is the source of light; but, as a source gives human beings sight to see more than is within sight, which brings knowledge, and makes things exist in the visible realm. It provides the truth when knowledge is received, giving power to the one that knows with an idea of the good (508-509). The Form of Good is the final goal of knowledge. It contains knowledge, truth, and a mind that understands, and exists in the intelligible realm (508e). The sun example reveals the two realms of the visible and intelligible and now Socrates expands the idea with the discussion of the line (509d).
2. The Line – In this example, Socrates imagines a line cut in two unequal segments, one that represents the visible and one the intelligible realm (509e). On the visible segment, images are placed on these segments moving from relative obscurity to relative clarity. The images began with shadows, the appearances within water, then smooth bright things, and then moves up the likenesses of life and artifacts known to humans. This illustrates the ability of man to both hold opinion and knowledge; the opinion is a likeness while knowledge IS the likeness (510a).
Next, Socrates divides the intelligible segment, and cuts it into two parts; in one part of it is to be place a soul, using as images that things that were previously imitated that has compelled investigation to how it will end (basis of hypothesis). “When a soul investigates it is compelled to use hypotheses, and does not go to a beginning because it is unable to step out above the hypotheses”[6] (511a). The images they are given make the hypothesis possibilities clear.
On the other segment that is intelligible without images, is placed the form themselves to determine how it began (free from hypothesis) (509b). This analysis uses steppingstones and springboards to reach the idea that is “free from hypothesis at the beginning of the whole”[7] (511a).
With these two intelligible segments, the argument uses the forms revealed in this process to find make the beginning to the ending truthfully revealed without hypothesis. Going from forms to forms reveals forms in the end (511b).
Four Affectations Arising in the Soul
When these segments are examined in relationship, we find the four affectations arising in the soul (511d):
1. Intellection
2. Thought
3. Trust
4. Imagination
Christian Application
Processing