Anusha Asif Student # 210817039 Tutorial # 6

Present Plato's ideal state in terms of division of labour or the inclusion of women. Give an argument as to why you think his ideal state is just or not. The Republic is Platos treatise on his philosophical views and political theory, and it examines the definition of justice, and how that affects both government and the life of the average citizen. The nature and value of justice, as it appears both in the structure of society as a whole, and in the personality of an individual human being are discussed. For Plato, the natural differences in talents and abilities between individuals, and their inability to provide for all of their own wants, leads to a division of labour which, in turn, leads society to a higher level of economic well-being than would otherwise be possible. (McNulty)1 In The Republic, Socrates tells Adeimantus, we are not all alike; there are diversities of natures among us which are adapted to different occupations . . . and if so, we must infer that all things are produced more plentifully and easily and of a better quality when one man does one thing which is natural to him . . . and leaves other things. 2 According to Plato, the ideal state consisted of three distinct classes: rulers, soldiers, and the people. Although the official position was that membership in the ruling classes should be based solely upon the possession of appropriate skills, it was assumed that future rulers will typically be the offspring of those who presently hold similar positions of honour. If citizens express any dissatisfaction with the roles to which they are assigned, he proposed that they be told the "useful falsehood" that human beings possess different natures that fit each of them to a particular function within the operation of the society as a whole.3 This belief was designed to work both ways- as a method of social control, and also as a means of justifying severe restrictions on the life of the rulers. Ordinary people were encouraged to accept their position at the bottom of the heap, subject to governance by the higher classes, as some kind of divine plan. At the same time, the guardians, already gifted with superior natures, should have no
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McNulty, Paul J. "A note on the division of labour in Plato and Smith." HOPE. 7.3 (1975): Print.
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need for wealth or other external rewards. In fact, Plato held that guardians should own no private property, should live and eat together at government expense, and should earn no salary greater than necessary to supply their most basic needs. Under this regime, no one would have any ulterior motive for seeking a position of leadership, and those who were chosen to be guardians would govern solely from a concern to seek the welfare of the state in what was best for all of its citizens. Each class in the ideal state must possess certain qualities or virtues. Since the rulers were responsible for making decisions on the basis of which the entire city was to governed, they must have the virtue of wisdom, as well as the quality of being realistic, unbiased and impartial. Soldiers charged with the defence of the city, on the other hand, required the virtue of courage and the power to obey orders in the face of danger. The rest of the people in the city must follow the leaders, instead of pursuing their private interests, so they must be able to conquer base desires for a higher purpose. Plato believed that when each of these classes performed its own role appropriately and did not try to take over the function of any other class, the entire city as a whole would operate smoothly, exhibiting the harmony that is genuine justice. Justice itself is not the exclusive responsibility of any one class of citizens, but emerges from the harmonious interrelationship of each component of the society with every other. 4 However, it is made clear that ideal does not necessarily mean perfect. Socrates argues that judges should be unnecessary, if men realized how much better it is so to order one's life as never to stand in need of a drowsy judge, yet he agrees that there should be judges in his commonwealth- and that too, judges who know what evil is.5 So Plato's state is not a perfect state; there will be at least some wickedness in it. Socrates adds that the judges are intended for those whose souls are constitutionally sound, since those who are incurably corrupt will be put to death; but it is clear that even the former class are not expected to be morally perfect as the Rulers are. They may be tolerably just, having their reasoning faculty in the ascendant, and manifest virtue of a kind; but this virtue will only be what Plato elsewhere describes as political
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or civic virtue, based on habit and opinion and subject to corruption through persuasion. (Bluck) 6 Is Platos ideal society just? Is it equitable and fair? According to Plato, justice is harmony7, and justice is doing ones own job. 8 Within these guidelines, there is no doubt that the ideal state is just- everyone has a role to perform, and given that they stick to those roles, all will go smoothly.

Despite being technically just, to me, it seems that there are numerous disadvantages to living in Platos so-called ideal society. The emphasis is on community life before individual desires. If one does not fit the preconceived roles in society, there is no room to be unique or different- the luxury of falling out of order or having the privilege of independent thought or action is simply non-existent. Furthermore, there is no such thing as family life. Women exist merely to have children, who immediately after birth, are taken away to be classified into categories. Compassion, flexibility, imagination- all prized, quintessentially human traits- are discouraged. This type of rigid state ensures that flawed human nature will try to hide faults independent thought and human imperfection. Time and history would reveal these secrets and utopia would collapse under the weight of these secrets and imperfections. In my opinion, a just society would be one that looks out for all of its citizens, where individuality is an asset to be celebrated, and fitting into cookie-cutter roles is not a criterion for being a dutiful and loyal citizen. Failing this most basic tenet, I would have to say that Platos ideal society is far from just.

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Bluck, R.S. "Plato's "Ideal" State." The Classical Quarterly. 9.2 (1959): Print.

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Works Cited: Plato, trans. Rousse, W.H.D, The Republic. Signet Classics, 1999 McNulty, Paul J. "A note on the division of labour in Plato and Smith." HOPE. 7.3 (1975): Print Bluck, R.S. "Plato's "Ideal" State." The Classical Quarterly. 9.2 (1959): Print.