Seminar Paper-Book 3

Heidi Park

11 March 2016

Dr. Thomas

Seminar Paper

Growing Up to Perfection 

            So far in the Republic, it has been established that there will be a group of people known as the guardians that will eventually be able to rule the city. However, it is not until the end of Book 3 that Socrates derives the group of guardians that will rule the city, while the rest become auxiliaries (414b). Since this division does not occur until the end, Book 3’s education incorporates those that will become auxiliaries and true guardians even though they are both for the time being called “guardians”. The main goal when dealing with education is sheltering the guardians from information that could alter their nature. With these restrictions on what the guardians are exposed to, Plato’s Socrates is able to emphasize that there are certain aspects that lead to perfection while others do not. Also, Socrates is beginning to develop that perfection can be attained if one has the right set of qualities. However, his focus in Book 3 seems to be one of developing perfection rather than attaining it. Therefore, through the example of the guardians physically and mentally growing up, Plato is able to emphasize that the attainment of perfection is a process of progression rather than something instant.

            From our previous reading of the Republic, we know that the true guardian who rules the city will be the philosopher-king. Essentially, the philosopher-king is the one that is best suited to rule and “is sufficient for perfecting everything” (502b). He has the right nature and education that allows him to be the perfect ruler. However, being the perfect ruler is only a part of being perfect as a whole. Therefore, the philosopher-king needs the auxiliaries as well as the common people in order to demonstrate perfection as a whole. Although in Book 3 Socrates introduces this idea of perfection as a whole, his main focus for this book will be on the perfection of a part, the philosopher-king. Since it has been established that the perfect ruler is the philosopher-king who is the true guardian, we can begin to analyze the process of becoming a true guardian. This process to perfection can be seen in Book 3 with Socrates developing the education of the guardians.

            The first hint as to how Socrates seems to emphasize the growth into perfection comes from the ability to mold one’s mental state. From the beginning of Book 3, Socrates mentions that there “are things that should and should not be heard, from childhood on” (386a). He makes it clear that a child’s mind has the potential to believe anything even “without their awareness” (401d). For instance, poets must “impress the image of the good disposition on their poems” (401b) in order to rear the guardians’ education into one that will be beneficial to them. Therefore, the guardian’s education must be sheltered from childhood if the child is going to become a true guardian. By emphasizing that a child’s mind must be sheltered, Socrates is demonstrating that the development of the mind is crucial. In order for the true guardian to arise, his mind must be developed in a certain manner from childhood.

            Not only does Socrates prioritize the molding of a child’s mentality through education, he also prioritizes it through imitation. Essentially, imitation becomes a tool to develop a child’s education because if imitations “are practiced continually from youth onwards [it] become[s] established as habits and nature” (395c). He says that if a child must imitate someone, it is acceptable as long as the child “imitate[s] what’s appropriate to them from childhood: men who are courageous, moderate, holy, free and everything of the sort” (395c). However, imitation is not accepted as a means to molding a child’s mind when the child develops a “taste for the being from its imitation” (395c). Basically, imitation is only useful for a child’s education when he is imitating something that has already been deemed to be acceptable for a guardian’s education. Socrates also makes it clear that a guardian should not imitate anyone else, but for the sake of developing the guardian’s education from childhood, imitation is accepted with very strict restraints.

            Knowing that Socrates emphasizes the rearing of a guardian’s education from childhood, we can begin to analyze the specifics of what the child should or should not learn. Since the end goal for the guardian is to become a true guardian who reflects perfection, it only makes sense that the education will be one that leads to perfection. The first restriction that is mentioned regards death. Guardians should not fear death because it keeps them from being courageous. Therefore, heroes must not be portrayed as fearing death or wanting to stay alive, even as a slave, as long as they do not die (386c). The take away from this part of the education is that a true guardian will be a hero that does not fear death. In order to be like the true guardian or philosopher-king, one must develop the belief that death is not to be feared. The philosopher-king, who represents perfection, does not fear death even though he is likely to be put to death. It is later revealed in the dialogue that the philosopher coming back down into the cave is most likely to be put to death because of his knowledge. Essentially, the idea of developing perfection is reflected in the idea of developing to not fear death. If the child can learn not to fear death, he becomes closer to being like the philosopher-king, who also does not fear death. Through this progression of coming to terms with death, Socrates is also able to emphasize that the attainment of perfection is also a progression.

            The second hint as to perfection being represented as a progression and process comes from actually choosing the true guardians. After establishing the education of the guardians, Socrates will divide the group into auxiliaries and true guardians. In order to do this, he mentions that the “men when they are young must be brought to terrors and then cast in turn into pleasures” (413d). The purpose of these tests is to see which children are able to maintain their education and have the potential to become a true guardian. Once the young pass these tests, they are made distinct. We see these distinctions not only in their grouping, but also in their descriptions. Until the separation both types of children were called guardians and young. However, this changes once a child has passed the test. Glaucon asks Socrates the question, “Isn’t it then truly most correct to call these men complete guardians?” (414b). In the same paragraph, he goes on to say that “the young, whom we were calling guardians up to now, we shall call auxiliaries and helpers of the rulers’ convictions” (414b). Although subtle, Gluacon has made the distinction that the complete guardians are now men and that the auxiliaries are still young. In essence, the young child has grown to be a man, a complete guardian, who represents perfection. It becomes more evident that through a child’s development into a man, the attainment of perfection is more likely. It is the process of a child becoming a true guardian that is reflected in the attainment of perfection being a process.

            A final hint as to Socrates emphasis of perfection being progressive is shown in the myth of metals. Socrates basically makes it clear in the myth that there are some cases when a child of a different metal from his parents will be born. Because there are cases like these, it is critical to observe the next generation for these rare instances. The fact that a child can be born different from its parents demonstrates that perfection is attained through development rather than being given instantly. The gold child born to the gold parents might find it easier to be perfect because of his nature, but the child still needs to develop certain aspects. The child born to producers who has the nature of a guardian will be developed as a guardian even though his parents are producers. Therefore, making the suggestion that one can progressively become the ultimate form of the person one is supposed to be. Leading to the conclusions that a guardian child born to a producer family can still develop the characteristics he needs to be a perfect guardian.

            Overall, Socrates is trying to relay the message that perfection is a concept that is real and possibly attainable. He not only demonstrates this through the development of a philosopher-king, but also the development of the ideal city. He spends time developing the criteria for each of these because he believes perfection can be attained. Throughout the entire Republic, Socrates always seems to be developing something. Regardless of what he is developing, the message is that the progression involved in developing the object points to the object being attainable. In the case of Book 3, it seems that this object is perfection as demonstrated through the complete guardian.