Heidi Park
Dr. Thomas
PHI 360
16 February 2016
Perfection: How is it Attainable?
Whenever perfection is the standard
of a task or situation, the common reaction is resistance because of its
impossibility. Perfection is an ideal, which makes it seem like a goal that cannot
actually be obtained. In essence, perfection simply acts as the tool to
motivate people to be better or do better. If people fall short of being
perfect, what they are left with cannot be too bad. Due to the connotations and
workings regarding perfection, Socrates is able to create a work that benefits
those who try to mimic or absorb his doctrine. Initially, it seems he is defining
perfect justice in the perfect city, which seems impossible to obtain. However,
through his utilization of perfection through analogies and imagery, he proves
that his doctrine is realistic. By creating multiple cities each with its own
distinct characteristics, Socrates enable readers to understand the
accessibility of obtaining those cities’ characteristics. Since the cities are
an analogy to the soul, he makes it clear that obtaining the soul that is
reflected in those cities is possible. More specifically, the perfect soul will
be one that is just through a harmony of its parts internally and externally. Therefore,
in the Republic, Socrates through
Plato utilizes analogies of perfection to show that with the correct form of
guidance, the ideal soul is attainable.
In order for Socrates to convince readers that the ideal soul is attainable, he needs to make it clear that the ideal city is attainable. Initially, Socrates tells Glaucon that “the true city is in [his] opinion the one we just descried-a healthy city” (372e). In this city, each person is part of the producing class because “they must produce at home not only enough for themselves but also the sort of things and in the quantity needed by these others of whom they have need” (371a). In essence, this city is one based on necessary desires, such as food, clothing, health, and shelter (Book 2). However, due to the others’ urgings, specifically Glaucon, Socrates is forced to deviate from this ideal city and create a feverish one. It becomes obvious that the others think the feverish city is the most realistic because a city based on just necessity is not possible because people have unnecessary desires as well (373a). At this point, contrary to Socrates, many are convinced the feverish city is the one that is attainable although it is not the ideal city. Socrates now faces the task of persuading the audience that the initial healthy city is actually attainable regardless of it being deemed the perfect city.
The creation of the guardians in the feverish city is the starting point of Socrates beginning to purge this city into the healthy one. Once he has purged the city, he can make the connection that the healthy city is attainable. One of the strategies he implements to demonstrate the attainability is the guardians’ education. The guardians are the ones that closely reflect the ideals of the healthy city because they are producing necessary desires and are doing their own task. Therefore, if one can imitate the guardians, one becomes closer to having the ideals of a healthy city and soul. In order for others to imitate the guardians, Socrates goes into detail about the education of the guardians. With his guidance of what guardians should and should not learn, the audience too becomes aware of what should or should not be learned. For example, the purpose of censoring the types of stories guardians have access to is to negate the fear of death in the guardians (386b). In regards to the audience, learning to not fear death allows people to partake in the necessary desires and not unnecessary ones. People do not worry about unnecessary things like honors or respects that could potentially come from death. Basically, the guardians’ education allows them to focus on the necessary desires, which in turn helps those imitating the guardians to focus on necessary desires only. Therefore, Socrates has begun to make the connection that the education of the guardians acts a guide for others to be one step closer to the perfect soul.
Socrates utilizes the imagery of the guardians to provide evidence for the attainability of a perfect soul, but also uses the imagery of the ship of state. With this imagery, Socrates is able to more clearly portray that a perfect soul, the true philosopher’s soul, is attainable. He later makes it known that the image of the ship of state, including the stargazer, “resembles the cities in their disposition toward the true philosophers” (489a). Regarding the ship of state, the imagery shows perfection because of its internal and external stability. The stargazer, also the true philosopher, has control of the ship because of his knowledge of the ship and things outside the ship. This imagery of perfection is attainable because anyone who has the nature of a stargazer has the ability to gain the perfect soul. Therefore, if one can be guided to be like the stargazer, he will have the ability to be the perfect stargazer. In order for this to occur, one simply needs to become knowledgeable of what is outside the ship. Socrates eventually confirms that this is knowledge of the good. Regardless of what the definition of the good is, the importance is that with the guidance of someone who has already obtained knowledge, the true philosopher, others willing to become knowledgeable have access to become knowledgeable. Therefore, having a perfect soul like the stargazer becomes accessible.
Overall, Socrates seems to put forth a doctrine that is impossible due to its strict guidelines and difficulties. However, he does not leave the audience to discover perfection on their own. He creates guides and guidelines in order for people to be led to the truth. Not only does he demonstrate this in his imagery, but also in the fact that Plato is using Socrates as a guide for Glaucon. It is through Socrates’ guidance that Glaucon can obtain the perfect soul. Therefore, Plato is not only proposing a method for the audience to find perfection, but is demonstrating its possibility by acting as a guide to someone else in the text.
In order for Socrates to convince readers that the ideal soul is attainable, he needs to make it clear that the ideal city is attainable. Initially, Socrates tells Glaucon that “the true city is in [his] opinion the one we just descried-a healthy city” (372e). In this city, each person is part of the producing class because “they must produce at home not only enough for themselves but also the sort of things and in the quantity needed by these others of whom they have need” (371a). In essence, this city is one based on necessary desires, such as food, clothing, health, and shelter (Book 2). However, due to the others’ urgings, specifically Glaucon, Socrates is forced to deviate from this ideal city and create a feverish one. It becomes obvious that the others think the feverish city is the most realistic because a city based on just necessity is not possible because people have unnecessary desires as well (373a). At this point, contrary to Socrates, many are convinced the feverish city is the one that is attainable although it is not the ideal city. Socrates now faces the task of persuading the audience that the initial healthy city is actually attainable regardless of it being deemed the perfect city.
The creation of the guardians in the feverish city is the starting point of Socrates beginning to purge this city into the healthy one. Once he has purged the city, he can make the connection that the healthy city is attainable. One of the strategies he implements to demonstrate the attainability is the guardians’ education. The guardians are the ones that closely reflect the ideals of the healthy city because they are producing necessary desires and are doing their own task. Therefore, if one can imitate the guardians, one becomes closer to having the ideals of a healthy city and soul. In order for others to imitate the guardians, Socrates goes into detail about the education of the guardians. With his guidance of what guardians should and should not learn, the audience too becomes aware of what should or should not be learned. For example, the purpose of censoring the types of stories guardians have access to is to negate the fear of death in the guardians (386b). In regards to the audience, learning to not fear death allows people to partake in the necessary desires and not unnecessary ones. People do not worry about unnecessary things like honors or respects that could potentially come from death. Basically, the guardians’ education allows them to focus on the necessary desires, which in turn helps those imitating the guardians to focus on necessary desires only. Therefore, Socrates has begun to make the connection that the education of the guardians acts a guide for others to be one step closer to the perfect soul.
Socrates utilizes the imagery of the guardians to provide evidence for the attainability of a perfect soul, but also uses the imagery of the ship of state. With this imagery, Socrates is able to more clearly portray that a perfect soul, the true philosopher’s soul, is attainable. He later makes it known that the image of the ship of state, including the stargazer, “resembles the cities in their disposition toward the true philosophers” (489a). Regarding the ship of state, the imagery shows perfection because of its internal and external stability. The stargazer, also the true philosopher, has control of the ship because of his knowledge of the ship and things outside the ship. This imagery of perfection is attainable because anyone who has the nature of a stargazer has the ability to gain the perfect soul. Therefore, if one can be guided to be like the stargazer, he will have the ability to be the perfect stargazer. In order for this to occur, one simply needs to become knowledgeable of what is outside the ship. Socrates eventually confirms that this is knowledge of the good. Regardless of what the definition of the good is, the importance is that with the guidance of someone who has already obtained knowledge, the true philosopher, others willing to become knowledgeable have access to become knowledgeable. Therefore, having a perfect soul like the stargazer becomes accessible.
Overall, Socrates seems to put forth a doctrine that is impossible due to its strict guidelines and difficulties. However, he does not leave the audience to discover perfection on their own. He creates guides and guidelines in order for people to be led to the truth. Not only does he demonstrate this in his imagery, but also in the fact that Plato is using Socrates as a guide for Glaucon. It is through Socrates’ guidance that Glaucon can obtain the perfect soul. Therefore, Plato is not only proposing a method for the audience to find perfection, but is demonstrating its possibility by acting as a guide to someone else in the text.
Word Count: 1048
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