Seminar Paper Book VI

Jordan Morris

PHI 360

Dr. Thomas

11 April 2016

The Ship and Philosophers

Throughout history, philosophers, academics, politicians, and regular students have turned to Plato for inspiration and understanding. It is within his famous work, The Republic, that so many find the elusive answers to life, knowledge, and politics. It is with the Republic that not only the basis for political thought is found, but the foundation for many philosophical theories and ideas. As a noted philosopher, Plato’s ideas and theories have stood the test of time and are resonant in many contemporary philosophical and academic works. One of the most notable and renowned illustrations in Plato’s Republic is that of the ship of state, which presents itself at the beginning of Book VI.

 Essentially, the ship of state is an analogy to that of the city, and can even be likened to the soul. Plato’s Socrates explores the meaning of each individual aspect of the ship, including the sailors, the ship owner, and the stargazer. It is through this well known illustration that Plato is able to explain how the collective success of the ship, as well as the city, is tied to the successes of all its parts and the proper leadership.  Plato explains that on the ship, and in the city, there is a clear need for a leader, but that the leader, but in order for success, it must be the leader that is best fit to rule. This paper will seek to explore the nature of the true philosopher, as well as decipher the best form of philosopher fit to rule the city. It will also examine the nature of the inferior philosophers and how they are likened to the ship of state analogy.

            Book VI of the Republic begins with Socrates explaining how it is the philosophers who are the enlightened individuals, and they are the only ones that are capable with guarding a city since, “philosophers are those who are able to grasp what is always the same in all respects, while those who are not able to do so but wander among what is many and varies in all ways are not philosophers” (163). These philosophers must have distinct characteristics that make them capable of ruling a city, and Socrates continues to explain why philosophers have the nature that allows them to be leaders. Socrates states, “ they are always in love with that learning which discloses to them something of the being that is always and does not wander about, driven by generation and decay…they love all of it and don’t willingly let any part go, whether smaller or bigger, more honorable or more contemptible” (164). Socrates believes that these philosophers are consistent and that they are always able to recognize and love what is good and valuable. He continues to describe the inherent nature of the philosophers saying they have, “no taste for falsehood; that is, they are completely unwilling to admit what’s false but hate it, while cherishing the truth” (164). Socrates fervently believes it is necessary for the philosophers to pursue truth amongst all means. He states, “the man who is really a lover of learning must from youth on strive as intensely as possible for every king of truth” (165). It is with this statement that Socrates then explains how these philosophers, by loving learning and truth, are ruled by the rational part of the soul. They are no longer governed by their desires nor spirit. They have departed completely from any irrationality, illiberality, monetary wants, and are a true philosophers, who are the best fit to rule over a city (165-166).  

After Socrates describes the true nature of these philosophers and how they should be taught, Adeimantus rejects his argument saying that no philosopher he has encountered of the day could be like the great philosopher that Socrates describes. Ademaintus explains that the current philosophers are backward saying, “those who start out on philosophy…become quite queer, not completely vicious; while the ones who seem perfectly decent, do nevertheless suffer at least one consequence of the practice you are praising.—they become useless to cities” (167). These current philosophers, vicious and worthless, do not represent the real philosopher that Socrates believes should rule the city.  Nonetheless, Socrates still deems the true philosophers they best to rule the city, and in order to better illustrate his point, he begins to lay his foundation for the necessity of the leadership by the true philosopher in the city, by using imagery of a ship and its necessary parts.

Socrates explains that on a ship there are three parts, the ship owner, sailors, and the true pilot, or stargazer. He describes their inherent natures stating that, “though the ship owner surpasses everyone on board in height and strength, he is rather deaf and likewise somewhat shortsighted, and his knowledge of seamanship is pretty much on the same level…the sailors are quarreling with one another about the piloting, each supposing he out to pilot, although he has never learned the art…the true pilot it is necessary to pay careful attention to year, seasons, heaven, stars, winds, and everything that’s proper to the art…the true pilot will really be called a stargazer” (168). With a ship, like a city, each of these parts has their distinctive duties. Socrates explains that if the sailors or ship-owners are left to run the ship, the stargazer will be useless, just as philosophers are deemed useless. The only way for a ship to run successfully is to have the stargazer as the true pilot, and analogously, in order for a city to utilize philosophers, they must be the rulers. The ship, and the city, will only succeed if the right and proper leader is in control.  To better understand the rest of the argument, one needs to keep in mind the city and ship analogy. Socrates states, “ I don’t suppose you need to scrutinize the image to see that it resembles the cities in their disposition toward the true philosophers” (168). The sailors can be likened to the vicious philosophers, the ship-owner to the worthless philosopher, and the stargazer to the true philosopher. It is the true philosopher that Socrates deems appropriate to rule, but he acknowledges that there are others who are trying to rule at the same time, just as the sailors and ship-owner quarrel and seek to pilot the ship.  It is important to recognize these other types of philosophers and to guard against them coming into leadership and ruling over the city, because any city that is ruled by any other than a true philosopher king will not succeed.

Socrates continues his argument by explaining the necessity and promoting the usefulness of philosophers in the city. While many say that philosophers have no place and do nothing in the city, Socrates points out that the philosophers are present and ready to be utilized by the city. He continues using his ship analogy to support his argument saying, “teach the image to that man who wonders at the philosophers’ not being honored in the cities, and try to persuade him that it would be far more to be wondered at if the were honored” (168). He continues to explain that it is actually the city that is wrong in not using the philosophers. He explains that it is not the fault of the philosopher for not being looked toward and used for their knowledge and wisdom, but it is actually the city that is at fault for forsaking the. Socrates again uses his ship analogy saying, “for it’s not natural that a pilot beg sailors to be ruled by him nor that the wise go to the doors of the rich…you’ll make no mistake in imagining the statesmen now ruling to be the sailors we were just now speaking of, and those who are said by them to be useless and gossipers about what’s above to be the true pilots [true philosopher kings]” (169). To Socrates, in order for a city to be successful and thrive it must look to a philosopher king to rule and not wait for a philosopher king to ask if he can rule. The city must naturally look to the best-equipped individual, just as the sailors must look to the best navigator of the ship in order to sail successfully.

He continues saying that with these circumstances, it is hard for philosophers to actually be true philosophers. They are subject to skepticism and doubt, as well as tainted reputation from the actions of the other, lesser philosophers. Socrates states, “it’s not easy for the best pursuit to enjoy a good reputation with those who practice the opposite. But by far the greatest and most powerful slander comes to philosophy from those who claim to practice such things” (169). Socrates continues to warn against the viciousness of these philosophers who tarnish the goodness of philosophy and will mislead the city if left to rule, just as the ship owner would ruin the ship. He explains that men that have the deposition to be philosophers are subject to many temptations by their own natures. He states, “each one of the elements we praised in that nature has a part in destroying the souls that has them and tearing it away from philosophy. I mean courage, moderation, and everything we went through” (171). Socrates explains that they are corrupted by their own nature as well as from the means of society, and this deems them vicious rulers and the name of philosophy is slandered as a whole. This can again be likened to the ship metaphor. The ship that is run by the ship owner, who naturally has a disposition to be the strongest, best individual on the ship, he will be corrupted by his own confidence and vanity and will lead the ship to ruin and cause great slander to be cast amongst his ship and crew.

With these other philosophers damaging the good reputation of the true philosophers, the city will refrain from seeking the philosophers, and eventually fail completely. Just as the ship, which does not seek the help of the stargazer, with fail because it does not have the true pilot to chart the course of the ship. Socrates explains that in order for men to guard against these other philosophers, and to become the true philosophers it is necessary that they have the proper education and training. These rulers must be cultivated and educated in order to keep them from being corrupted. Socrates states, “if the nature we set down for the philosopher chances on a suitable course of learning, it will necessarily grow and come to every kind of virtue; but if it isn’t sown, planted, and nourished in what’s suitable, it will come to all the opposite, unless one of the gods chances to assist it” (171). According to Socrates, philosophers must educated and trained in order to be the true philosophers and encourage the betterment and success of the city. Going back to the ship example, it is the stargazer, who has been trained in the knowledge of charts, courses, the elements, and stars that is the most equipped to pilot the ship. He has more education and is better prepared to successfully lead a ship in the right direction.

According to Socrates, a city must have the right type of leader in order to be a just and successful city. Similarly, a ship must have the correct pilot in order to complete a successful voyage. While both the ship and the city have a multitude of men wanting to rule, these men are either vicious, such as the ship owner, or useless, such as sailors. These inferior forms of philosophers/pilots cause ruin and slander to the name of philosophy and the ship. The only individual that is capable of truly leading the city and ship are the true philosophers, or stargazers. It is only with the proper training and cultivation that true philosopher and stargazer will emerge and be able to lead. While Socrates laments that no city is in a state of philosophy today, he explains that if lead by the philosopher, a city will thrive in justice. He states, “but if it ever takes hold in the best regime, just as it is itself best, then it will make plain that it really is divine as we agreed it is” (177).  The city needs the philosopher, and the ship needs the stargazer, without both, neither can succeed.

Plato. The Republic of Plato. Translated by Allan Bloom. New York: Basic Books, 1991.