The first two books of Plato's "The Republic" were very confusing for me. I struggled to follow the logic and
figure out what exactly Socrates (the main character and teacher of Plato) is trying to argue. By book 4, I realized I was getting the hang of how the book reads and that I was following some of the logic. Book 5 brought me to a full halt as I was thoroughly disgusted by the whole "shared women and children" philosophy.In all, I can see now where the Communist Manifesto and the Humanist Manifesto get a lot of their flawed logic from. I am still struggling with the fact that this book is part of the Great Books series. Why? Some of the analogies seem to be very compelling and true, while others are horrifyingly flawed and evil.
I was mislead by the title of the book to think this was an explanation of how a "Republic" government/society should be run, but I realized by the end that this is, in fact, an argument FOR an aristocracy government/society. This is, as Socrates would say, because I am basing my opinions on my prior knowledge of what a "Republic" is in our day and time. A democracy, in Socrates opinion, is one of the worst types of government because it allows too much freedom. Socrates argues that censorship in education, controlled birth populations, and choosing a person's vocation for them (among other ugly practices) brings about the perfect, just and happy society.
Some advice if you decide to read this book. Read your central cannon during the time you read this book. I felt that at times the arguments Socrates makes was in direct attack of my Christian faith! It was the same way I felt when reading the Communist and Humanist Manifestos. Yet, some of the book makes a lot of sense. It takes a lot of effort, at least for me, to pick out the truth and leave behind the false. Maybe that is the purpose of reading such a book.
What I Found to be Truth
- The Allegory of the Cave - The Cave was one of the things that I found truth in, which describes the state of an unlearned person who does not know what they do not know. It is pretty interesting and I do recommend reading this part of the book.
What I Found to be False
- Book 5 - Deals with education and the sharing of women and children. It is completely appalling. It negates the need for women and men to have separate roles in life and wipes out the family completely.
- Book 10 - The Myth of Er - Deals with reincarnation and a lot of the Greek mythology.
- There are many other things, but spread throughout the text and hard to pinpoint.
I read it in high school and own the books. Many times great falsehoods are taught with the assistance of great truths. I have a different opinion of the works or the way that they were meant. Sometimes the best argument against something is a good argument for it, and that is how I look at the works. It is interesting that many religions in the 1800's also practised some form of wife sharing.
ReplyDeleteOhhh, thank you for this review and suggestions. I have only read the Allegory of the Cave (for my TJ Ed book club) and a little past it. I liked the truth in the allegory and the little I read past it I was getting the feeling the ideas were not part of a good/true philosophy.
ReplyDeleteRebekah - I do think The Allegory of the Cave was very good.
ReplyDeleteI'm beginning to think the main reason to read "The Republic" by Plato is to see the possibility that this may be where Carl Marx got many of his ideas for the Communist Manifesto. These "new ideas" are not new, they are a pattern that Satan uses to deceive mankind.
Hansonpatch - I know that a lot of the commentaries state that this work is to be taken as an opposite of what to do in many ways. Some disagree. That is why reading this text along with my scriptures, which are my Central Cannon, helped me to discern truth and falsehood. People who do not have a central value system could be easily swayed into thinking what Plato writes is all true just because it is on a classics list.