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It is necessary to mention something about Plato's general theory in order to understand him very well. First of all Plato's Republic is about a method of doing political philosophy. It is a systematic sustained treat ence of issues, issues of just society, issues about state, issues about individual. These are all public things.
He wanted to find an ultimate meaning of all these things; why they exist, how they should exist. He wanted to find absolute answer for these. So in this sense Plato's Republic reaches old and known conclusion of major interests in their own right. His Republic provides epistemological and metaphysical combination for his political theory.
According to Plato, a political society constitutes a natural whole that is own kind of excellent and well being. It means that society creates an aggregation individual, something more than that, and it has a natural existence. Individual and society can be defined as a unity and according to Plato a society and an individual are so similar that each has a proper and set of virtues. So for Plato, the character, opinion like attitudes of an individual are the product of society, and the individual has no existence without society.
They imitate the society, if a society is right / just , the individual is right / just . Individuals drive their ability from society and they are trained in that way. According to Plato, the understanding of justice is about societal needs, which are common to all members of society. So society can satisfy members' needs efficiently by dividing their labours. So people are born with their skills and virtues according to Plato. They would know these skills and virtues when they grow up.
If they are not fit for forming they should not do that. This is why importance / role of education come to discover each person's skills. So rulers emerge naturally and their task is the core for the property whole who constitute society. They have a kind of knowledge to shape form, not for some particular interest but for the best conduct of the society as a whole.
So, Plato underlined the importance of unity and stress that divisions are destructive. So, the excellent society is the one in which there is agreement in all side about who should rule, who should fight and, who should form. So, harmony gets in when individual contributed to society the best which nature and education together make possible. Justice and well being is achieved when the interest of no group in society is predominant. A political society should look to its well being as a whole and as an over riding aim. That is the aim, which in cases of conflict take spresedence over others.
So education is the crucial part of Plato's theory and from childhood after age of 35, children is to be prepared exclusively for dedicated service to society and everything is subordinated to this end. According to Plato, a child had to have the required qualities of becoming a ruler, no matter in which group he belongs. She / he may belong to upper class or lower class. This does not matter. If he /she is fit to rule they discover it, and she is going to be raised as a ruler.
In the interest of society ruler does prevent from marriage, they are not to be allowed money or property, they have to live for common good. They are not what their children are, this is thought because they have to secure happiness for the community as a whole. It means that they should not have any interest. For Plato there is a question about what constitute the well being of society is a nature of objective fact. It is discoverable by those who have the relevant ability and specialised training. According to Plato, that is politically good and right in the nature of fact, not of opinion.
The ruler /good government of any society should have moral and political fact to decide. For Plato, this is like mathematic. Plato tries to reach to community and state by asking questions about why society originates, for him, individuals are not self sufficient individual cannot provide themselves' needs fully and that's why we live in society. So, the origin of the state is our needs, the human needs (p. 58 part. 369 -b book 2) In this manner, Socrates asked is it better providing all human needs together by themselves, produce your food, clothes deal with one job at a time be a farmer and buy your house from builders.
So, it is better to do one men one job (374 -a) Every member of the society has a job to do and in that way, they are going to form a cooperation. However, Glaucon says this is quite an uncivilised life because this is a life about necessities and Glaucon also says there is no society is like that, everybody wants to have more of this goods so inequality and fight begin. So then the society is no longer safe, there should be some group of people who are going to provide safety and security for the state in order to reach common good. Police or the army should protect since one men cannot do more than one job properly. These people will be professional people.
According to Plato, soldiers are not going to be farmers, they are just going to be soldiers. They are there to protect the state for common good against the wars in order to provide security / safety . In his mind, there is a necessity to have administrative and political power, Plato called this the guardians. So these guardians will be there to provide security, to protect the lives of the members of the society for common good. So they should know how to protect their lives. Plato explains the good as ultimate object of knowledge.
The highest form of knowledge is knowledge of the form of the good, from which things that are just and so on derive their usefulness and value. For Plato, most ordinary people think that pleasure is the good, while the more sophisticated think it is knowledge. So Plato's society will be properly regulated only it is in the charge of a guardian who has this knowledge. If subject is well educated and become reasonable men, they can easily see to all we have asked them to, and indeed a good many things we have for the moment omitted, all of which ought so far as possible to be deal with on the proverbial basis of all things in common between friends by the system of education.
By maintaining a sound system of education and upbringing you produce citizens of good character; and citizens of sound character, with the advantage of a good education. Those in charge of Plato's state must stick to the system of education and see that no deterioration creeps in; they must maintain it as a first priority and avoid at all costs...
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