Comparing the Republic to the Modern Society Essay Example for Free

Comparing the Republic to the Modern Society EssayThe relevance of The Republic to our upstart society In Platos The Republic, Plato illustrates what his paragon city would look like. He describes the rearingal systems, inclinationl legislators and the purposes of democracy. The nation influenced worldy people to understand the purpose for democracy, and it led to new philosophical schools of thought. Although this work was written hundreds of geezerhood ago, it ease affects our modern world today. One of the most important things that Plato stresses is the importance of education. Without education of the masses, democracy would renounce to exist. When Plato was forming his ideal society, he stressed the importance of education for several reasons. Most importantly, educating citizens led to a peaceful, well-run republic. For Plato, education was not about information intake and data storage. Rather, education was drawing out the knowledge that was already in the studen t. He said that the power and capacity of learning exists in the soul already He gives an allegory of prisoners in a core out, who have never seen light before.They become free, come out of the undermine and see the light. They understand that the shadows be just reflections of real things they argon not the real things themselves. They ascend up to a mountain and see the world for what it really is. Plato uses this story to illustrate what education does for the human soul. We are all born in a dark cave, chained to a wall and cannot see the light. We still around all day looking at shadows, which appear to be so real to us. commandment breaks the chains of ignorance. We can ascend to the top of the mountain and look out onto the beautiful world. According to Plato, aft(prenominal) the prisoners ascend all the way to the top of the mountain, they essential be made to descend again among the prisoners in the den and partake in labors and honors, whether worth having or not. Pl ato notes that once a person is educated and has certain knowledge and truth, they should go back and teach those who do not know.This still relevant today because we command to not be so focused on how high we climb up the ladder, but we pauperisation to be concerned with how we help others achieve their goals. This allegory is also used to describe justice. The prisoners in the cave do not know what real justice looks like. The people on the mountain tops must come down and give understanding to those who are lacking it. Plato goes on to describe the type of attractor that would be perfect to run the ideal city.The type of loss leader that Plato describes is someone who is wisest about the affairs of the state, and by whom the state is best administered and who at the same time have other honors and a better conduct whence that of politics. The ideal leader in Platos time is not much different from the ideal leader in our time period. We still want someone who knows and un derstands the problems of the state or country, who will be a good leader, and will be fitting to put the welfare of his people before his own.These characteristics are still what many people look for in a dependable leader. Plato describes that a good leader should not be caught up in their own wealth, they should care about their people. This is a actually foundational idea that is still important in America today. We desire to have a leader who will be humble and care for us, instead of one that has a hidden agenda. According to Plato, economic self-interest and policy-making power must be kept separate and not be allowed to work in faction to the disadvantage of the state.In mapping out his utopian society, Plato stresses the importance of democracy. In a short instalment called democracy considered, Plato talks about how oligarchies decay into democracies and democracies decay into tyranny. Tyranny is formed from pursing ones pleasures and appetites. Plato claims that a ma n who is deranged and not right in his mind will fancy that he is able to rule, not only over men, but also over gods He describes here that a man can not be a leader if he is deranged and thinks that he is the center of the universe.Plato then shows how democracy and tyranny differ. In describing the differences, Glacon says They are the opposite extremes for one is the in truth best and the other is the very worst. The republic shows many similarities to todays society. We still have many of the same ideals in education and in government. This piece of work was criticized at the time it was written by is now honored and very influential. It was one of the first writings that began western thinking and formed many new beliefs that influenced the renaissance.