Platos Ideal State and its Relation toan Individuals Freedom and Diversity
... To answer this question he looks to where he feels it would most easily be found: in a completely just city, his ideal state [1]. Many people would raise some objections to this ideal state, in part because of his seeming failure to make accommodations for an individuals freedom or diversity. What exactly was his ideal state, and why arent freedom and diversity accommodated for? ... HISTORICAL CONTEXT In order to understand The Republic, we must look at the man who wrote it and its historical context. From Platos point of view everything works out, morality and selfishness do not conflict. ... Freedom of choice was a luxury that they felt they might not have been able to afford. ... THE POLIS His ideal city contains the four main virtues: justice, wisdom, courage, and moderation. ... Plato looked at the State as one big composite individual (420b-421c), and he was concerned with its well being. The Just State is a well-oiled machine, where everyone is assigned to what they are best at, and everyone fulfills their assignment. ... So why is there a lack of freedom and diversity? ... It cannot be denied that freedom allows for the discovery of truth. ... We feel that freedom is good in itself and does not need anything to justify it - not even truth. We might feel that freedom is so valuable that we would rather be free and live under falsehoods, then not be free, and live in the light of truth; whereas Plato thought that it was living under truth that brought real freedom [2]. ... LIES AND PROPAGANDA Some would say that the freedom to know the truth is important. ... However, I would say that people should have the freedom to know the truth, no matter what, even if that knowledge would ruin the society. Any society that depended on keeping the truth from the majority of its citizens would not be worth continuing.