Plato and His Ideal Leaders

Sam Snyder, Yahoo Contributor Network Mar 27, 2009 "Share your voice on Yahoo websites. Start ere." More! Meritocracy

So"hists #$$e%ory o& the Cave

'$a%(ost a comment ($ato, was an aristocratic "hi$oso"her who was educated under the win% o& the ever en%a%in% Socrates. )oday, his be$ie&s and writin%s $itter the idea$s o& a vast number o& %overnments and his writin%s &i$$ $ibraries. ($ato*s book, )he +e"ub$ic, te$$s the story o& Socrates as he debates the de&inition o& ,ustice with his comrades. -urin% the course o& the book, ($ato re$ays his own thou%hts and ideas &or society, $eaders, and meritocracy throu%h the words o& Socrates. .n, )he +e"ub$ic, the sim"$e matter o& unearthin% the de&inition o& ,ustice /uick$y esca$ates into a &u$$ &$ed%ed e0"edition. #&ter severa$ de&initions o& ,ustice, a$$ o& which have been re,ected by Socrates, the men come to terms with the &act that no one tru$y understands ,ustice in the individua$. )o reso$ve this, Socrates "ro"oses &indin% ,ustice on a $ar%er sca$e that many are know$ed%eab$e about1 a city. )o do this, he and his comrades must &irst &ind a "er&ect city where ,ustice is evident. #t this "oint, another rea$ity "resents itse$&.... no "er&ect society e0ists. )hus, Socrates is &orced to desi%n an ima%inary city which /uick$y &orms in the ima%ination o& the men. #s Socrates creates the city, it is decided that in order &or a certain amount o& res"ect to be maintained amon% the "eo"$e, they must a$$ be$ieve one essentia$ myth. )his myth says that a$$ "eo"$e come &rom one mother 2the earth3 and are each made o& one o& her &ine meta$s4 there&ore a$$ "eo"$e are brothers and sisters. owever, $ike true brothers and sisters each "erson di&&ers s$i%ht$y &rom one another makin% some more im"ortant than others. )hose with the $owest va$ue in the city are those who have sou$s made o& bron5e. )hese "eo"$e are cra&t workers or &armers and "ossess on$y the traits o& moderation and ,ustice. )hose who "ossess not on$y moderation and ,ustice, but a$so coura%e are members o& the midd$e c$ass and have si$ver in their sou$s. )hese "eo"$e take command as au0i$iaries and are the warriors and so$diers o& the city. )he hi%hest c$ass in the city are the %uardians who have %o$d in their sou$s. )he %uardians "ossess a$$ the traits o& bron5e and si$ver members o& the city but are a$so wise. )hese se$ect &ew ho$d a$$ o& the im"ortant $eadershi" "ositions and have the "otentia$ to become the (hi$oso"her 6in%s o& the city. #ccordin% to Socrates, a$$ o& the chi$dren in the city wi$$ have the same o""ortunities &or education and advancement. )his creates yet another "rob$em4 some "arents "rovide better

o""ortunities &or their chi$dren than others. )he resu$t o& this is that a hand&u$ o& chi$dren that are more advanced than others. )he so$ution to this issue is to have chi$dren reared by a nurse who cares &or each chi$d e/ua$$y. )his chi$d1rearin% by a nurse wou$d a$so encoura%e communa$ "arentin% where the "eo"$e o& the city each he$" to raise the chi$dren4 thus brin%in% the "eo"$e o& the city c$oser. #s the chi$dren %row and are educated, a number o& them wi$$ &ind themse$ves better at some ski$$s than others and wi$$ work towards enhancin% that s"eci&ic ski$$. 'or instance, those who &ind themse$ves %ood at meta$ workin% but bad at arithmetic wi$$ train as b$acksmiths. )his cou"$ed with communa$ chi$drearin% wou$d create an idea$ meritocracy. 7r a society where a "erson can move u" or down the socia$ $adder based on their own merit and not due to the socia$ status o& their "arents. )here is a certain amount o& harmony that emanates &rom the "eo"$e o& the "er&ect city. )his harmony is the resu$t o& a "ure meritocracy which cannot e0ist without the essentia$ myth discussed "revious$y. #ccordin% to ($ato a meritocracy is necessary, he records Socrates as sayin%4 "8ach one o& us must mind his own business accordin% to nature" 29$oom:;:3. Meanin% that each "erson must do on$y what they are best at4 a b$acksmith shou$d not attem"t to be a "oet ,ust as a "oet shou$d not a$so be a b$acksmith. <ithout a meritocracy the members o& society wou$d not do what they are best at and there&ore wou$d not e0ce$ in their %iven &ie$d. #n e0am"$e o& this is that o& a chi$d o& a ru$er who has no mind &or ru$in% and stru%%$es at *hi%her thinkin%* even a&ter a ri%orous education4 a chi$d $ike this shou$d not be a ru$er. Neverthe$ess, in a society that is %overned by a monarchy the chi$d wou$d become a $eader4 re%ard$ess o& how much dama%e they may cause to the society. =n$ike a monarchy, the meritocracy o& this ima%inary state causes a$$ o& the chi$dren o& ru$ers to have the same chances o& becomin% %uardians as any o& their &e$$ows. .n other words, a$$ "otentia$ ru$ers must "rove to the society that they have %o$d in their sou$s and are wise be&ore they are ever a$$owed to take command o& the city. )o "rove themse$ves, "otentia$ %uardians must under%o intense educationa$ and "hysica$ trainin%. (otentia$ %uardians or au0i$iaries must be trained, at a youn% a%e in %ymnastics and basic schoo$in%. #s they %row o$der, the education becomes more intense$y &ocused on "hi$oso"hy but %ravitates more towards "hysica$ trainin%. Socrates says the &o$$owin% about this trainin%, "<hen they are youths and boys they ou%ht to take u" an education and "hi$oso"hy suitab$e &or youths, and take very %ood care o& their bodies at the time when they are %rowin% and b$oomin% in to manhood, thus securin% a he$"er &or "hi$oso"hy. #nd as they advance in a%e to the time when the sou$ be%ins to reach maturity, it ou%ht to be sub,ected to a more intense %ymnastic" 29$oom :7>3. ($ato em"hasis on au0i$iaries and %uardians bein% trained intensive$y in %ymnastics has many "ur"oses. )his trainin% o& the $eaders "resents its bene&its in the hea$th and $on%evity o& $i&e o& the %uardians. <ithout this mandatory trainin% the %uardians wou$d "erha"s become sick$y and a""ear to be weak. .t is this %ymnastic trainin% that wou$d a$so se"arate the "hi$oso"hers &rom the so"hists o& the time. So"hists are "ersona$ instructors who teach their students &or a sma$$ &ee, and be$ieve that there is no u$timate truth. (hi$oso"hers on the other hand, teach in "ub$ic and without char%e4 they a$so "ossess the be$ie& that with care&u$ investi%ation truth can be &ound. -urin% the era in which ($ato $ived the so"hist were des"ised by the "eo"$e o& #thens.

=n&ortunate$y &or Socrates and numerous other "hi$oso"hers, "hi$oso"hers were o&ten mistaken as members o& the *so"hist a$$iance* and "rosecuted accordin%$y. )he %uardians o& ($ato*s society, thou%h they "ossess %reat "ower, are not so"hists. )he %uardians are better rounded than their so"hist counter"arts because they "artici"ate in %ymnastics, mi$itary trainin%, and have an intensive $i&esty$e. )he so"hists on the other hand are not very a%i$e due to their intense &ocus on education whether it be their own or another*s. So"hists, because they are "aid to be teachers, $ive com&ortab$e $i&esty$es which overtake them, causin% them to become so&t and $oose any common sense4 or worse causin% them to care more &or "hysica$ "ossessions. )hose &ew who are se$ected to become %uardians &ace not on$y a ri%orous education, but a di&&icu$t $i&e as we$$. =n$ike the homes o& many ru$ers the %uardians $ive in communa$ barracks and eat a$$ o& their mea$s to%ether in a mess ha$$. ?uardians are a$so not "ermitted to have "ersona$ "ossessions besides those necessary &or everyday $ivin% and surviva$. 8ven i& the %uardians did wish to ac/uire "ersona$ "ossessions, they wou$d not be ab$e to "urchase them as they receive no "ay. .n return &or their hard work everythin% that a %uardian re/uires is donated by the "eo"$e o& the city. )his bein% said, there is $itt$e reward &or the hard work and stru%%$es that bein% a %uardian entai$s. )he $i&e o& a %uardian is indeed a tou%h one, but it is necessary &or their $ives to be bruta$ and mea%er. .& the %uardians were rich and s"oi$ed they wou$d care more &or themse$ves and their own wea$th than &or the city and its "eo"$e. )he e0istence and &uture o& the city de"ends on su"erior $eaders who can make wise and unbiased decisions. .& the %uardians were wea$thy they wou$d wish to maintain their own wea$th and wou$d there&ore construct $aws that bene&ited them and not the city. #nother im"ortant as"ect o& the "ower&u$ %uardian c$ass is that most wou$d not want to be %uardians as it has a$most no "ositive bene&its. .n &act the $i&e o& a %uardian may be more harsh and disma$ than the $ives o& other $ess "rivi$e%ed c$asses. )his bruta$ $i&esty$e resu$ts in %uardians who ru$e not because they want to, but because they &ee$ they have to &or the bene&it o& the city. e "s"ends his time in "hi$oso"hy but when his turn comes drud%es in "o$itics and ru$es &or the city*s sake, not as thou%h he were doin% a thin% that is &ine, but one that is necessary" 29$oom 2:93. )his idea that &ormer so$diers shou$d take $eadershi" "ositions in society has been seen in society many times in the "ast hundred years. <inton Churchi$$ served in the 8n%$ish mi$itary be&ore becomin% "rime minister o& 8n%$and4 @ohn McCain is a$so veteran so$dier and has become a candidate &or the 200> "residentia$ e$ection in the =nited States. 'rom )he +e"ub$ic, it is &air to draw the assum"tion that ($ato be$ieves that the smartest and wisest shou$d in &act be the ru$ers. )his is because they wou$d have no hidden a%enda and have the abi$ity to break away &rom the cyc$e o& i%norance into the cyc$e o& truth un$ike their &e$$ow humans. ($ato %ives an e0am"$e o& this in the a$$e%ory o& the cave where Socrates describes why the "hi$oso"hers shou$d be in contro$ o& the city. .t says that i& a %rou" o& "eo"$e were on$y a$$owed to see shadows &or their entire $i&e that they wi$$ be$ieve that the shadows are the rea$ wor$d. .& one o& the "eo"$e are $ed u", out o& the cave and a$$owed to see the wor$d as it tru$y is they wi$$ have to choose between two assum"tions. )he &irst o& these assum"tions bein% that the shadows are not rea$ and that the $i%hted wor$d is rea$. )he second is that the shadows are the rea$ wor$d and the $i%hted wor$d is an i$$usion. # true "hi$oso"her wou$d come to the conc$usion that

the &irst assum"tion is the truth. )his a$$e%ory denotes that on$y a "hi$oso"her can see the truth and conse/uent$y shou$d be the on$y one who $eads a society. ($ato, is a "hi$oso"her who be$ieves in meritocracy, but is an e$itist. e is not an e$itist in the sense that he discriminates a%ainst those who are in the $ower c$asses. 7n the contrary, ($ato thou%ht that on$y those &it to ru$e shou$d be in command4 even i& it meant acce"tin% a ru$er whose "arents are in the $owest c$ass. ($ato be$ieves in $eadershi" by the wisest most coura%eous "eo"$e o& a city. .n o""osition to everyday be$ie& that $eaders $ive rich and $u0urious $ives, ($ato reasons that ru$ers shou$d $ead mea%er $ives and shou$d be tou%h. ($ato*s view"oints have scu$"ted many %overnments, but his idea$s have yet to re&orm any society to a "oint where meritocracy and we$$ rounded $eaders are as im"ortant as in )he +e"ub$ic. Bibliography 9$oom, #$$an. )he +e"ub$ic o& ($ato. Second 8dition. (erseus 9ooks ?rou", :99:.