1. Why is the “principle of the mean” a fundamental basis for the beautiful and truth?

What happens to the soul when it denies the “mean”?

Plato, in his dialogue, “Statesman,” had always observed that beauty and truth, indeed,
are measured by the principle of the mean. This measure is what defines art or beauty in which
Plato keenly perceived appropriateness through balance and of the “mean.” The existence of art,
therefore, depends on measure with a view to attain the mean. Successively, this measurement
takes up two parts: one measures number and the other with the mean.

The principle of the mean or the art of measurement is a fundamental basis of truth and
beauty because it is universal, one that has to do with all things. All things that pertain to art
must partake to measurement. But Plato clarified that when people do not distinguish classes in
accordance to real forms and dividing things disregarding their parts; hence denying the “mean,”
they fall into error.
2. Why is censorship of narratives about men and gods important to the city? What rules of
censorship are needed? How are heroes and gods to be presented in the stories?

The censorship of narratives is to retain only telling what is good and rejecting the bad,
hence is important to the city. When observed, mothers and nurses will be encouraged to tell
their children the censored and authorized ones only and casual tales will not dilute the minds of
children when they grow up. These tales or narratives will mold and fashion their minds and
bodies and those that are uncensored must be discarded.

This censorship, then, is the way to education. Plato told us that even the great poets have
a fault of telling a bad lie – committed when telling a false representation of gods and heroes as
when as a painter does not paint according to the shadow of the original. As an example, Hesiod
presented the story of Uranus how Cronus retaliated him, and this should not be told to younger
generations. In a word, such lies and uncensored stories are not fit to be retold in the city and that
the young should not be that although he committed a crime he has not done something wrong
and that he follows the gods. Instead, Plato urged to keep silent about the uncensored quarrels of
gods and heroes with their relatives, for a young person cannot judge what is allegorical and
what is literal.