Q19: Describe the context in which the city and soul analogy arises in the Republic. How does this analogy guide our interpretation of the Republic? What are the limitations of the analogy?

19. Describe the context in which the city and soul analogy arises in the Republic.  How does this analogy guide our interpretation of the Republic?  What are the limitations of the analogy?

[AT note: This is straight from Tweedt 2011, but I added numbers to facilitate our discussion.]

1.   How the city and soul analogy arises

a.     Socrates wants to show that justice benefits a person more than injustice. But first, what is justice?

b.     This is hard. Just as seeing small letters is hard, we look at larger ones to help us discern the smaller.

c.     Justice in a city is easier to see but the same as justice in a soul (so Socrates argues).

d.     So, Socrates looks for justice in a city.

2.  How it guides our interpretation of the Republic

a.     We should not see Plato’s just city as a political view but as an analogy.

                                               i.     E.g. Plato doesn’t think his just city makes everyone happy; it only makes the city happy.

3.  Limitations of the analogy

a.     A just city is unfair to the members of its parts, but a soul is not unfair to its parts or their tokens.

b.     The city needs the merchant class (e.g. without them, there is no food), but the soul doesn’t need appetites.

c.     The soldiers & merchants have potential to become philosophers. Spirited activity and appetites can’t become philosophical.

It is likely we can get a just person. It is unlikely we can get a just city. (HT: Aho)