Plato's Republic uses a political approach to answer what is essentially a moral question. In attempting to identify justice in the individual, Socrates takes a distinctive turn in the direction of political philosophy, describing the formation of his ideal city, Kallipolis. It can hardly be disputed that the ideal state described by Socrates in Plato's Republic is close to a totalitarian state, by its general definition. All political decisions are made by the guardian class without any reference to the citizen body. Furthermore, guardians are neither elected nor removable from office by popular vote. Politically their power is absolute; the only control over them is itself ideological, in the sense that they have an absolute moral obligation to "... hold on to education and see that it is not corrupt" [1] and acceptance of the political system is conveyed from generation to generation. Next. The system detailed by Plato through the discussion of Socrates is certainly close to totalitarian on the surface, but Plato's true vision of Kallipolis and his intent in allowing Socrates to create it are less clear. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay As suggested by a number of subtle contradictions in the text, particularly in the Allegory of the Cave, it appears that Plato did not share Socrates' enthusiasm for Kallipolis. Although, through the way Plato reports Socrates' comments made to Glaucon at the beginning of the Republic, Plato strives to protect the reputation of his dear mentor Socrates by distancing him from the final totalitarian outcome of his idealized city. It is important to first establish that Plato's Kallipolis is not a true totalitarian system by the standard definition, although close to this form of government. It is clear that Plato is not an extreme totalitarian since the entire structure of his theory requires that the polis is an organization designed with the primary goal of promoting individual eudaimonia, or happiness, through the collective happiness of the city. Socrates is careful to distinguish that "...in founding our city, we do not aim to make one group particularly happy, but to make the whole city so, as far as possible" (420b). Of course, the subordination of individual priorities to those of the polis, or state, is reminiscent of some socialist or communist forms of government, which are often authoritarian in nature, but Socrates' focus is on the well-being of the whole and not primarily of those individuals . who occupy the highest government positions makes it clear that Socrates had, at the very least, ambivalent intentions. Socrates' utilitarian ambitions in creating Kallipolis are to ensure that all citizens cooperate for mutual benefit and to ensure that rulers work for the benefit of their citizens. Plato is careful to make this distinction, framing his Kallipolis in a more positive light than a purely authoritarian system of government, in which all citizens cooperate purely for the benefit of the ruler. Later in the Republic, in reference to the seemingly progressive integration of women into the social structure of Kallipolis, Socrates states that these laws are “…in accord with nature” (456c). Socrates makes an even grander statement when he says “It is rather the way things currently stand that seems to be against nature” (456c). Socrates seems to truly believe in the system he formed together with Glaucon and Adeimantus as a system that is true to his philosophical ideals and is superior to anything that exists in the physical world. This benevolently targeted system createdfrom Plato through Socrates seems to attest to Plato's desire not to subject an abstract image of idealism to detached examination, but rather to create a system that he legitimately believed was good for both citizens and rulers. It is unlikely that Plato purposely included Socrates' praise of a system that he intended to be carefully examined, unless Plato intended Socrates to be carefully examined as well. The contemporary belief that Plato wanted to establish an overly idealistic political system to warn against zealous utopianism cannot be supported solely by the verbal statements of intent and approval expressed by Socrates. This view can only be supported through an analysis of the implicit messages and contradictions contained within the Republic. Plato first incorporates into his Kallipolis an apparent contradiction with Socrates' legitimate intent to create an ideal city. Immediately after Glaucon observes in Book II that the first fundamental city described by Socrates was "... a city for pigs" (372d), Socrates and Glaucon decide to create a luxurious city. Socrates is sure to warn Glaucon that "...the true city, in my opinion, is the one we have described" (372e) but ultimately agrees to Glaucon's request: "But let us study a city with a fever, if you want" (372e ). The use of the word “fever” is particularly interesting due to the potentially negative connotation it can have. If Socrates truly meant that their city had a disease, or an illness, then this would be reason to conclude that Socrates' yielding to Glaucon's request in Book II was the beginning of his desire to uphold an image of idealism for a detached examination, where the fault lay in the excessive luxury of the city or perhaps in the unrealistic nature of such a city. Furthermore, Plato's decision to include Socrates' phrase "...if you will" may indicate Plato's desire to distance Socrates from the final product that will. result of his investigation, as if the direction in which Kallipolis eventually headed was the result of Glaucon's initial suggestion. Perhaps Plato understood that the Kallipolis created in the Republic was worthy of unspeakable criticism and intended to protect the reputation of his dear mentor Socrates by distancing him from the end result of their idealized Kallipolis. These comments by Socrates, which serve to call into question his true intent in the remaining eight books of the Republic, must also be carefully contrasted with Socrates' self-contradictions about the feasibility of Kallipolis. Socrates appears to have conflicting views on the importance of considering the vitality of Kallipolis. He establishes that “…it is not impossible…” that the city can be realized but “that it is difficult for this to happen…” (499d). Socrates' simple consideration of feasibility lends credence to the seriousness of his inquiry into the If Socrates' purpose for forming Kallipolis had been simply to provide a negative example of zealous idealism for detached examination, the city's vitality would not have been been worthy of his consideration, although, at the end of Book IV, Socrates states that "It makes no difference whether he is or ever will be anywhere," (582b) in response to Glaucon's objection about the improbability of the philosopher's participation in politics This sudden change in tone by Socrates, assigning an unprecedented level of unimportant viability, leads readers to believe that the entire premise of the Kallipolis investigation lacks seriousness in nature. It is still possible, however, that even if the viability of Kallipolis is not important to Socrates, it could still be a serious investigation of an ideal city. You don't have toa city is vital to being truly ideal and having benevolent intent, although Socrates' lack of appreciation for the vitality at this point of the Republic certainly worries readers. Furthermore, Socrates' conflicted attitude towards feasibility, which was certainly an intentional inclusion on Plato's part, may indicate Plato's lack of confidence in Socrates' methodology. At best, Socrates intended to conduct a serious investigation of the ideal city, and Plato merely recorded Socrates' success in creating a Kallipolis with a slightly more benevolent nature than totalitarianism. At worst, Plato's inclusions of Socrates' contradictions might indicate Plato's intention to criticize Socrates' utopian spirit through the creation of a Kallipolis that he did not consider ideal and by means that he believed lacked sufficient care. The last indication of Plato's feeling towards Socrates' political inquiry is found in Socrates' Allegory of the Cave, where he leaves readers with one final qualification for the success of Kallipolis: the philosopher must descend "back into the cave" (539e ). In the allegory, Plato compares people uneducated in the Theory of Forms to prisoners chained in a cave, seeing shadows cast on a wall in front of them, and provides readers with an epistemological interpretation of the extended metaphor that is the cave. In the allegory, the philosopher frees himself from the dark deception within the cave and, through a painful process of discovery, ultimately achieves knowledge of the Forms. Given that Socrates aims for an ideal in which “political power and philosophy coincide entirely” (473d), the process of philosophical discovery in the Allegory of the Cave can be logically interpreted as the process of the philosopher king acquiring the knowledge necessary to lead Kallipolis. The first contradiction of the philosopher king's vitality is the fact that he who achieves knowledge of the Forms through his ascent from the cave would probably realize the deception of the “noble falsehood” (414c) on which his society is built and would have no desire to return to the cave. Indeed, in reference to the misguided citizens in the cave, Socrates admits that the philosopher “…would go through any suffering, rather than share their opinions and live like them” (516d). It therefore seems unlikely that the philosopher, once he has escaped from the cave and achieved knowledge of the Forms, will return there to become philosopher-king of the citizens, moving from "...divine study to the evils of human life" (517d). Furthermore, Socrates leaves it completely unexplained a crucial step for the continued operation of Kallipolis. After the philosopher who has achieved knowledge of the Forms returns to the cave and demonstrates his ability to be “…successful both in practical matters and in the sciences…” (540a) and puts “…in order the city, its citizens and if themselves” (540b), he must train his successors “…to take his place as guardians of the city” (540b). Training a successor to the philosopher king would require the current king to bring another citizen out of the darkness of the cave and expose him to the light of the Forms. Unfortunately, this is an incredibly dangerous task. At the beginning of the Allegory of the Cave and in reference to the prisoners (citizens) by whom it is occupied, Socrates asks Glaucon: “And, as for whoever tried to free them and lead them upwards, if he could somehow put hands on him, wouldn't they have killed him?" (517a), to which Glaucon replies, “They certainly would” (517a). This problem is never addressed by Socrates in Plato's Republic, suggesting that the proper function of Kallipolis, which depends on the philosopher king leading the others out of the cave to.