Plato's Utopia

(Originally written July 8, 2006 in Book 4)

The History of Western Philosophy
Bertrand Russell

Chapter 14 - Plato's Utopia

The construction of an ideal commonwealth is the function of Plato's Utopia. It is the earliest and first of these attempts.

In a Utopia the government is run by philosophers

The nominal purpose of the Republic is to define justice.

Utopia declares that a state must be just for it to be good.

Plato divides citizens into three classes:
1) The common people
2) The soldiers
3) The guardians

The guardians are the only class to have political power.

The guardians are initially chosen by a legislator, then succeed by heredity. In rare cases an exceptional child may rise from one of the larger, yet lower social classes and incompetent guardians can be demoted.

Plato focuses on the guardians because they are the definers of society. Therefore considerations must be made into their purpose and instruction.

First, there are educational considerations. Education is divided into two parts:
1) Music (culture in modern times)
2) Gymnastics (athletics in modern times)

Culture (music) is purposed to create gentlemen.

The aristocracy is unchecked in Plato's Utopia. They have absolute political power.

Gravity, decorum and courage were the qualities cultivated in education.

Rigorous censorship of literature was required so young minds would not be corrupted. Homer & Hesiod were not allowed for a number of reasons:
1) The gods' behavior in these stories is not befitting them. God is the author of only good things, not evil.
2) Homer and Hesiod make their readers fear death. Education should make young men willing to die in battle.
3) Decorum demands no loud laughter and Homer articulates this in the gods.
4) They discourage the virtue of temperance
5) The authors speak of good men being unhappy and wicked men prospering, which discourages men of striving to be good.

Dramas are banished because they contain villains and no good man should imitate a bad man, a woman or an inferior man. Therefore, dramas are nearly impossible.

Music was to be censored as well. No Ionian or Lydian harmonies were permitted. Lydian music expresses sorrow, Ionian, relaxation. Rhythms had to be simple. Dorian music was good for courage. Phrygian was good for temperance.

Body training was strict:
1) No fish was to be eaten
2) Meat had to be roasted
3) Sauces and confectionary were forbidden

Young people were never to see ugliness or vice. Then when they are ready are to be shown terrors, but not to be afraid. They were to be shown evil pleasure, but not to be seduced. When they pass this test they are fit to be guardians.

Guardian males should see war, but not fight.

Communism was the economic system fro guardians and soldiers.

Guardians were to have small homes and simple food, live in a camp and dine together.

Gold and silver were forbidden.

Both wealth and poverty are deemed harmful and thus should not exist.

Allies would easy to come by because Plato's Utopia would not want to share in the spoils of war.

Girls were to have the same exact training as boys. Women were to have equality with men.

Marriage would be quite different. They would be arranged to ensure the best match for the betterment of society as a whole.

Children were to be taken from their parents at birth. No parents were to know exactly who their children were and no children were to know exactly who their parents were.

Mothers are to be 20-40 years old; fathers are to be 25-55. After this age sex is free, but abortion and infanticide compulsory.

The objective of Plato's logic is to minimize private possessive emotions.

Deception is a prerogative and lying a tool of the government to subdue its inhabitants.

The great lie or 'one royal lie' is that God made three kinds of men: the top of gold, middle of silver, low of brass and iron. The gold are go be guardians, silver, the soldiers, the brass and iron, the common laborers. This lie was not going to fool the first generation, but through education it could fool subsequent ones.

Justice occurs when every being does their own job and doesn't interfere with the other classes.

What distinguishes Plato's Utopia from modern utopias is that it was intended to be founded. It wouldn't have been as difficult as we would think either. Pythagoras attempted to have philosophers rule and was still very influenctial in Sicily and Southern Italy. Most of his ideas were achieved in some scale in Sparta. Unfortunately for Plato, he went to Syracuse, a great commercial city and faced a war with Carthage.