Kyle Sheehan

FYS 100 Section 50 – Social Utopias

Dr. Watts

September 21, 2015

Every city that rests upon a hierarchical social structure has an elite or ruling class. For the city of Kallipolis, this elite class is known as the guardians. Despite their high ranking on the social ladder, there is often debated as to whether or not the guardians are happy.  Some would argue that as perfectly just leaders they must be happy, however the strict rules and guidelines set forth by Socrates may in fact limit said happiness. By this, the reader learns that justice and happiness do not always coincide with one another. Socrates does a great job of creating the just city, but in my mind it is far from a happy city.

Socrates is definitive as to what characteristics are required for one to become a guardian. These elite defenders of Kallipolis must be sharp-eyed, spirited, courageous, and physically adept. They are expected to be harsh toward their enemies, but gentle and understanding toward their own people.

Socrates compares the guardians to noble hounds by saying that “they are gentle as can be to those they are familiar with and know, but the opposite to those they do not know.”

In order to make this possible, Socrates argues that philosophy must play a major role in the nature of a guardian. Philosophy will be brought into the nature of the guardians by how they are educated. Aside from their physical training, guardians must also partake in musical training.

Socrates gives no space in the education for anything else the guardians might want to learn. Socrates argues that only certain approved stories may be told to the guardians so as not to corrupt their minds with falsehood. Any stories that portray the gods in a “bad image” are strictly forbidden. This includes any stories that include war, fighting, or plotting against one another. Gods must always be described as they really are, good.

By doing this, Socrates is essentially brainwashing the guardians to only know what is good.

By the nature of their education the guardians have little to no notion of any falsehood. This is to ensure that they will act justly as the protectors and ruling class of Kallipolis. While the requirements necessary to become a guardian seem harsh, it is nothing in comparison to the rules and guidelines the guardians are later forced to adhere too. Socrates argues that “they must not be lovers of laughter. For whenever anyone gives in to violent laughter, a violent reaction pretty much always follows.”

This rule is a great representation of the many harsh restrictions that constrain the happiness of the guardians. The guardians are forced to give up hardy laughter to make them better guardians and in turn make a better city. To avoid corruption in the city, Socrates states that guardians must not be money-lovers. The guardians are never allowed to handle currency so that they have no reason to give into bribery and corruption. Furthermore, the guardians are not allowed to own private property. They must all live together in common housing. Without the notion of private property, the guardians have no reason to become corrupt and seek more land or property. However, this deprives the guardians of many things that give provide happiness. One could maybe argue that the guardians are content with their restrictive living conditions because they have known no other way of life. However, it would be a ridiculous claim to say that they would be happier living under these restrictions rather than without them. Socrates refers to guardians as the “most exact craftsmen of the city’s freedom” and goes on to explain that they must practice nothing else. They are, just as all citizens of Kallipolis are, restricted by the usage of specialization. Once determined to be best suited as a guardian, bettering and defending the city can be their only goal. Socrates points out that prospective guardians must avoid drunkenness.

The guardians’ personal wants and social needs are overturned by the needs and wants of the city. This isproven further by the private family lives of the guardians. The guardians are required to hinder their sexual desires until designated mating periods throughout the year as well as collectively parent all offspring. Plato, through Socrates argues that these are all necessary in order to create the perfect, just city. To accomplish this goal, Socrates puts the happiness of the city above any individuals happiness including that of the guardians.

Despite the seemed logic and reasoning behind Socrates ideas, he encounters a multitude of counterarguments throughout The Republic. Thrasymachus makes the argument that an unjust individual, based on social norms, will generally be happier than a just individual.

Adiemantus also questions the issue by asking: “Is it by justice or by crooked tricks I will scale a higher wall.”

It becomes evident that common belief is that justice diminishes individual happiness.  However, Socrates is searching for happiness on the level of the whole city rather than on the level of an individual.

Although acting justly may decrease the happiness of one single guardian, it increases the happiness of the city. In book 2, Glaucon points out that no one can be truly just. He supports this claim by telling the story of the “Ring of Gyges”. This powerful ring allows its wearer to become invisible and indulge in all of his or her immoral desires. This temptation, Glaucon argues, would undoubtedly be to great for even the most just of men to withstand.

Socrates attempts to eliminate this problem in Kallipolis by means of education. By restricting what the guardians are taught, he tries to eliminate any reason for the guardians to behave unjustly.

The harshness and restrictiveness of the rules placed on the guardians greatly hinders their ability to be happy. While Socrates is aiming to create a happy city, he disregards the necessity of happy individuals. The guardians are forced to deprive themselves of laughter, alcohol and various other joys of life just for the betterment of Kallipolis. However, I personally believe that a city can never be truly happy if the inhabitants of said city are not happy. Socrates also fails to take into account the flaws of human nature. As Glaucon pointed out, most all humans would give in to injustice if given an ideal opportunity to do so. Despite Socrates intense regulations for educating the guardians, there is always the chance of someone acting unjustly. Seeing as that humans are sexual beings, its seems highly unrealistic that the guardians would be able to abide by the strict seasonal mating rules. Kallipolis can undoubtedly be called a just city but by no means should it be called a happy one. This point backs up the arguments of Adiemantus and Thrasymachus that the unjust are generally happier than the just. Therefore, through the example of the guardians, the reader learns that justice does not always create happiness.