Ca' 360 BCE Book VII of the Republic The Ideal State The Cave Concepts of Reality and Human Percepti

1
Ca. 360 BCEBook VII of the Republic(The Ideal
State)The CaveConcepts of Reality and Human
Perception

• Then now comes the question,--How shall we
  create our rulers what way is there from
  darkness to light?

2

• Socrates is talking to a young follower of his
  named Glaucon, and is telling him this fable to
  illustrate what it's like to be a philosopher --
  a lover of wisdom 

3

• "Imagine men and women living as prisoners in an
  underground cave. These people have been here
  since birth, their bodies chained so that they
  cannot move. They can see only what is in front
  of them and can see no other prisoners.
• "Behind the prisoners is a series of fires.
  Between the prisoners and the fires is a screen,
  like that at a puppet show. Behind this are
  people carrying various artificial objects, such
  as the figures of men and animals. The prisoners
  see nothing but the shadows of the objects cast
  by the firelight onto the cave wall in front of
  them. The cave has an echo so that the when the
  people in back of them speak the prisoners
  believe the sounds come from the shadow figures
  on the cave wall.
• "Suppose one of the prisoners became free from
  his chains. The firelight would be painful to his
  eyes and the objects in back of him would so
  terrify him that he might desire to regain his
  former chained situation.
• "If this free person actually crept out of the
  cave into the sunlight, he would be completely
  dazed, unable to comprehend ordinary objects.
  Slowly this former prisoner might begin to
  understand that it is the sun which is the source
  of light and life. He would feel sorrow for his
  former fellow prisoners. If he did return to his
  chains and speak to his fellow prisoners, they
  would think he was insane. And if they could lay
  hands on him they would kill him."

4
(No Transcript)
5
Cave vs. Reality

• Chains are what hold people back in a society
• Socialization
• Light is the effect of new knowledge
• What would it have been like to leave the cave?
• What would it be like to return?
• Would they see everything in the same light
• What if they were the only one to leave?
• How would they try to protect and enlighten the
  ones who remained?

6
PLATO'S INTERPRETATION

• This entire allegory, I said, you may now append,
  dear Glaucon, to the previous argument the
  prison-house is the world of sight, the light of
  the fire is the sun, and you will not
  misapprehend me if you interpret the journey
  upwards to be the ascent of the soul into the
  intellectual world according to my poor belief,
  which, at your desire, I have expressed whether
  rightly or wrongly God knows. But, whether true
  or false, my opinion is that in the world of
  knowledge the idea of good appears last of all,
  and is seen only with an effort and, when seen,
  is also inferred to be the universal author of
  all things beautiful and right, parent of light
  and of the lord of light in this visible world,
  and the immediate source of reason and truth in
  the intellectual and that this is the power upon
  which he who would act rationally, either in
  public or private life must have his eye fixed.

7

• I dare say that you have not forgotten how our
  rulers were chosen and the process of selection
  may be carried a step further--As before, they
  must be constant and valiant, good-looking, and
  of noble manners, but now they must also have
  natural ability which education will improve
  that is to say, they must be quick at learning,
  capable of mental toil, retentive, solid,
  diligent natures, who combine intellectual with
  moral virtues not lame and one-sided, diligent
  in bodily exercise and indolent in mind, or
  conversely not a maimed soul, which hates
  falsehood and yet unintentionally is always
  wallowing in the mire of ignorance not a bastard
  or feeble person, but sound in wind and limb, and
  in perfect condition for the great gymnastic
  trial of the mind. Justice herself can find no
  fault with natures such as these and they will
  be the saviours of our State disciples of
  another sort would only make philosophy more
  ridiculous than she is at present.

8
(No Transcript)
9
(No Transcript)
10
Great Individuals

• Essential Duties
• Characteristics
• Goals
• What is desirable
• What kinds of things do they do to change
  society? (aristocracy enemies or allies?)
• What is their perspective about themselves?
• How do they ensure that they remain seen as the
  authority?
• How do they manage their place in history?
• How do they protect their empire?
• What are the essential challenges each faced?
• How did each ruler view religion? Tolerance?
• What duties does the ruler have to commoners?
  What is the issue of benevolence?

11
Empires

• Build new cities with great Monuments
• Control aristocracy
• Hostage systems
• Rewards
• Shift from Aristocracy to a bureaucracy
• Administrative body that has non-elected
  officials and procedures
• Chosen through different processes such as
  through inheritance or by merit
• Use methods such as divine authority
• Concept that monarchs receive their authority
  from God and are responsible only to God
• Require large military force either navy or army
  or combination of both
• This requires large taxing bureaucracy
• Try to control trade through mercantilistic
  practices
• Control of trade through tariffs
• Control of trade routes
• Increase production of goods
• Increase banking practices and use and control of
  silver and gold
• Religious conflict and compromise

12
Great Individuals Hegemony

• Great Buildings or symbols
• Accoutrements of power
• Reduce power of aristocracy and create new
  bureaucracy
• Military structures and new types of persons to
  control the military
• Taxing structures and tax collectors
• How does the aristocracy fight back
• Deal with the issue of merchants and increased
  trade
• Mercantilist practices
• Self-sufficiency
• Religious conflict
• Either forced conversion or compromise
• Geography of empire
• Where does it began and what methods are used to
  expand

13
How do handle inside/outside threats? How do
their consolidate and centralize their
positions? What kind of events contribute to the
growth/decline of their empire? How do they deal
with the people within their empire? What is the
role of economics in maintaining their absolutism?
ABSOLUTISM
What characteristics do rulers need to sustain an
empire? What actions do they take that strengthen
their positions?
14
Connects with leadership

• Most people, including ourselves, live in a world
  of relative ignorance. 
• We are even comfortable with that ignorance,
  because it is all we know. 
• When we first start facing truth, the process may
  be frightening, and many people run back to their
  old lives. 
• But if you continue to seek truth, you will
  eventually be able to handle it better. 
• In fact, you want more! 
• It's true that many people around you now may
  think you are weird or even a danger to society,
  but you don't care. 
• Once you've tasted the truth, you won't ever want
  to go back to being ignorant!