Analysis Of Plato's Utopian Society

There is a great likelihood that most of the children on this planet have heard this phrase at least once in their lifetimes, “It’s perfect”. Perfection is a concept that has been sought after throughout human history. Regardless of who they are or where they live, human beings have all made some attempt or other to achieve perfection in something, regardless of how small or insignificant that something may be. Parents have urged their children to aim for the top seat, the highest score, the best personality or the biggest dreams. Why does the majority of humanity seek perfection? Why have common folk and world leaders alike been so captivated by the idea of reaching this epitome of achievement in their lifetime? In order to understand this,

Plato, a famous ancient Greek Philosopher wrote several dialogues and although little is known about his life due to a lack of surviving records it is unanimously agreed that he was one of the most influential figures in the development of philosophy in the Western tradition. In his book, The Republic Plato writes about the ideal human society where justice prevails and there are equality and egalitarianism among the people. This society is devoid of any crimes, any injustice and is a world where one can enjoy peace and happiness without the worry or fear of oppression of any kind. Plato went on to write how such a society would be governed in the form of a hierarchy in which at the topmost position would be the “philosopher kings” who would maintain equality and ensure that every decision they make is in the best interests of society (428). Their sole purpose would be to guard the people and their perfect society in every way possible. However, realistically speaking, if any society has a hierarchy of any kind it means that it is not truly equal. Such as is an example in Animal Farm, where there is a central ideology that “All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others” (Orwell, 112). This is because one person or group of people holds more power than the rest of the masses. If this is the case, then equality is not achieved and egalitarianism cannot be realized. These so-called “philosopher kings” held incredible amounts of power in this apparently utopian society and hence there would need to be certain checks and balances to ensure that they do not misuse their power. But no such checks and balances were provided in Plato’s Republic as it would mean an unjust restriction on the society’s guardians. In his article But Who Will Guard the Guardians?, Leonid Hurwicz quotes Glaucon, a character in Plato’s Republic, who says “it would be