Plato Specialization Analysis

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In Plato’s Republic, the Principle of Specialization is proposed. Despite being one of the most repulsive features of the narrative, this principle is the foundation of the community Socrates and his peers create (Republic 370c). This principle states that “productivity is increased . . . [when an individual] does the one thing for which he [or she] is naturally suited, and does it at the opportune moment” (Republic 370c). I think that individuals should be well rounded and refrain from excluding opportunities, even though it could decrease their chances of being the best individual at one skill or task. I think that despite that decreased chance of expertise in one subject area, being well-rounded is ultimately more beneficial to the individual. …show more content…
I will initially explain Plato’s general viewpoints expressed throughout the Republic and then address his perspective on the specific issues previously listed which will be followed by my viewpoints. To begin, Plato promotes specialization because he sees it as an opportunity to increase production, improve product quality, and create a simplified process of the community’s production (Republic 370c). In this hypothetical community created by Socrates and his peers, specialization is viewed as the most practical principle to use as a foundation of the society due to the four main virtues they discovered including wisdom, courage, self-discipline, and morality (Republic 427e). In this city, the rulers must be wise, the auxiliaries must be courageous, and the two other virtues of self-discipline and morality must be spread amongst all three …show more content…
It has been demonstrated that a well-balanced education, contrary to Plato’s suggestions, allows individuals to better adapt to and solve life challenges in a more open-minded way when faced with adversity (Peterson, 2017). I think that when people are allowed to experience a wide range of education and learn various skills, the individual is better equip to deal with adversity of all kinds. This would prevent the need for one trained individual to handle one specific challenge which is the way the proposed city is suggested to be set up by Socrates. When an individual is the recipient of a diverse education, the individual is exposed to many thought processes, many ways of solving problems, and the many ways in which previous challenges were settled by other individuals, giving them insight into different strategies that may work in different troubling environments. The open-mindedness created from inclusive education allows people to approach challenges from many perspectives rather than practicing a narrow-minded focus which would prevent this radiating and creative thought

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