What should society be like? This is a difficult question that many have attempted to answer, but rarely does anyone answer as comprehensively as Plato in his Socratic dialogue The Republic, or Marx in The Communist Manifesto. Kallipolis and a communist society are not dissimilar, but both are far from the capitalist America that exists today. Both cities solve the problem of inequality, but because of the social changes either system would entail, neither would work in American society.
Kallipolis is a city structured to not make one group happy, but to make every group as happy as they each can possibly be (Plato 421c). It is led by Philosopher Kings, protected by Guardians, and kept in motion by craftsmen; who are the majority of the population. …show more content…
I have always been allowed to devote myself to what I wanted, but many people in American society have not had that opportunity. In Kallipolis they would. I think that if everyone was provided for life would be better. Crime rates would be much lower because people would never have to attack each other out of need, which may result in fewer people attacking each other out of fear. People would receive the same opportunities, and have everything that they need to reach their fullest potential. Kallipolis solves the problem of inequality effectively, but in doing so it creates more problems. Kallipolis would only work for people like Socrates and Plato; people who are willing to repress their desires and work hard for the good of everyone. As much as the Philosopher Kings may try to shape everyone to be like that through closely managing education, and limiting the information given to young people, it will not work for everyone. There will always be people who are violent, selfish, lazy, and cannot control themselves. A social system like this would not be able to be implemented in …show more content…
Citizens of either Kallipolis or a communist country would lose their family; Plato thinks that parents would be better off without their children, and Marx thinks that children would be better off without their parents. Citizens of Kallipolis would lose free self-expression through art, and citizens of a communist country would lose their private property (Plato 424c). However, citizens of either would be well cared for, well educated, and free to do a job that they want to do without worrying about the pay. However, because of the sacrifices that would have to be made, neither system would work in the context of American
Kallipolis is a city structured to not make one group happy, but to make every group as happy as they each can possibly be (Plato 421c). It is led by Philosopher Kings, protected by Guardians, and kept in motion by craftsmen; who are the majority of the population. …show more content…
I have always been allowed to devote myself to what I wanted, but many people in American society have not had that opportunity. In Kallipolis they would. I think that if everyone was provided for life would be better. Crime rates would be much lower because people would never have to attack each other out of need, which may result in fewer people attacking each other out of fear. People would receive the same opportunities, and have everything that they need to reach their fullest potential. Kallipolis solves the problem of inequality effectively, but in doing so it creates more problems. Kallipolis would only work for people like Socrates and Plato; people who are willing to repress their desires and work hard for the good of everyone. As much as the Philosopher Kings may try to shape everyone to be like that through closely managing education, and limiting the information given to young people, it will not work for everyone. There will always be people who are violent, selfish, lazy, and cannot control themselves. A social system like this would not be able to be implemented in …show more content…
Citizens of either Kallipolis or a communist country would lose their family; Plato thinks that parents would be better off without their children, and Marx thinks that children would be better off without their parents. Citizens of Kallipolis would lose free self-expression through art, and citizens of a communist country would lose their private property (Plato 424c). However, citizens of either would be well cared for, well educated, and free to do a job that they want to do without worrying about the pay. However, because of the sacrifices that would have to be made, neither system would work in the context of American