The Ideal Republic In Plato's Republic

In Plato’s Republic Glaucon goes through a process of philosophical protrepsis key to developing Plato’s purpose. Glaucon’s journey of consisted of an altering of his conception of freedom from a negative one to a positive one when he was influenced to succumb his theories to Socrates’ challenges. Socrates manages to take Glaucon out of this dark cave where Glaucon encourages being a slave to his desires through this method of challenging, reasoning, and alternative. The process in which Socrates “turns Glaucon’s head” throughout The Republic helps develop Plato communicate his idea of the ideal republic that transcends individuals’ own self gain to readers and rulers. In Book Two of Plato’s Republic, our character Glaucon, begins the process of exhortation by presenting to Socrates and the rulers at this table his idea of justice. Glaucon presents the Ring of Gyges analogy that formulates the ideal that “...this is a great proof that no one is willingly just but only when compelled to be so. Men do not take it to be a good for them in private, since wherever each supposes he can do injustice, he does it.”(Book II, …show more content…
In Book V, lines 473d-e, Socrates proposes the ideal republic when he states, “Unless,” I said, “the philosophers rule as kings...and adequately philosophize, and political power and philosophy coincide in the same place… my dear Glaucon, nor I think for human kind, nor will the regime we have now described in speech ever come forth from nature, insofar as possible, and see the light of the sun.” In other words, Socrates’ perfect city consists of philosophers becoming kings because, in doing so, they are capable of interlacing their philosophies and political power. This then allows for the kings to use their attributes to use the truth that they’re exposed to in the light of the sun, not for their own self-interests, but for the