The Philosopher King In Plato's The Republic

Throughout the latter half of Plato’s The Republic, he speaks of the importance and overwhelmingly virtuous beings, the philosopher kings. These philosopher kings are people who possess a strong love of knowledge, intelligence, and most importantly lovers of the form. These men are educated in a way that cultivates their minds, bodies and even their motives. It is disputed, both in the text of the Republic, but also in modern philosophy. Their features and their upbringing proves to be an immense undertaking that would inherently become such an effort that many would not even attempt to foster that level of thinking. In the real world, as Plato himself stated, there are philosophers capable, and willing, however their course of learning …show more content…
The philosopher king is a man who is inherently excellent as a human being, fulfilling all functions that make a just being, and one who loves all knowledge. He must be “equal of the others in experience of practical affairs, and not inferior in any other area of human excellence.” Similarly, to Plato’s idea of the guardians, the philosopher king exists in a just world where he is fostered from his youth to become this so-called philosopher king. However, while they do exist, being able to tell a truly just and knowledgeable mind from such a young age holds very challenging. The mind at such a young age is very different from the thoughts that are sought for in a virtuous genius. Plato asserts that there is a more natural construct than a taught one when searching for the truly philosophical mind, and they need not only to be predisposed to philosophical thought, but also qualified to rule. This predisposition poses a true barrier to finding the necessary individual to educate towards a useful philosophical mind. To see in someone young enough to be brought to become a philosopher king the true love of knowledge is almost impossible. There is rarely a truly outspoken and virtuous child who speaks openly of it early enough to be raised as a …show more content…
The philosopher king is a man who is inherently excellent as a human being, fulfilling all functions that make a just being, and one who loves all knowledge. He must be “equal of the others in experience of practical affairs, and not inferior in any other area of human excellence.” Similarly, to Plato’s idea of the guardians, the philosopher king exists in a just world where he is fostered from his youth to become this so-called philosopher king. However, while they do exist, being able to tell a truly just and knowledgeable mind from such a young age holds very challenging. The mind at such a young age is very different from the thoughts that are sought for in a virtuous genius. Plato asserts that there is a more natural construct than a taught one when searching for the truly philosophical mind, and they need not only to be predisposed to philosophical thought, but also qualified to rule. This predisposition poses a true barrier to finding the necessary individual to educate towards a useful philosophical mind. To see in someone young enough to be brought to become a philosopher king the true love of knowledge is almost impossible. There is rarely a truly outspoken and virtuous child who speaks openly of it early enough to be raised as a