The allegory of the sun is an important metaphor in the Republic of Plato because it helps the reader comprehend how philosophers understand the Form of the Good, which therefore allows for an understanding of justice.
Plato uses the metaphor of the sun to compare the role of the philosophers with a concrete image. By comparing the philosopher king to the sun he is demonstrating how much power and knowledge the philosophers obtain through their intense and lengthy education. The sun is the source of all power and light and gives existence to life. The philosophers are responsible for governing the city and this is only possible because of the knowledge and training they possess. The analogy of the sun refers to the understanding of the …show more content…
The soul has three parts; the appetitive part, spirited part and rational part. The souls must correspond to the natural job of their class. Therefore justice is the same in the soul as it is in the state. “The just man will not be any different from the just city” (435b). The guardians understand harmony and balance and apply their knowledge from extensive education and training to a just society. Only the philosophers have all three parts of the soul. Because they have wisdom they can see and understand abstract concepts. The sun give light and philosophers can see who ahs which part of the …show more content…
Plato introduces the concept of the noble lie to ensure that the citizens are obedient and cooperative. Socrates explains that, “it’s appropriate for rulers… to lie for the benefit of the city” (389b). The noble lie tells the story how each person’s soul determines their position in society. Bronze souls are the producers, silver souls make up the auxiliary class and philosophers have a gold soul. This lie tells members of society what their natural duty is; the gods decided their fate and they must act accordingly. Those with the gold soul are able to understand this lie because they have knowledge of the truth, which is provided by the suns light. Philosophers can fully understand whereas the majority of society cannot understand. The sun represent the rule of the philosopher king; he is in the position he is in because he was born with the talent and proved himself worthy and capable of being in a position of power and knowledge. The philosophers have greater responsibilities and paly a very important role. The sun shows the nature of the true
Plato uses the metaphor of the sun to compare the role of the philosophers with a concrete image. By comparing the philosopher king to the sun he is demonstrating how much power and knowledge the philosophers obtain through their intense and lengthy education. The sun is the source of all power and light and gives existence to life. The philosophers are responsible for governing the city and this is only possible because of the knowledge and training they possess. The analogy of the sun refers to the understanding of the …show more content…
The soul has three parts; the appetitive part, spirited part and rational part. The souls must correspond to the natural job of their class. Therefore justice is the same in the soul as it is in the state. “The just man will not be any different from the just city” (435b). The guardians understand harmony and balance and apply their knowledge from extensive education and training to a just society. Only the philosophers have all three parts of the soul. Because they have wisdom they can see and understand abstract concepts. The sun give light and philosophers can see who ahs which part of the …show more content…
Plato introduces the concept of the noble lie to ensure that the citizens are obedient and cooperative. Socrates explains that, “it’s appropriate for rulers… to lie for the benefit of the city” (389b). The noble lie tells the story how each person’s soul determines their position in society. Bronze souls are the producers, silver souls make up the auxiliary class and philosophers have a gold soul. This lie tells members of society what their natural duty is; the gods decided their fate and they must act accordingly. Those with the gold soul are able to understand this lie because they have knowledge of the truth, which is provided by the suns light. Philosophers can fully understand whereas the majority of society cannot understand. The sun represent the rule of the philosopher king; he is in the position he is in because he was born with the talent and proved himself worthy and capable of being in a position of power and knowledge. The philosophers have greater responsibilities and paly a very important role. The sun shows the nature of the true