The Ideal Society In Ramayana And Plato's The Republic

Ancient civilizations expressed their views about society and religion through stories and laws, which means that written records are often the best way for the modern world to understand past cultures. An ancient Indian story, The Ramayana, describes Rama, who is an embodiment of dharma, and his wife Sita, who is perfectly pure. They are seen as ideal individuals, and the city of demons that the story is based around is seen as the epitome of evil. Plato formulates his ideal city in The Republic, which describes the ultimate virtues and characteristics individuals and societies should strive to achieve. Both the Ancient Indian Ramayana, written by Valmiki, and Plato’s The Republic reflect strikingly similar views on the ideal individual and the ideal society. They echo each other when determining the criteria of placement of individuals in society, but contrast each other slightly when writing about free will and the place of women in society. …show more content…
Rama is praised for conquering his passions, while his wife Sita warns that, “Dharma is a subtle thing. One can be true to it only if one’s mind is entirely without desire,” (Valmiki 163). Plato taught a similar belief, that the ideal human has a balance between the three parts of the soul: reason, appetite, and spirit. Each of these three parts must exist harmoniously together and be in balance in order for true justice. Plato says that “desires in the common many are mastered by the desires and the prudence in the more decent few.” (109). Both of these authors saw desire as a dangerous thing, capable of throwing a soul out of balance. The ideal individual would keep a balanced