The Role Of The Ideal Regime In The Republic

In The Republic, Plato, through Socrates, argues for the necessity of philosophy and ideals as a means of guiding the practical application of politics - the two are completely dependent upon each other. While human nature and the erotic impulse make these philosophical ideals and theories impossible to attain, striving for the perfect regime results in a more just city than that regime which is focused wholly on the practical and possible. The argument set forth in The Republic relates to an ideal, and the validity of ideals – from the beginning, Socrates clarifies that this is in no way a practical city, nor is their discussion concerned with that which falls in the realm of possible; rather, they are discussing a regime of perfection. While this whole discussion may seem to be useless according to those concerned with practice, Socrates makes it clear that this discussion, while impractical, is worthwhile, “Do you suppose that what we say is any less good on account of our not being able to prove that it is possible to found a city the same as the one in speech?” (472e). …show more content…
Indeed, it is neither philosophy and the seeking of an ideal nor politics and the pursuit of practicality that bring about the less perfect regimes of oligarchy, timocracy, democracy, and tyranny – rather, it is human nature and the need to form factions. “‘ Once faction had arisen,’ I said, ‘each of these two races, the iron and bronze, pulled the regime toward money-making and the possession of land, houses, gold, and silver’” (547b). Here, the very first movement away from the ideal regime is the procuring of private property, the fulfillment of the erotic impulse. Philosophy and politics are not opposed to one another, but rather share a common enemy – the erotic