Through this article, I will attempt to explore the question of whether the society that was created by Plato in his work The Republic is just. To begin pondering this question, it is valid to assert that the society that was created within Plato's The Republic is just, in that although it can be argued that the social structure is too rigid, the rigidity, to an extent, will allow the society to be an effective one. This is because the rigidity of the social structure will keep chaos from ensuing within the society, thus significantly increasing the likelihood that it will flourish.
Before addressing the query of how I would fit into The Republic, it is important to state that although women were given the same opportunities as men in terms of access to education as well as the types of jobs they can work in, there was still an underlying sense of division among males and females. This can be summed up by what Socrates stated in The Republic: "…the woman is weaker than the man." Therefore, although I would like to believe that I would be a part of the aristocracy, realistically speaking, I would most likely be a member of one of the lower classes simply because of the fact that I am a female.
Continuing on with investigating the question of whether or not this society is just, we must consider the justness of both its system of government and its system of education. When considering the system of government, it can be said that the system is both just and not just simultaneously. Simply put, it is democratic in some ways, and aristocratic in others. Moreover, it is democratic in that the common people can give their input on how the society is run, to those who run it. Yet, it is aristocratic in that all decisions are ultimately made by the ruling elite.
In terms of the education system, it can be said that it is just, in a general sense, seeing as "… all citizens are educated equally…" which is stated in The Republic. However, it can also be said that there is no academic motivation present within the citizens because everyone has the same opportunities to be educated and get a job. Additionally, no academic motivation is present because no one citizen is rewarded more than the next person since everyone is educated and has a guaranteed job.
As far as any problems that may arise within the society, I feel that the rigid social class structure that is present may lead to the development of the belief that true equality doesn't exist in The Republic. This can be supported by arguing that men and women are equals in jobs and education, but there's still a rigid social hierarchy; not a ladder, so essentially, citizens can't progress. Further, there is not any way in which these problems can be addressed, while still being in accordance with the ideals that are set forth within The Republic. This is due to the fact that the issues wouldn't change whatsoever, but instead would stay the same because they are Plato's ideals.
To conclude, it is accurate to say that the society created within Plato's The Republic is a just one. However, there are some limitations in regards to my argument. One such limitation is that in my argument, I focused on the justness of the society, rather than the society in general. Additionally, another limitation is that I only read The Republic, I am not Plato and did not come up with these ideas, thus the credibility of the argument is debatable. The biggest limitation of my argument, by far, is the fact that I am looking at this issue from a woman's perspective, so I view it as s generally just society, but I feel that improvements could be made.
