The Idea of a Just Society

A human person, according to Plato has a soul which is composed of the appetitive, the spirited, and the rational. The appetitive part is responsible for the person's need for nourishment and reproduction. The spirited part is responsible for the person's emotion, passion, and will power. And the rational parts is responsible for the person's thinking. While each part of the soul is indispensable to human existence, the rational part, according to Plato, is the highest and is supposed to govern both the appetitive and spirited parts. Reason should tame the appetite and guide the spirit in order to produce a harmonious personality. But such ideal set up does not always happen. There are times the appetite overwhelms the human person and he becomes desirous. And there are also times when the spirit is dominant in the human person an he becomes competitive and ambitious, and courageous. And there are also times when reason rules over the human person and he becomes wise. In fact, human persons can be classified into three kinds depending on what part of their soul is dominant in them. Those who are overwhelmed by their appetite belong to the group of desire-driven people. Those who are ruled by their spirit belong to the group of power-driven individuals. And those who are governed by their reasons belong to the group of the wise people.

Plato's problem, is that, given the fact that there are three kinds of people who are individually subject to the chaotic interactions of the three parts of the soul, how should the society be organized in such a way that each person is in his right place doing his own task (Durant, 1961)? Just like in the three parts of the soul, the three kinds of the people are indispensable to the health of the society. No one should be thrown away, everyone should be placed where he is best fit. The first problem is to determine who among the people belong to desire-driven, to the power-driven, and to the wisdom-seekers. After people classifying into three, the next problem is to determine the positions of each class of people in the society. And the third problem is to determine how they should live as members of the society given their respective natures and positions.

According to Plato there is no better way to classify people and to determine their social positions except through education. This means that people will occupy their social positions according to their educational qualifications. This means that all will undergo education in order to determine the positions they are best fit in the society. This mode of classification of the people is democratic in the sense that everyone is given equal opportunity to hold social positions. (Social positions are merited and not inherited.) But it is also aristocratic because only the few who turn out academically successful will have the chance to hold highest positions in the society. The rest will either become a worker or a soldier depending on his level of education (Durant, 1961).

All the children will be taken in custody by the state from birth. This is to protect them from the bad habits of their parents. All will receive the same care and education from the state. All will have equal opportunity for education. There will be universal education in which children of the same age receive the same kind of training (there will be no private education - this is to ensure that they receive the same quality of education). For the first ten years, their education shall be physical education focusing on play and sport. This is aimed at building children's physique because a strong republic, according to Plato cannot afford to have sickly citizens. The next five years, therefore will be devoted to music education. This is to promote balanced and a harmonious personality among the children so that the society will not only produce wrestlers and boxers, but also, artists with well-balanced personalities. The next five years will be devoted to religious education aimed at developing the moral dimensions of the citizens. The concept of God will be introduced only when children have developed their capacity for thinking. It does not matter if God exists or not; what matters is that people believe in God since the concept of God will provide the moral foundation of the society. After 20 years of studying, there will be a great elimination. Those who fail in the examination will be given 10 more years to train in body and mind, and character, after which they will take the second elimination. Those who fail will become soldiers, executive aides, and auxiliaries. Those who pass will be given five more years to study philosophy. After 35 years of theoretical pursuit, the successful candidates will be sent out of the academe in order to test their theoretical knowledge in real life situations. After 15 years of practical education and after a total of 50 years of education, they will now be proclaimed philosopher-kings. As philosopher-kings, their job is to govern the society. A just society cannot afford less than the caliber of the philosopher-kings, as Plato says: "Unless philosophers are kings and kings are philosophers a just society is just a dream" (Durant, 1961).

Unlike the traditional popular election that happen in one day, Plato's educational election (election by education in which social positions are filled through educational attainment) takes place in one generation. Only those who have proven their mettles become the guardians or rulers of the society. Everyone is given equal opportunity, but high positions are reserved to those who have prepared and proven their abilities.

Plato's ideal society, then, is a society wherein different kinds of people are positioned differently depending on their abilities, doing their own job. This is a just society for Plato, a society wherein all can be said to be educated in varying degrees in accordance with which they occupy social positions: the wise men govern, the soldiers protect, and the workers provide the economic needs of the society. Only when people are positioned in this way, according to Plato, that the society can become harmonious and well-coordinated, and hence, just.