The significance of art in the republic of plato

I would like to demonstrate specific reasons for doubting sides to bring about the perfectly Just city in speech and follow up with Socrates own criticism of this city and his reasons for doubting its relevance. The city in speech brought about with The Republic begins with the end of Socrates seeming refutation of Trashcans which Glaucoma rejects and restates the argument for further scrutiny (AAA-361 d). The argument is over whether it is a better life to live perfectly Just or perfectly unjust.

Glaucoma states the argument as such ” For I desire to hear what each is and what power it has all alone by itself when t is in the soul” dismissing its wages and its consequences. “(Bloom, Bibb) After some convincing, Socrates accepts the challenge to defend Justice (ICC). In taking on this feet, Socrates contrives an easier way to spot Justice in the soul. He claims that justice in the soul is like small letters and hard to see while Justice in a city is like big letters and will be easier to see (ICC-d). So Socrates sets out to creating a perfectly just city in speech to flush out Justice in the soul.

Although the city in speech within The Republic does not seem to represent a real city and should not be taken as a literal attempt to create a perfectly Just city in reality, the fact remains that Plato does seem to be very hard on the artist, especially the poets. The image of the cave sets up mankind as looking at the shadows of artifacts displayed on the wall of a cave by the poets (Palmer, 28; AAA-51 AAA). This gives good reason for Socrates being so hard on them in the creation of the city in beech if the poets are the ones deceiving mankind.

Today, of course, poets are not an influence on political life and it would seem ridiculous to accuse them of writing false poems. In Athens and ancient Greekculture, the poets were a major influence. They were the authority on the gods and on virtue. In fact, they were the only authority that would be quoted in a trial or by a representative of the people. They would be very well known by almost all inhabitants of Athens. ” The poets are the unacknowledged legislators of mankind” (Penetrate, 223). It was not the arts homeless which Plato was attacking but their significance in politics.