Captain Harlock's blog: "Politics & Philosophy"

" Naturally," he replied.

" But, I imagine, as soon as he has learned the truth, his respect and regard for them would be lessened, while his esteem for his flatterers would be increased; he would give heed to the counsel of the latter more readily than before; he would adopt their manner of life and associate with them openly, but, unless he were gifted by nature with exceptional wisdom, he would scarcely concern himself about his supposed father and his other reputed kinsmen."

" All that would happen as you say. But how does this comparison apply to those who are occupied with dialectic ? "

" In this way: we have, I suppose, from childhood certain opinions about justice and honor, under the influence of which we have been brought up, obeying and honoring them, just as we yield obedience to parents."

" Yes, we have."

" Now there are opposed to these opinions certain seductive habits, which flatter our soul, and attract it, which, however, fail to persuade those who have an adequate perception of right; but such persons honor the paternal maxims and conform to them."

" That is true."

" Well now, if the spirit of inquiry shall supervene and ask of the man thus disposed what is honorable, and, upon his making the answer which he used to hear from the legislator, the reasoning process shall confute him, and, by dint of oft-repeated and various defeats, shall lead him to believe that what he calls honorable is no more honorable than base, and shall confuse him in like manner in regard to justice, goodness and things which he held most in honor,- after this what, think you, respecting all these things, will become of his former habits of reverence and obedience ? "

" They will surely suffer a decline."

" But when he no longer esteems the maxims he once honored, and severs the tie which formerly bound him to them, without, however, discovering the true principles, can he be expected to betake himself to any other than the flattering life?"

" Impossible," he replied.

" And thus, while he was before law-abiding, he will now have become lawless."

" Undoubtedly."

" Well now, the condition of those who in this way apply themselves to dialectic is very natural, and, as I was saying just now, is certainly pardonable."

" Yes," he replied, " and pitiable."

" Therefore that you may not come to feel this pity for these men who are now thirty years of age, must you not exercise the greatest care before introducing them to the study of dialectic?"

" Certainly I must."

" And is not this an important precaution that they be not allowed to dabble in dialectic, when they are too young? For I suppose it has not escaped your notice that the youngsters, when they for the first time get a taste of dialectic, abuse it as mere child's play, always contradicting, and, after the manner of those who refute them, they themselves refute others in turn; like puppies they take delight in pulling and tearing to pieces with their logic any who come near them."

" They certainly play fantastic tricks."

" And when they have met opposing disputants in many encounters, and have been now the victors and now the vanquished, they fall violently and speedily into the habit of believing nothing that they believed before; and, in consequence, they bring themselves and the whole cause of philosophy into ill repute with the rest of the world."

" Perfectly true," he replied.

" But the man of riper years," I said, " will have no part in such madness; he will imitate those who employ dialectic in earnest and aim at discovering the truth rather than those who for the sake of amusement play the sophist and contradict; and thus, in view of his greater moderation, instead of degrading his pursuit, he will bring it into higher honor."

" Quite true," he said.

" And therefore has not all that has been said before respecting this provision" been urged by way of caution, to the end that we may admit to the practice of dialectic only such students as are orderly and steadfast, instead of admitting, as is the custom of the present day, the first chance aspirant that presents himself even though he has no aptitude for philosophy ? "

" Yes indeed," he said.

XVIII. " Will it be sufficient for a man to give twice as much time to philosophy as he has given to gymnastic, to apply himself to dialectic as constantly and exclusively as he formerly did to bodily exercise ? "

" How many years do you mean ? Six or four ? "

" No matter which," I replied. " Make it five. But at the end of this time you must send them down again into the cave, and compel them to be leaders in war, and to hold any offices whatsoever which befit young men, so that tested by experience they may not fall behind their neighbors. And here again they must be put to the proof to ascertain whether amid the distractions which beset them on every side they will stand fast, or flinch."

" But how long," he asked, " would you have this period of their lives continue?"

" Fifteen years," I answered.

" Then at length must those who in their fiftieth year have come safely through these ordeals, and have proved themselves every way the best in all things, whether in the activities of life, or in the sciences, be brought to their full fruition, and must be compelled to direct the radiant light of the soul upward, and to look at that which gives light to all; and after they have beheld the absolute good, they must employ that as a pattern, each of them in their turn, in ruling the State, in regulating the conduct of individuals, and in governing themselves all the rest of their lives; being occupied for the most part with the study of philosophy, but, when their turn comes, assuming the burden of politics, and holding office, each for the public good, not as though they were performing an honorable, but rather a necessary service; and thus, after constant labors in training others like themselves to be their successors as guardians of the State, they will pass from this life to dwell in the Islands of the Blest. And the State will dedicate to them public monuments and sacrifices, honoring them, if the Delphic oracle approve, as divine beings, or at any rate as blessed and godlike men."

" In wondrous beauty, Socrates, you have, like a sculptor, wrought the statues of our rulers."

" Include our ruling women also, Glaucon. For do not suppose that what I said was meant to apply to men rather than to such women as show a natural aptitude for the situation."

" You are right," said he, " if, indeed, as we have ' shown, they are to have all things in common with the men."

" Well, my friends, do you admit that what we have said about the State and the constitution is not an idle aspiration, that it is difficult, no doubt, yet somehow possible, but only possible in the way that has been set forth, namely, when the true philosophers, whether one or more, shall be placed in command of the State, and shall despise the honors of the present day, counting them sordid and worthless, setting the highest value on right and the honors that are the reward of right, and regarding justice as the most important and most indispensable of all things, and devoting themselves to its service, and exalting it shall thoroughly reform their State ?"

"How will they accomplish that?" he asked.

" In this way," I said: " they will relegate to the country all the inhabitants who are more than ten years of age, and they will segregate the children of these from the influence of the prevailing customs, which are also observed by their parents; the children thus taken in hand they will bring up in accordance with the manners and principles of the true philosophers, which are of such a nature as we have detailed above. Will not that be the swiftest and surest way to establish, along with its constitution, the State of which we have been speaking, to make it prosperous and in the highest degree beneficial to the people among whom it has arisen?"

" Yes, certainly," he replied; " and I think, Socrates, you have shown admirably how such a State might take its rise, if some day it were to come into being."

" Well then," said I, " has not the discussion respecting our State and the man who resembles it been at last sufficiently drawn out? For I suppose it is not difficult to determine what, from our point of view, such a man ought to be ? "

" Easy enough," he replied, " and your inquiry seems to me to have reached its conclusion."