One topic that was brought up in class recently was that of Plato’s ideal society. In this society there is no such aspect as a class system; everyone has the original potential to be of greatness. First allow me to explain that Plato does not at all believe that this type of society could exist. Although he knows that it would work, he also knows that it would never happen.

The first part about this is that of how power would be distributed. In his ideal society the masses would be divided into two groups: the workers and the guardians. (Please note that the workers don’t get a cool name to go with their position and standing, but the other part of society was given the name of the guardians). The guardians’ class was then divided once more into the rulers and the warriors. The rulers and warriors would both be of higher standing than the working class, but the rulers would also be higher than that of the warriors.

In the society the rulers would not be given any property but would be tasked with the responsibility of all property. They would be only those considered to be elite in comparison to all others. The rulers themselves would be even more superior to that of the warriors. Although let us not get this wrong the warriors would be quite powerful indeed. They would be educated more than the workers, and they would be trained for physical combat. The rulers would be there and more. They would be those considered worthy of being a strong warrior, but they would also be even more educated than that.

The working class would be those deemed best fit for not being a warrior. Basically it would be a pass/fail system in life, and the failures were placed in the common. These workers were able to own land though. They were able to own their own businesses even still. In all the life of a commoner was not a bad one. You were able to marry, in comparison to the guardians’ class that was forbidden from such an action.

In this society the goal was for everyone to be happy. The rulers every whim was available, while the workers were granted property and love. Between the two they created a cycled balance that in turn created a utopia.

How was it fair though? It was fair In the fact that when one is born they are taken away from their parents and placed into a collective. They are then raised as a collective by the collective of patrons. They are tested along the way, and they are then found to the either a worker or guardian. This placing is designed so that once placed you are both the most fitted person for the job, and the most happy in it.

I believe this system has both its flaws and its value. For one the way the society is unbiased is something that is both unheard of and highly needed. An example of a flaw in this system would be that people do not get to choose where they are assigned. Either was this could be bad or good, but neither is for certain because we will never see this system in practice.