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The Republic- Book 3



Book III starts by exploring the concept of courage. The idea of the Gods for the Athenians is something that is bothering Plato. His main concern is if the traditional way of thinking about the Gods is fostering real virtues of courage.  This dialogue makes us understand the importance of questioning the consequences of things that we hear or read. Socrates questions Homeric writing “ It’s not that they are not poetic and sweet for the many to hear, but the more poetic they are, the less should they be heard by boys and men who must be free and accustomed to fearing slavery more than death.” (387b) It seems then that the media is that shapes what we ought to fear and we ought not to fear. This is interesting because I am currently taking a class where we are talking about End of Life and how currently the media has distorted our perception of death. If an alien were to land on earth and tried to understand the concept of human death and got his first glance from a TV news feed it would seem that death is something that happens tragically by either car accidents, suicide, natural disaster. But this is not the true idea of death; death can occur naturally, on a hospital bed, it happens at any age. 
Similarly, Socrates is making this deep insight about questioning what we read or hear.

Now moving on to moderation of the citizens through music and poetry. I think that Plato is taking the influence of poetry and the arts and analyzing it in moral grounds. He knows that certain poetry is not beneficial for his city. He is working thinking the assumption that people imitate from these sources. What I take out from this book is that Socrates makes a valid point when trying to control the source that is influencing and impeding the people from his city be just. But is his action just? I think Plato would say that it is, because in the end everyone that belongs in the city must give up certain desires to belong to the city. All for the greater good of the city.

Another take away is the fact that Plato is explaining the effect of the social atmosphere in people. This reminds of the field of sociology! So I guess we can say Plato has some sociologic perspectives as well not just philosophical. Good Job Plato!!




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