Book 5: Whaaaaaat?
Okay, I feel like I should start off with "Don't @ me" but this is honors, so let me rephrase: Do not let what I am about to say, in unpopular opinion, change your judgement of me. Alrighty, now that that is out of the way, I agree with what Socrates is saying in Book 5. He is basically explaining what the roles of men and women should be in a fully functional society versus what they are in a normal society. For instance, in a normal society, the women are inferior and the men are the breadwinners, but in a functionally perfect society, everyone would be equal.
He states that in a Guardian society, men and women should be "trained" equally. Education also plays a large role in the equality of the society, but one thing that I can't get over is that the Guardian society is basically a cult. They would all live together and treat each other no less or more than the other. Their marriages are carefully and thoughtfully planned out by basically a council and they would hold "marriage festivals" for multiple marriages at once which kinda just seems creepy. The way he speaks about "breeding" children gets a little out of hand, but overall I get what he is saying. The whole nursing aspect of the children gets kind of hazy to me honestly. The whole thing about "they will provide a substitute to suckle the child" seems kinda freaky but I also can't ignore the fact that he speaks of having "wet and dry nurses" on hand. I don't even know what a wet or dry nurse is and I don't think I want to be enlightened.
After he is done explaining how this society would work, Glaucoma is basically like "whaaaat?" so Socrates defends himself. He talks about how the fact that everyone would be equally basically eliminates pride and bickering. It is impossible to be jealous of someone else because everyone has the same possessions and it basically promotes harmony. There is no internal disorder because of the entire group functioning as one, and it functions smoothly as a large family.
I know it seems a little crazy and a little bit like Mormonism (without the creepy, rapey pastor and multiple sexual partners), but I honestly think that IF this society were possible, it would be efficient in promoting a more stable communal environment.
P.S. I commented on AnnaKate and Moriah's :)
He states that in a Guardian society, men and women should be "trained" equally. Education also plays a large role in the equality of the society, but one thing that I can't get over is that the Guardian society is basically a cult. They would all live together and treat each other no less or more than the other. Their marriages are carefully and thoughtfully planned out by basically a council and they would hold "marriage festivals" for multiple marriages at once which kinda just seems creepy. The way he speaks about "breeding" children gets a little out of hand, but overall I get what he is saying. The whole nursing aspect of the children gets kind of hazy to me honestly. The whole thing about "they will provide a substitute to suckle the child" seems kinda freaky but I also can't ignore the fact that he speaks of having "wet and dry nurses" on hand. I don't even know what a wet or dry nurse is and I don't think I want to be enlightened.
After he is done explaining how this society would work, Glaucoma is basically like "whaaaat?" so Socrates defends himself. He talks about how the fact that everyone would be equally basically eliminates pride and bickering. It is impossible to be jealous of someone else because everyone has the same possessions and it basically promotes harmony. There is no internal disorder because of the entire group functioning as one, and it functions smoothly as a large family.
I know it seems a little crazy and a little bit like Mormonism (without the creepy, rapey pastor and multiple sexual partners), but I honestly think that IF this society were possible, it would be efficient in promoting a more stable communal environment.
P.S. I commented on AnnaKate and Moriah's :)
I agree that this society could indeed work and be efficient, but it gives me a bad vibe. This book reminds me of The Giver. If you didn't know, it is a book and a movie that portrays this perfect society. There are no problems, and everyone is happy (or so they think). Well long story short, a council decides everything from the job you are fit to work and your children. The children do not know their real parents, they are just brought up into this random household. Always, it is basically a dictatorship. Something that really bothered me in The Giver was the lack of emotion, especially love. I feel like this same fate will happen to the people in this society that Socrates wants to create. A loveless, emotionless society.
ReplyDeleteThis could be the ideal society. A place in which people simply do their jobs, and have babies. No envy or hate. Just fellowship and happiness. If only it was that easy to create a peaceful, thriving kingdom.
ReplyDeleteIt would seem perfect, but I think we all know eventually someone would realize that idea of individualism would be completely lacking. Every step of your life planned and coordinated by leaders in society. Everyone with specific roles and no interchangeably. Nah. It's a good plan, but it would be doomed from the start.
ReplyDeleteI will admit that you don't have a super unpopular opinion, so I won't @you just yet. I do agree with the weird cult-y feeling. I keep expecting Jim Jones or a Heavens Gate reference, but then I remember that Plato wrote this.
ReplyDelete- Spencer Wood