Children in The Republic
Breanna Poole (Group 3 -- Book 5)
While reading through this book, I was struck very heavily about when they began discussing children in this city. They talked about raising them in two large groups -- one from superior parents and one from inferior parents -- with the children being given no knowledge of who their parents were biologically. The calm and rational way they discussed this proposition -- eventually deciding it was, in fact, a very plausible proposal -- made my stomach come very close to turning.
It reminded me less of an utopia and more of dystopia they were creating. Emotion seemed so removed from them and what they were doing, that the thought that a parent or a child may be distressed by their child being forced away from them and raised as a warrior or politician or whatever it may be seems almost an alien thought to them. And while this on par with the hierarchy of Grecian culture -- with said hierarchy demanding family to a very low spot in the priorities of the citizens of Greece -- it never really occurred to me how far this went and until I read this book.
Children (and woman, to a lesser extent) aren't treated as anything particular -- merely as replenishment of the population, which if I you want to be cynical and look at it from an ice cold eye is what they are. But the one moment they made me think 'this seems more like a dystopia' was when they begin comparing children as property, going on and on about how this will reduce materialism in the community because their will be lest for others to be jealous of us.
This one dialogue really convinced how far removed from emotion these philosophers seem to be -- when creating a perfect society and a perfect city they only look at the basics -- who would make a good guardian, why can't certain people do this, why their argument may be invalidated, while at the same time almost deleting the human emotions of the citizens (or 'employers', as they are referred to)from the equation entirely.
I guess I'm just missing something in regards to how this city would be set up, but every other idea presented in this book was tainted by this one idea.
P.S. I commented on Will and Anna Kate's posts.
While reading through this book, I was struck very heavily about when they began discussing children in this city. They talked about raising them in two large groups -- one from superior parents and one from inferior parents -- with the children being given no knowledge of who their parents were biologically. The calm and rational way they discussed this proposition -- eventually deciding it was, in fact, a very plausible proposal -- made my stomach come very close to turning.
It reminded me less of an utopia and more of dystopia they were creating. Emotion seemed so removed from them and what they were doing, that the thought that a parent or a child may be distressed by their child being forced away from them and raised as a warrior or politician or whatever it may be seems almost an alien thought to them. And while this on par with the hierarchy of Grecian culture -- with said hierarchy demanding family to a very low spot in the priorities of the citizens of Greece -- it never really occurred to me how far this went and until I read this book.
Children (and woman, to a lesser extent) aren't treated as anything particular -- merely as replenishment of the population, which if I you want to be cynical and look at it from an ice cold eye is what they are. But the one moment they made me think 'this seems more like a dystopia' was when they begin comparing children as property, going on and on about how this will reduce materialism in the community because their will be lest for others to be jealous of us.
This one dialogue really convinced how far removed from emotion these philosophers seem to be -- when creating a perfect society and a perfect city they only look at the basics -- who would make a good guardian, why can't certain people do this, why their argument may be invalidated, while at the same time almost deleting the human emotions of the citizens (or 'employers', as they are referred to)from the equation entirely.
I guess I'm just missing something in regards to how this city would be set up, but every other idea presented in this book was tainted by this one idea.
P.S. I commented on Will and Anna Kate's posts.
All the other ideas presented in this book railroad into the idea of the children, really. Every time some issue is found with the integrity of the Republic, Socrates' answer is the same: "Don't worry, we'll control that."
ReplyDeleteWhat if there aren't enough people of a certain occupation? "We'll control what they do for a living."
What if morally corrupt teachings are spread? "We'll control what they can read and learn."
What if two undesirable people want to have kids? "We'll control who can sleep with who."
What if the next generation doesn't like our government? "We'll control every aspect of the next generation's lives from the moment they're born."
That, quite simply, is the natural escalation of Socrates' grand plan. It's almost as though human nature prevents the foundation of utopia, as though man is inherently sinful or something. Socrates' solution? Control human nature from the onset.
I agree completely in that their method of raising children are shocking. However, absolutely everything in this city of perfection hinges on the children as they will make or break the success of the city. Emotion and other aspects of childhood are sadly heavily monitored due to the great risk of corruption they bring. It reminds me of brainwashing essentially. Freedom is an illusion, more than we ourselves even realize, and true freedom presents too many risks in this republic. Socrates is not describing a fun city or even an efficient one, but one that is completely just in every aspect. Because of the depravity of man, which he recognizes to an extent, he employs that the will of all citizens must be carefully formed from birth.
ReplyDeleteYou would think during this story they would value children considering it would much easier to raise the thinking process of a child rather than trying to change that of an adult who grew up in a different society. This society would be able to train the kids in the way in which they should go. The underlying plan of this, as you said, distopia is not planned very well. Some of the expectations of this world are not thought through. I suppose the good news is we do not have to worry about this society carrying on because it'll crash pretty quickly.
ReplyDelete