Republic

Book II

1) Plato is interested in the education of the guardians of his ideal republic (or his beautiful city, the kallipolis) and he recognizes that they must be both gentle and high-spirited. How does Plato propose to educate them in such a way that they embody both characteristics? What does he propose as his curriculum? Is such a blending of antithetical traits possible in the self-same person through an educational program?

Plato dictates on the education they all will recieve. He also does this with the city and what is allowed in. This is because he believes that education determines if the body is healthy or unhealthy and he couldn't have any unhealthy souls in his beautiful city. He rules out poetry, but allows hymns to the gods and eulogies for the famous. Plato allows some places restraints on painting and architecture. Although he feels "guilty" because he really does enjoy these other educational choices, he feels it is best for the city.

2) Specifically, why did Socrates not want the major stories of Homer and Hesiod about the gods to be told? Is education primarily the process of looking for role models to imitate?

He doesn't want to expose these stories to the children because the Gods that are in them are shown up as bad people. He wants to protect them from hearing these things, especially spoken by him because then they will see him as one of these people. He doesn't believe that these words are true. He sees them differently and doesn't want the children to be educated on lies. If someone is teaching something to someone, yeah, people do look up to them as role models.

Book III
3) What is the sign of a bad and shameful education in a city? 405a-d Hint: it has to do with doctors and lawyers. What are the basic principles here? What kinds of people make the best doctors and the best lawyers or judges?

Rulers make the best of both doctors and lawyers. The basic principles of a doctor is that doctors should be trained to treat the healthy, who suffer from small illnesses (nothing too complicated). But when it comes to chronically ill people, they should not be trained to deal with them. And when it comes to lawyers, they should be allowed to lie for the good of the state. No one else is able to have this ability to do this. However, it is not right.

4) Out of these who have been so educated, who is to rule and who is to be ruled? What is the basis for the selection of rulers? How does the “myth of the metals” reinforce this? What is to be the lifestyle of these rulers? Is this a reasonable proposal?

Socrates tells the people the "myth of the metals" so there is no questioning on who rules. All the citizens were born out of the earth. They all have to act patriotic. In the souls of the people who are fit to rule, they are gold, the people who are capable of being substitutes when needed are silver, and those who are suited to be producers they are either bronze or iron. If they are mixed with the wrong metal, the city would be ruined if they ruled. And when they have children, they must take on the same role as their guardians.