The Ideal Political State In Socrates's Kallipolis

PHIL 243 First Essay
Dogachan Dagi

In the Republic, Socrates substantially argues that under right conditions Kallipolis which literally means ‘the ideal political state’ can be created. He presents very reasonable arguments about how to achieve and preserve the Kallipolis throughout Book V. However, this essay will strongly claim that Socrates’s Kallipolis is mostly not achievable, and if somehow achieved simply not sustainable. The main problem about his ideal city is the fact that too many regulations go against individual liberties and human nature. The citizens of the Kallipolis are sentenced to serious governmental control and they lack the abilities and structures to make choices for themselves. Furthermore, the society is immobile

According to Socrates the whole city should be a harmonious family and people should not know their sons daughters or vice versa. To avoid accidental incest, Socrates tells us that people must consider every child born seven to nine months after his intercourse as their own infants. Since the children are common property, being torn apart from their households and raised in a community the state is directly responsible with their education. I regard these arguments as inhumane, ironically unjust and extremely problematic in terms of implementing. States were created by the people for the sake of people. Therefore, the people should be the master of the state, not the opposite. The core element of any state is her citizens, and the only way to delight the state is delighting her citizens first. It is not moral for a state to abolish the rights for having and raising children. Furthermore, a society that has no concept of family is against human nature and should be refrained. Also, raising children in a community has ties with indoctrination and poses a threat for a creation of healthy open minded