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The Polis: The Ship Of The State In Ancient Greece

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From the initial enaction of the state in Ancient Greece, it has been established that for a society to function and prosper it must have some sort of government or leadership. The Polis was organized in such a way that the leader (Philosopher King) was to lead his citizens to the common good. Plato uses the “ship of the state” analogy which greatly describes how the leader must “steer the Polis, as it were a ship, in the best direction”. In order for this symbolic ship to be steered, it must have a driver, otherwise known as a leader or group of leaders. Without a state or a leader, the mass opinions of citizens will steer the ship away from the common good, which would not be beneficial to anyone involved, there must be an organized leader

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