Though, as usual, this book of the Republic is rich with a ton of good material, I want to focus on a pretty short passage describing a pretty simple image: There will be more on the education of rulers in Book V, but there’s some important material on that topic here in Book IV as well. In a time like ours when politics has reached a zenith of perfection, we might assume that excellent political leadership is easy – since our political leaders are so excellent, and make excellence look so easy.ĭepressing sarcasm aside, Plato has a lot to say about producing not only a just state (as well as a just soul), but a virtuous ruler. It might come as a surprise for us today to think that great political leaders don’t just pop out of thin air.
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