Imagine...

You know that song by John Lennon, Imagine? Well, even though he and I don't see eye-to-eye on certain issues (like religion), I've taken his advice. I've tried to imagine a world where there is no inequality, no injustice, and no struggle for the basic needs of life. It wasn't easy. It forced me to think about things in ways that I wasn't always comfortable with, and, sometimes, to come up with answers that contradict what I have been taught to believe.

Last Christmas, Shauni bought me a slew of good books, several of them are now on my "favorite" list. Among them was Plato's Republic. I know most people have heard of it, but few have managed to read it. That's propably because it's not an easy read. It's one long series of questions and answers on the topic of creating the ideal society. Plato was a student of Socrates, the famous Athenian philosopher and teacher who was condemned to death for "corrupting the youth of Athens," and since Socrates never had the chance to write any of his own ideas down for posterity, Plato took it upon himself to represent his master in many written works, the most famous of which is the Republic.

I loved the book, mostly because I was so surprised by the relevant things it talked about. You wouldn't think that life in ancient Greece would be very simillar to life today in America, but I was surprised by the insight into human troubles that was demonstrated by the author: the inherent nature of man, the tendency of groups of people to gravitate towards various types of government and behavior, the tendency of governments to change over time in a predictable way, etc. The book also tackled other major issues like the source of internal conflict and motivation (stuff for a psychology class), as well as basic economic principles and more abstract stuff, like the role of art and music in society.

Basically, what Plato, and Socrates, envisioned was a highly stuctured society where labor is clearly divided and defined, virtue and justice are taught as concrete notions, not ideals only, and society is ruled by itself with the help of a special class of warrior/priest/nobility who are not born into their position, but chosen for their aptitude at an early age, and who receive no material reward for their service, and view being apointed officers as an obligation or duty, rather than an honor. He predicted that such a society would withstand the test of time, and be a model for other societies to follow. But those who did not wish to live its principles would not be forced to stay.

Towards the end of the book, after the plans for the new city have been made, the men involved admit to themselves that such a city would probably never come to exist, but that the just man, and the ruler, should live his life as if he lived in that city:

I understand; you mean that he will be a ruler in the city of which
we are the founders, and which exists in idea only; for I do not believe that
there is such a one anywhere on earth?
[Socrates] In
heaven, I replied, there is laid up a pattern of it, methinks, which he who
desires may behold, and beholding, may set his own house in order. But whether
such a one exists, or ever will exist in fact, is no matter; for he will live
after the manner of that city, having nothing to do with any other. (the Republic, Book IX, last paragraphs)

I skipped a lot of good stuff, like the analogy of "the cave" and his theory of forms, but I might mention that later. What I liked about that quote was Socrate's statement that a pattern for his Republic is laid up in heaven. Such a model for a perfect society does exist, and we have only to find it. I believe that, and I call it "Zion."