Myth Of Metals In Plato's Republic

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In Plato's Republic,Socrates discusses the concept of the myth of the metals. Socrates declares that all people are born from the Earth and contain certain hereditary metals that determine the role each person has in society with gold being the highest and the metal for rulers, silver being for auxiliaries, and iron being reserved for the craftsmen and farmers. Socrates believes this idea ties people to their Earth Mother “,they are bound to advise for her good, and to defend her against attacks, and her citizens they are to regard as children of the earth and their own brothers.”. However, I believe that Socrates's concept of the myth of the metals is extremely flawed and would not inspire patriotism in any nation but instead contempt and hate, through the…show more content…
The myth of the metals dictates the way in which people live their life. Those with “gold” inside them would be allowed to stay at the top for no reason only because they had an element inside them. It would not matter how incompetent they were, they will stay at the top in this system, and control the wealth and the government, arguably contradicting the ideas of Socrates of having the most intelligent (philosopher-king) being the rulers. We have seen this system of the divine right of kings and hereditary nobility play out in history, and have been given many incompetent and disastrous rulers because of this like Kim Jong Un, Nero, and Charles I of England. It is important to remember that some of the people containing silver, or iron can be the best rulers. Many of the best rulers in history have came from the lower-class and can relate to a larger amount of the people like Abraham Lincoln, and Justinian I. The same can be said that some with “gold” probably would make better farmers. To build the best society, the best need to be the leaders not the ones of the highest social

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