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The Education of the Third Class in Plato's Republic

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 February 2009

George F. Hourani
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Extract

Plato pays little attention to the third class in his ideal city, regarding them as raw material on which the Guardians exercise their art. But modern criticism is interested in them, for upon their treatment and opportunities our judgement of Plato's city partly depends. They are the great mass of the people, and centuries of Christian equalitarianism have made us regard their welfare as an important criterion of the city's value.

Type
Research Article
Information
The Classical Quarterly , Volume 43 , Issue 1-2 , January 1949 , pp. 58 - 60
Copyright
Copyright © The Classical Association 1949

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References

page 58 note 1 ‘Guardians’: i.e. ϕύλακες the two upper classes: ἂρχοντες ‘Rulers’, and πικούροι, ‘Auxiliaries’. See 3.414 b.

page 58 note 2 ἂν αὖ κ τούτων τις ὑπόχρνσος ἤ ὑπργνρος ϕνῇ, τιμήσαντες νξουσι τοὺ μμς εςἰ Φνλακήν, τοὺς δ εἰς πικουρίαν (3.415 c).

page 59 note 1 τ μν δ τν γαθν, δοκ, λαβοȗσαι εἰς τν σηκν οἳσουσιν παρ τινας τροϕοᾀς ϰωρς οἰκοᾀσας ἒν τινι μρει τς, τ δ τν ϰειρνἒν, κα ν τι τν τρων νπηρον γγνηται, ν πορρτῳ τε κα δλῳ κατακρᾀΨουσιν ὡς πρπει (5. 460 c).

page 59 note 2 375–6; 6. 484–6, the philosophic nature; 6. 494–5, especially the parable of the bald tinker, the soul unfit for culture. On the meaning of the fable of the metals see below, p. 60.

page 59 note 3 If it is asked, How is it that Rulers and Auxiliaries receive the same primary education? the answer is that this is meant to strengthen that moral character which is required by both classes. In the higher education they part company.

page 59 note 4 ν οὖν τ πλει, ἤν ῴκζομεν, πτερον οἴει οῖν οενους ἂνδρας ξειργσθαι, ποᾀς ϕᾁλακας τυϰντας ἧς διλθομεν παιδεας, ἣ τοᾀς σκυτοτμονς τῇ σκντικῇ παιδευθἤντας; (5.456 d.)

page 60 note 1 Quoated on p. 58, n.2. It is not clear whether Φυῇ refers to natural birth or the ‘birth’ from the earth, at the age of twenty, mentioned in the allegory of the metals which has just been recounted.

page 60 note 2 κα πιϰειρσω πρτον μν αὐτοᾀς ἂρΦονταφ πεθειν κα τοᾀς στρατιᾃτας, ἒπειτας δ κα τν ἂλλην πλιν, ὠς ἂρ' ἃ μεȋς τρΦομν τε κα παιδεᾁομεν, ὢσπερ νερατα δκουν ταȗτα πντα πσϰειν τε κα γγνεσθαι περ αὐτοᾁς, ἦσαν δ ττε τῇ ληθεᾳ ὑπ γς ντς πλαττμενοι κα τρεΦμενοι κα αὐτο κα τ ὃπλα αὐτν κα ἂλλη σκεν δημιονργομνη (3. 414 d).