A series of parts constitute a whole – this is traditionally a sound argument that can be explained through simple logic. Yet, Plato takes this concept a step further by expounding on the three parts of justice and how they interact on different scales to define its virtue. He creates the hypothetical city of Kallipolis to do so, choosing to move from a large to small scale explanation of the concept. Through this medium, Socrates’ city seeks to generalize all of human existence within a specified set of assumptions and guidelines. This helps him create a city-based model of the soul and a soul-based model of the city that play off of one another. Yet, it also prompts questions about the universal validity of his argument and the extent to which the tripartite soul has rational background.
Kallipolis
Socrates creates the city of Kallipolis in order to prove that justice is a concept desired for its own sake and what is received from it. In other words, Kallipolis will prove that justice is not simply a “necessary evil” that is only practiced for its consequences. The city is designed with three parts that ultimately parallel those of the soul. The producing class provides life’s necessities, the luxurious class provides finer amenities, and the ruling class provides order and discipline. These classes are made up of producers, auxiliaries, and guardians, respectively. Each class parallels a part of the soul. Just as the appetitive part of the soul is responsible for basic human impulses, the producers are tasked with surface-level societal duties such as farming and crafting. The spirited part of the soul deals with raw emotion in the same way that auxiliaries devote their lives to the honor and defense of their city. The last component of the soul, the rational part, rules over the other two parts and determines right versus wrong, just as the guardians rule over the other two classes and enact laws. In this sense, Socrates sets up his city in an attempt to directly model the soul on a larger scale.
The soul + Kallipolis
Kallipolis’ setup as a mirror image of the soul is no coincidence and has perpetual meaning. Just as one may look at a mirror, a mirror can also stare back, which we see in the city’s usage of the soul as a model for its existence. Although the city’s purpose is to help define virtue in the soul, it can also be seen as an extension of the individual. As a result, we must look for an individual’s four virtues in the city. Wisdom, the first virtue, is found within the guardians’ knowledge of how the city should be run. Courage can be seen in the auxiliaries’ will to fight for the city. Moderation exists in the agreement that the guardians should have rational control over the city. Justice, the last and arguably most essential virtue, is defined by the city’s principle of specialization, where everyone performs the job for which they are best suited. In this sense, the city mimics the four major properties of the soul. This is a testament to the tendency of group-centric organizations to take on its members’ qualities.
The soul also serves as a model for the city through its educational system. The city ensures an upbringing that develops the three parts of the soul within each group of individuals. This can be exemplified through the guardians’ training. The rational part of their soul is developed through philosophy and mathematical science, which is “…surely less open to ideological influence and contamination than ethical and political beliefs” (Introduction, xv). The spirited part of the guardians’ soul is supplemented with poems, music, and stories in order to make the souls of guardians “gentle by means of harmony and rhythm” (Book IV, 442a). The last component of the soul, the appetitive part, is controlled with moral instruction that encourages a simple and collectivistic way of life. Through these mediums, the education system is directly tailored to the soul’s needs, a nod to the city’s structure around the soul.
A reciprocal relationship
Now that the basis of modeling for the city and the soul are established, it is important to observe how one affects the other. If two concepts are modeled around one another, they will likely develop based on each other’s contributions. Socrates hopes the city and the soul will be byproducts of this effect. When individuals are raised in a just city, it will help them develop a virtuous soul as a result. Likewise, with a virtuous soul, an individual is more likely to act justly in order to “…perform his own proper function and does not meddle in the affairs of others” (Plato 443d). Plato exemplifies this point by comparing the city to the human body. In his analogy, each individual’s soul makes up an essential component of the body. These parts work together in order to ensure the proper harmony and health of the body. If the human body is healthy, then all of its parts will benefit from being part of a thriving organism. In this way, the city dweller and the city are direct products of one another.
Problems
Throughout Socrates’ model he often emphasizes the individual importance of each part of the soul. Yet, his argument often houses logical errors. It can be assumed that without any one part of the soul, an individual is prone to a life of no substance, or even no life at all. If one lacks the soul’s rational part, they will not be able to determine what should and should not be done; without the spirited part, an individual will be emotionless; without the appetitive part, they will not be able to sustain the basic necessities of life. Therefore, if every part is equally essential to the wellbeing of the individual, it is fair to assume that each part should hold the same significance in Socrates’ model of the soul and city. Yet, we often see Socrates hold the rational part of the soul/guardian class in a higher regard than the other two components/classes. He makes preferential statements towards the rational part, claiming “to be virtuous…is simply to have a soul that is ruled by its rational part” (Introduction, xvi). Socrates also places a disproportionate emphasis on his description of the guardians’ training. He goes into immense detail surrounding the stories they can hear, paintings they must interpret, houses they can live in, and sexual intercourse they can engage in – he fails to stress the importance of the other two groups’ training in the same way. In these ways, Socrates does not flatly declare his biased view towards the rational part of the soul and the guardians, but insinuates it many times throughout the text.
Conclusion
In the end, Socrates creates a detailed argument surrounding the functionality and relevance of Kallipolis in relation to the soul. He exhibits each city class’ correspondence to a part of the soul and its ultimate contribution to the city. Likewise, he demonstrates the virtues of the soul that regulate the classes and education of Kallipolis. This mutualistic relationship serves to uphold the health of the city and development of the tripartite soul. Yet it also raises questions about the hierarchical structure Socrates creates as a byproduct. Nevertheless, through these mediums, Socrates’ Kallipolis seeks to provide a clear picture of justice in the individual and city alike.