The Statement For The Politics Of Plato s Kallipolis

First Term Essay Assignment: The absence of reason is where persuasion is most powerful Question: The analogy Socrates and his companions make between the just city and the just person falls apart on close inspection. The commoners and auxiliaries are persuaded by the myth of the metals that the guardians are best suited to rule, but it s nonsensical to believe that spirit and appetite can be persuaded of anything. After all, they are merely constituent parts of the soul (the parts lacking a deliberative capacity). Only a fully formed human being with a capacity for reason can understand the Noble Lie and be persuaded by it. Do you agree or disagree with this statement? Defend your position through a close reading of the text. Be sure to explore the implications of the statement for the politics of Plato s kallipolis. Nicole Kiselyov 212808218 Prof S. Newman AS/POLS 2900B Perspectives on Politics TA: Michael Molavi Word Count: 2201 November 11th 2014 Like a castle of cards, once the bottom row falls the rest will soon follow. In the search for justice in the Republic, an analogy is formed but quickly falls apart under pressure. Its basis being made by hypothetical assumptions foreshadows its unviability and portrays many inconsistencies. Through the comparison of the Allegory of the Cave and the Noble lie, the commonly shared notion that appetite and spirit cannot be persuaded is shattered. Individuals can be persuaded by the myth of the metals because even in