Constructing an Utopia: Kallipolis

Constructing an Utopia: Kallipolis
          Plato, one of the well-known Greek philosophers, studies the issues of what justice is and what a just man is like in his dialogue-based piece The Republic. He explicitly identifies the parts of the city as well as the parts of the individual’s soul. His aim is to create and identify an ideal city which he calls “Kallipolis”. He divides the society into three categories based on people’s abilities. He describes the types of the people as philosophers who are only interested in learning and knowledge itself, money-lovers and honor-lovers. He argues that a city would become a just city, which is the ideal city for Plato, if only “Philosophers rule as kings in cities or those are now called kings and leading men genuinely and adequately philosophize…” (Plato, 148, 473d) These philosopher-kings make reforms in the way the city is ruled. Plato suggests the common possession of women and children among the elite class of the society which are the philosophers and the guardians. Although Plato describes his city Kallipolis in a very detailed way, it can be seen that it is impossible to build the city because first of all, the philosophers are not capable of ruling a city due to their lack of experience in social life, and secondly the idea of common possession of women and children would not be accepted by the majority of the society.
          During the construction of his ideal city, Plato says that his city can come to existence and survive if only it is ruled by a philosopher king. He explains his reasons by saying that only the philosophers have the knowledge in politics and the ability to control people with their wisdom. The philosophers are the only ones who can see the truth and the wider aspects of the real life. However, as he also admits, the philosophers are always the people in the society who never get involved into the social life. Most of the time they are busy with asking questions, having arguments and...