True Guardian in Republic - Euthyphro and Crito

True Guardian in Republic, Euthyphro and Crito

In the Republic, Socrates creates an imaginary world which is completely different from that time’s Greece. He defines a new type of rulers called true guardians who are supposed to rule this new world and fully determines their characteristics and calls them philosopher – king. Because Socrates is also a philosopher, in a deep analysis, based on the Republic, Euthyphro and Crito, I will look for whether Socrates fits his own description of a true philosopher or not.

First of all, Socrates says that philosophers “…love all such learning and are not willing to give up any part of it, whether large or small, more valuable or less so” [Republic, p.159, 485b]. For him, being lover of any kind of learning is the major characteristics of a true guardian. Anyone, who is deprived of the true knowledge, of course, cannot be a guardian; they are blind and inferior man [Republic, p.158, 484d]. Accordingly, in the Euthyphro, it is clear to see how Socrates is eager to learn something, “Tell me then, what is the pious, and what is the impious, do you say?” [Euthyphro, p.6, 5d]. In order to acquire the truth he always asks Euthyphro questions in dialectic way although Socrates knows Euthyphro does not know anything. But the love of true knowledge and learning that Socrates has and illustrates in this dialogue by making an effort, shows an aspect that Socrates is a true philosopher who is to work his way from ignorance (as Euthyphro does continuously) to belief to true belief and finally to knowledge. However, the inconclusiveness of the dialogue indicates that Socrates and Euthyphro could not reach the true knowledge which a true philosopher always searches for.

Next, Socrates says that “we should establish as guardians who are clearly capable of guarding the laws and the ways life of the city” [Republic, p.158, 484d]. This is a very essential point that can be also considered in the short dialogue, Crito. For Socrates, integrity, institutions and laws are the most precious possessions of mankind so that a true guardian must respect and obey the rules of the city. In the dialogue, though Crito tries to persuade him to escape from the prison, Socrates argues that this action would be wrong because if he escapes from the prison, he will conflict with his whole life’s work. Socrates says that “the most important thing is not life, but the good life” [Crito, p.51, 48b] which shows us, he will dedicated his life to the goodness and justice. Then he cites