The Republic: Book 3 Summary & Analysis

Socrates describes stories for educating the city's guardians. They should include heroic stories, omitting any passages that might cause children to fear death or the afterlife, since guardians should fear slavery more than death. Lying and falsehood are forbidden, though rulers may lie if they need to. Moderation in sex, food and drink are required. Above all, gods and heroes should not be shown engaging in anything unflattering.

The stories should be simple narration, not imitative dramatic works in which the poet might present evil characters, since to imitate evil is to become evil. Dramatic style is forbidden since it puts dishonorable words and thoughts into the mouths of gods and heroes who should only be uttering noble, virtuous words. Because the future guardians must specialize, learning only those skills required for their occupation, literature that shows one person being many things, or changing, would confuse them.

Children should only be exposed to the good and the pure, so that they will become good and pure by following positive models. Their teachers should love the good and pure nature of the boys. Sexual contact between the men and boys is forbidden. The future guardians train for war. Their diet is simple and moderate. Those suffering from an incurable disease should be allowed to die. The seriously mentally ill should be killed.

Just as a judge needs experience in life and the nature of evil, though he himself must be virtuous, the ruler must be a man of experience and virtue. The rulers must love the city's welfare above all else. The guardians must be carefully tested to determine those most suited to rule. The best must be separated from the rest as potential rulers and further educated. Only the best are to be called guardians, the rest are warriors or "auxiliaries."

To avoid questions about those chosen to rule from the others in the city, Socrates invents a myth that says all people were born from the earth. Thus there are three sorts of people. Those with gold in their nature are suited to rule. Those with silver are warriors, and those with iron and bronze, farmers and craftsmen, "producers." Sometimes a child is born to parents of a different metal; such children will be raised with those like themselves. Those who are gold will become rulers. If the city is led by someone who is not gold, prophecy says it will be destroyed. Socrates says children will learn this myth as a truth.

The guardians and warriors are responsible for the defense of the city. The guardians may not own anything beyond what is necessary. By law all they need is supplied by the city. They will dine in mess halls and are forbidden to touch gold or silver, since it is sacrilege to mix the pure gold of their soul with earthly metal.