The guardians must be tasked with keeping it from being too little or too big (423b). But, the city without money must ensure that the boundaries of the city remain manageable for the rulers. Thus, the guardians must guard against this possibility if a just city is to be founded by preventing the city from making and distributing money.Ī just city without currency would receive support of a neighboring city promised the spoils of war with the protection of the best warriors against invasion. Wealth produces luxury, idleness, and innovation and poverty produces illiberality, wrongdoing, and innovation (422b). When money is part of an individual’s and city’s market, then acquisition of wealth or the fall into poverty creates producers that cease making their products well (421d). He likens this example to the necessary obligation to deal with each class of the city appropriately in order to make the city as good as possible for the whole.

But, if the eyes are subdued by black paint, but all the other parts colored to their appropriate tint, the end result will work together in unity to form that is fully beautiful (420c).

Though both the eyes and the color purple the fairest parts, together they create an image that is untrue. Socrates uses the example of not painting the fairest eyes of a sculptured statue purple, the most beautiful color in existence. Socrates establishes that happiness cannot be based upon any one class of people, but what is best for the city as a whole (420b). Adeimantus interrupts Socrates and points out that his plan would not make rulers happy by restricting ownership, refusing to pay wages other than food alone, and hindering their movement through a lack of funding, unable to give gifts to lady companions, or have a life of happiness that the other city dwellers enjoy (420a, b).

Plato the republic book 4