According to Plato, in the Republic an ideal state would consist of three classes. The philosopher-kings would hold political power to provide the services of justice and wisdom. The soldiers would protect the state and maintain order within it as a means of acquiring honor. The civilian population would provide for the material needs of society. The entire government of the state acts to enforce the conduct of the individual citizen, and an orderly and productive public life is the result(Annas 172-173).

Plato constructed his Republic on what he considered the basic elements or characteristics of the human soul: the appetite, the spirit, and the philosophy(Murphy 29). His ideal Republic consisted of three distinct groups in order to fulfill the elements of the soul. A commercial class was formed by th

If some of the city's population grows into classes of wealth and poverty, sections of the population will cease to function properly. The city must grow only as a single unit. Plato suggests that the education system will preserve the unity as the city grows. Men and women are to be educated, trained, and treated equally within the Republic. The basic principle of the ideal city is specialization and coordination of functions(Annas 172). By instructing the citizens in their assigned roles, the educational system preserves the city's way of life. The ideal city is only possible if the rulers have both political power and philosophical thinking(Ophir 75-76).

Aristocracy is a government of philosopher kings, which is of course Plato's creation. Plato tells of four imperfect forms of governments that can result from the degeneration of an ideal city. A Timarchy is a military aristocracy. The ideal city might decay into a timocracy by dissension among the Guardians, if some of them sought private property and wanted to reduce the other classes to slavery. The Guardians would then neglect education and distrust intelligence. The personality of this individual is competitive, arrogant, dictatorial, harsh to slaves, respectful to those above him, and ambitious for promotion. Oligarchy is literally government by the few who are rich. The accumulation of wealth in private hands converts a Timarchy into

Some common words found in the essay are:
Plato Republic, Timarchy Oligarchy, Peloponnesian War, , Plato's Republic, Essentially Plato, ideal city, perfect society, political power, utopian society, wisest citizens, athenian democracy, city city, commercial class,
Approximate Word count = 949
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)