Chapter 5: The Guardians Life And Duties

The community is divided into castes of gold, silver and copper or iron, signifying their levels of virtue. Guardians can only be gold. While people of noble character are being evaluated for the guardians they serve in the auxillia that assists the guardians. Only when mature and proven can they be accepted. Strictly meritocratc, farmers and other lowly professions can have children of gold and guardians children of copper or iron.

A story, a noble lie, tells the community that God made them with various mixes of metals and ruin will fall upon the community if one of copper or iron becomes a guardian.

Many indlugences are denied to the guardians to keep them from corruption. They will live communal lives in shared spaces and are forbidden from owning property or luxury like silver and gold. The lower castes can be permitted some faults, but of the guardians are corrupted the whole community will fall. It is pointed out that the guardians are given responsibility and power without the compensation that Socrates remarked on in chapter 1. Socrates clarifies that the happiness of the community as a whole is prioritized, not any specific class.

Both poverty and affluence must be prevented from afflicting the lower classes that would render them unable to perform their function to the fullest.

Geopolitical perspective: The guardians will be superior fights that can defeat many more their number. The community must be as a large as possible without risking unity. Since they will not fight for silver or gold the guardians will have a diplomatic advantage in securing allies and playing the surrounding communities against each other.

Numerous and strictly formulated laws are not necessary for good people, they will find good solutions.

Observations: Early Plato would definitely have made Pericles as an example of people of golden character having children of iron or copper.