America

Book IX seems to be the most straightforward and perhaps one of the most thought-provoking books of the Republic. This book clearly discusses the various political systems and Socrates beliefs about what effect each has on the soul. Not to mention it provides a fantastic response on why it is better to be just and outwardly suffering than to be completely unjust but physically fine.

In this book Socrates also criticizes the democracy. As someone who has grown up on the principle of freedom, this is obviously something that I can't easily agree with. But the Democracy that Socrates describes is what we would consider anarchy or rule by the mob. While agree this style of government or lack of government can only lead to misery it something that is all together different than the American political system. So how exactly is the American political system different? Well, through class discussion it became apparent that the American political System combines aspects of all the political systems described by Socrates. We have system of checks and balances that curtail the power of anyone individual. Our politicians typically come from well-eduacted backgrounds and our schools and churches at least we hope provide people with a sense of right and wrong. Despite the fact this system seems to deter tyranny, I think if Socrates were able to he would think this system causes people to focus their souls on lesser things than virtue, but frankly I after fully reading this book I feel Socrates has not enough faith in people to act virtuously by themselves and the level of control he believes necessary to create a "Just" city comes at to high of a price. It is hard to articulate this in a short blog but I think Harry Ward Beecher sums it up pretty nicely "Liberty is the soul's right to breathe, and when it cannot take a long breath laws are girded too tight".