Best Answer: In the piece Plato: the Rule of the Wise, Plato unveils his idealist view for human society. Although he makes good points at constructing a better world, overall Plato’s ideals for a perfect human society are completley unrealistic. Plato seems to set up a class system in which there are three classes where the philosophers seem to have the most power. Although education does seem to be the best way towards knowledge Plato leaves very little room for movement in this class system and completley neglects room for disagreement.
Plato speaks at great length about the exact position proper to the lower classes, and the necessity that each group keeps to its place (Republic, 434c). Each group must do only its job, and must not aspire to the position of a higher group. Plato warns strictly against “miscegenation” - the possibility of different groups mating. In Plato’s ideal society, one’s position in life is determined not by one’s individual characteristics, but by one’s membership in a group (Republic, 441d-e). This group-specificity is also a component of oppression.
The true nature of Plato’s ideal society will be invisible to the masses. They will not see that the system is rigged to keep them in their place. They will never receive the education necessary to think critically and see the truth about the state. As long as the producer classes remain unaware of their oppression, they will not revolt. Naturally, Plato does not plan on the producer classes ever finding out.
