Book 6 Summary
In the beginning of book 6, Socrates poses the question: Who ought to rule the city? Glaucon himself provides the answer: the philosopher. From this point, the topic of their discussion shifts towards the various attributes which would mark the philosophers as an ideal ruling class. Here, Adeimantus interjects, citing common complaints leveled against philosophers at the time.
Socrates responds to Adeimantus by way of a metaphor. He imagines a ship on which the sailors are constantly quarreling over who should steer it, even though each is ignorant of the art of navigation. In such a situation, Socrates asks, what would these sailors make of a qualified navigator? For Socrates, this metaphor encapsulates the current state of philosophers in public life and why they are held in disrepute.
As he continues his explanation, Socrates also notes that those personalities who possess the attributes most suited for a life of philosophy also face a litany of distractions that pull them away from those pursuits. Furthermore, in their absence, disreputable personalities emerge to occupy that void. Here Socrates stresses that none of this is a fault of philosophy itself or of those few genuine philosophers who remain.
From this point, the conversation gradually turns towards a discussion of the Theory of the Forms. As Socrates states, the most important subject of inquiry a philosopher can pursue is the form of the good itself. However, this places Socrates in a position of frustration, as he admits to his inability to fully grasp the nature of the good, even as Glaucon attempts to draw out further discussion on the subject. This last part of book 6 transitions into the beginning of book 7, which contains Plato's allegory of the cave.
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