The Intelligent Troglodyte’s Guide to Plato’s Republic, 2016a

79 The Tyrannical City
See 562a-569c. “When someone appropriates the possessions of the citizens, on
the other hand, and then kidnaps and enslaves the possessors as well, instead of
these shameful names he is called happy and blessed: not only by the citizens
themselves, but even by all who learn that he has committed the whole of
injustice. For it is not the fear of doing injustice, but of suffering it, that elicits the
reproaches of those who revile injustice. So you see, Socrates, injustice, if it is on
a large enough scale, is stronger, freer, and more masterful than justice.” Thus
spoke Thrasymachus in Book I, at 344b-c. Here at the end of Book VIII, Socrates
explains how such a person can come to power. Freedom is the single overriding
value in the democratic city, but it is a freedom that comes at the expense of
authority. Fathers aspire to be like their sons, while sons show no respect for their
fathers. Teachers flatter their students, while students despise their teachers. “In
general, the young are the spitting images of their elders and compete with them in
words and deeds, while the old stoop to the level of the young and are full of wit
and indulgence, imitating the young for fear of being thought disagreeable and
masterful.” Resident aliens and citizens, men and women, slaves and slave
owners – all come to have equal freedom. In this atmosphere of freedom and
equality, the class of “drones,” which in the oligarchic city were marginalized as
beggars or criminals, come into their own and dominate the public assembly.
They set themselves up as advocates for the people against what they represent as
the unfair material success of the rich, whom they label “oligarchs,” and they see
to it that as much “honey” is taxed out of the rich as possible. Some of this public
money makes it down to the common people, but the leader-drones “keep the
greatest share for themselves.” The rich take offense at being abused at the hands
of these people and so they “really do become oligarchs,” which is to say that they
move to reform the government so that people of good sense (good sensible
money-makers) are in control. In reaction, the people choose one drone “as their
special leader,” a man of rare gifts – clever, fierce, and charismatic – and turn to
him for their defense. Then something happens. “By leveling the usual false
charges and bringing people into court, he commits murder. And by blotting out a