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

26 Lust, Wrath, and Greed
See 389d-392c. Rounding out their discussion of gods and heroes in poetry,
Socrates takes up three ways in which the virtue of temperance (sophrosune) is
sometimes handled correctly by the poets, but all too often is ignored. He praises
Homer for the way he describes Diomedes restraining the wrath of one of his
subordinates, and Odysseus holding back his own wrath. But he criticizes Homer
for describing Achilles giving in to a long, bloody rage that transgresses the
bounds of decency and piety. This sort of thing should not be in stories for young
people being raised to value self-control. Nor should Achilles be described as
caring so much about material prizes and ransom money. Nor should Zeus be
described as losing track of his plans, overcome with sexual desire. Never should
gods or heroes be presented in such a way that it appears possible for them to be
dominated by irrational desires. As for how ordinary human beings should be
characterized in poetry, the topic gets put off until after Glaucon’s challenge has
been met. They return to it in Book X.
When people complain nowadays about children being exposed to too much
sex and violence, is the problem the physical acts of sex and violence, or the
vices of lust and wrath?
Should parents be as concerned about exposing children to wealth as they
are about exposing them to sex and violence?
The vices lust, wrath, and greed tend to make for highly entertaining stories.
Why is this? Can temperance be similarly entertaining, or is there something
essentially boring about this virtue?
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