Book 6

In book VI of Plato’s republic, Socrates discusses how philosophers are viewed by society. He argues that philosophers are essentially the greatest truth seekers and so their soul is just. This unique quality, in Socrates’ opinion, is a distinctive point that makes philosophers the most fit people to govern societies. However, people do not possess the knowledge to understand philosophers and have other priorities. Instead of guiding people to seek truth and knowledge, public opinion motivates people are expected and motivated to obtain money. With this priority, obtaining virtue becomes secondary.

Socrates defines virtue as civic-which is common among the people, and intellectual, which is exclusive to philosophers and their search for knowledge.

Socrates discusses the meaning of good for different people- for some it is highest pleasure, for others it is knowledge. Socrates divides the form of the good into the physical realm, which includes objects and their images, and the intelligible realm, which is mathematics, definitions, and then the actual entities of these things. Socrates debates that abstract concepts are independent of physical phenomena. Other philosophers argue that abstract concept are a result of physical phenomena and cannot exist independently.