The Thumos of State

From the reading Plato essentially says that individuals interactions with people is merely out of necessity. It is Plato’s belief that each individual has a distinct role in the state, and that is individuals one and only job. In order to survive humans created states for protection of themselves, and to prosper. Plato says in bookII S.369 "So far as I can see, because the individual is not self-sufficient, but has many needs which he can not supply himself." Without the support of other people, humans could not survive. Not only do individuals use interactions to survive, but thrive al well. This is the importance of the Philosopher King, he is to go to Eidos and return to us true knowledge.

Everything that an individual does and thinks effects the state in some way. Therefore, our freedoms become restricted. Our Logos and our Epithumos will adhere to the wants and needs of the state. Then it becomes each individuals responsibility to not only think of themselves, and their wants and needs, but that of the state and the people in it. Our priorities change, each individual has to work for the better of the state, because it will better oneself.

Not only do we work towards a better state for our own psychical gain, but rather out of our duty. We gain this innate sense of duty from the morals that are brought to us from Eidos. Therefore, making oneself just. However, through this justice we become slaves to our conformity, that is our morals. "So we reach again by other route the conclusion that justice is keeping what belongs to one and one's own job." bookIV S.434 This mentality once again physically restricts us to conformity, because we are bound to our sense of moral duty.