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Ideology and Power: Some Further Examples of Socialism’s Oppression of the Individual. Essay 7 of Justice in the State: Comparisons between Plato’s Republic and the West

 

The previous essay has pointed out that socialism involves collective values, the power of the state, and a disregard for the individual.  Some today might equate socialism primarily with a national health care system.  Yet it is not about having a national health care system nor about how to run a good medical service for all citizens—one could debate these from various understandings of government and the private sector.  There is no more reason to understand socialism as a national health care system than there is to call a country socialist because it has a nationwide educational system.  The essence of socialism lies in ideology and power.  These essays have explored how Plato’s socialist republic articulated a view of social justice that was anything but just, and this should be a warning to those today who imagine that socialism is a kinder and more moral system of government.  In this essay, three further examples of socialism’s oppression of the individual in the Republic will be noted.  Plato discusses education, militarism, and social honours in his socialist timocracy.

1. Education is reduced to training.  It has the goal of training in ways to serve the state.  Those who perform poorly are eliminated from the training and sent to a lower class.  Particularly in view is the training of the guardian class of soldiers.  Like Sparta, the ideal republic is centred around the military training of its citizens and, characteristic of 5th c. Greece in general, the state’s military exploits.  To quote:

[466e] …  “It is obvious that they will march out together, and, what is more, will conduct their children to war when they are sturdy, in order that, like the children of other craftsmen, they may observe the processes of which they must be masters in their maturity … [5.467e] …  “We must mount them when very young,” said I, “and first have them taught to ride, and then conduct them to the scene of war, not on mettlesome war-steeds, but on the swiftest and gentlest horses possible; for thus they will have the best view of their own future business and also, if need arises, will most securely escape to safety in the train of elder guides.” … [5.468a] [Any show cowardice] should be reduced to the artisan or farmer class …

2. The militaristic nature of the ideal state makes courage such a primary virtue that any cowardice should be punished.  In consideration, courage is a social value, while cowardice is associated with individualism.  Socrates continues:

[5.468a] and anyone who is taken alive by the enemy we will make a present of to his captors, shall we not, to deal with their catch [5.468b] as they please? …

3. Social honours for guardian heroes should involve granting them sexual license as a reward. In this, there is an aspect of granting the social elite privileges of exploitation that others are denied.  However, the main motivation for this honour, so to speak, is a service to the state.  The state has an interest in its heroes having an incentive to fight courageously for a sexual reward, and it has an interest in heroes reproducing.  Individual rights are not part of the equation here, just as they are not significant in socialist states in general.  Socrates says,

[5.468a] “And don't you agree that the one who wins the prize of valor and distinguishes himself shall first be crowned by his fellows in the campaign, by the lads and boys each in turn?” … [Socrates adds that the hero should kiss and be kissed by everyone, and Glaucon adds, with his approval, that] [5.468c] … none whom he wishes to kiss be allowed to refuse, so that if one is in love with anyone, male or female, he may be the more eager to win the prize.”  [Socrates provides the further reason:] in order that as many children as possible may be born from such stock. … 

One should not be distracted by the particularites of Socrates’ examples of the state’s socialism.  His socialist timocracy is not the only type of socialism.  Different socialist societies may present themselves differently.  What they have in common is an idealist vision for the state.  It is not only utopian; its ideals drive policies that are pressed into action, and this process inevitably provides ample opportunities to create an oppressively powerful, monstrous state that justifies its actions ideologically.  Secondly, the state does not exist for the individual but the individual for the state.  Thirdly, the socialist state embraces the use of power over people in every way, such as in education, militarism, its system of reward—as seen in the quotations from Socrates.  The final quotation that shows Socrates’ endorsement of sexual license over others for heroes makes the point that, once a state is given power over individuals, it may exploit that power in any number of surprising and unjust ways that it will defend as social justice.  State control and the suppression of the individual’s rights are essential to the definition of socialism.

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