In Book VI there is a section where Socrates is talking about philosophers and their attempt at creating a just city that I thought was similar to the life of Christians today . He mentions how the only way for a perfect state or man to exist philosophers must take over governance of the state whether they want to or not. Or a passion for true philosophy must some how be instilled in the men now holding power in order for a perfect state to be formed. The only problem with this actually happening is the multitudes opinion of philosophers. Socrates states, "Would you not also agree that philosophy suffers from hostile public attitudes because of the intrusion of bogus philosophers into places where they have no business? Quarreling with one another, they are filled with malice and forever discussing personalities, the very last thing a philosopher ought to do." Socrates goes on to say that if a true philosophers mind is fixed on and attempts to imitate eternal realities there is no time to be lured into the petty affairs of men. Therefore, if the multitudes sees the true philosophers they will be more compelled to follow them and obey them and then the perfect state can be started with a clean slate.
Now to me I felt like this was a parallel of a true Christians life. We are faced everyday with people who claim to be Christians but are not because they are too focused on worldly affairs and not on imitating the life of Jesus Christ. Then, like false philosophers, bring about a false reputation of actual Christians. Now, how is a true Christian whose mind is fixed on things above( to be Christ-like)supposed to lead the world to be a better place if the majority of people think all Christians are corrupt and not living by the standards they claim to be? There is no such thing as a perfect state or a perfect man, but if true Christians were somehow able to make the multitudes see the life of a true Christian maybe non-Christians would be more interested in becoming a follower of Jesus Christ and not a follower of the world. Then, like the clean slate rewarded to the perfect state lead by the philosophers, the new true Christians will get their clean slate through salvation. This will result in a more Godlike state which should be the ultimate goal of Christians to win non-believers to Christ. It just amazes that even though the world has changed so much Socrates thoughts and revelations are still relevant to the world today!
P.S commented on emilylaforce's I guess Socrates didn't have a girlfriend...
Skylar, I agree with one 100%. Socrates, throughout the Republic seems to have many parallels with Christianity. You can also see the way his thoughts influenced Paul's writing style, especially in the first few chapters of Romans. Paul, in my opinion, does come from a Platonic point of view when he addresses the Romans. I wonder if after Christ revealed himself to Paul, he thought of Christ as the blinding light in Socrate's Cave allegory.
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