Philosophy Assignment #11

This assignment is based on Part VI. 2. At 457 d. Socrates makes the controversial proposal that, “…no parent should know its child, nor child its parent.” At 464 c-d he says, “They [the communal arrangements for raising children] will prevent the dissension that starts when….each has his own wife and children…”

In your own words:

1)      Briefly describe Socrates’ views about how the guardian children are first conceived and then raised.

2)      Why does Socrates thinks dissension would start if Guardians had their own wives (or husbands) and their own children?

Modern China recently had a restrictive “one child policy.”

 

3)      In what respect would you say Socrates’ restrictive ideas about the family are similar to the Chinese policy and in which respect are they different?