The Republic: Book IX

In this book, Socrates concentrates on the tyrannical individual, figure of the political tyrant and the tyrannical state. Before discussing the origin and features of a tyrant, Socrates talks about the lawless desires in man. A man ruled by both social laws and reasoning never indulges in unlawful activities like incest, parricide or the eating of forbidden food. Such wild and beastly desires may only find vent in dreams. Nonetheless, this beastly quality is latent in human beings.

By making this point, Socrates then brings to attention two political figures associated with the tyrant.

A) The Democratic man: The tyrant is raised by his democratic father. The democratic man, in turn, has been raised by miserly parent who discouraged all unnecessary activities dealing with pleasure. As a result, he rebelled by leading a lawless life. But the better sense in him prevailed and he only moderately indulged in pleasures.

B) The Oligarch: This democratic man is raised by an oligarch. He is an absolute miser who pushes his son into a more anarchic life style till his proper reasoning makes him follow the more moderate democratic path.

The tyrant, like his democratic father, is also seduced into the life pleasures which his father also pursues but in moderation. The tyrant does not have the restraints and check of the democrat’s and is pushed further into lawlessness. All his principles and sense of rationale diminishes. He is like an eternally drunk man who is driven into an unlimited frenzy where he believes he can rule over the gods. His soul is driven by love for the lustful and the unlawful. The more he indulges the shorter his revenues become till he is left with no more. He soon looks for other ways to fund his desires. He sells of his property and when that is no more a feasible option, he  plunders and loot his own parents till they are forced to sell all their assets; he also steals from wayfarers, other homes and temples. His beastly desires are no longer latent.

The tyrant either becomes a mercenary soldier sent off to war or he remains in the State and becomes the perpetrator of many evils. He soon starts gaining power and followers who flatter him, those who refute him are brutally punished and the rest have no choice but to follow. His young retainers serve under him and become rulers and masters over the state. The tyrant never experiences true friendship nor does he ever allow complete freedom. Socrates observes that just like the democratic man reflects the nature of a democratic state, the tyrant reflects the nature of a tyrannical state. Judging from the characteristics of the tyrant figure, the government led by him is most wretched and despondent like the tyrant himself.

The tyrant enslaves all the good qualities in him and in turn enslaves the State. The political tyrant is the most miserable figure. The reason for his misery is the absence of loyalty in his retainers and the constant loom of threat against his position. Socrates elaborates by placing the tyrant in two different situations. Firstly, if the tyrant and his family with all their servants were to be moved into the wilderness, there would always be in fear of rebellion. So the tyrant, against his will, would have to cajole his servants to keep them happy and save himself. Secondly, if the tyrant was located amongst neighbors who detest any form of slavery, he would be in constant fear of being overthrown and banished. The more power he gains the more wretched he becomes. The state, hence, also suffers.

Socrates, then, examines three classes of man in order to find out who is the happiest. The lover of wisdom, the lover of honour and the lover of gain all indulge in pleasure. It is the lover of wisdom, the philosopher, who has access to all three and is the most content. He also has the power of reasoning that neither the lovers of honour or gain possess. True pleasures lies in the cessation of pain and only a philosopher achieves this. Socrates calculates that out of the three political figures- the democrat, oligarch, and the tyrant- the tyrant is 729 times removed from the pursuit of true pleasure. The tyrant is only aware of bodily pleasures and this is the reason for his extreme desolation. Lastly, Socrates questions whether the figure of the tyrant was perceived to possess the ideal soul. The tyrant lets the beast in him rule and hence possesses the dual nature of an animal under the garb of normalcy. He may enjoy a sense of power for a short period of time but it is only the just and good ruler, who by adjusting according to the State and its needs, maintains a peaceful rule.

Amrita Kar
Pg-I