Plato's Republic - Li Ling

I read: Justice in State and Individual
Overall feel
It's actually easier to read this than Gorgias - maybe it's the format of the book. I really have trouble reading something that is so blatantly written in the form of a play. There is also a lot less confusing arguments here. So yay! i manage to finish it at one go (:

Another reason why I felt it was a much easier read might be because i was more *cough* hardworking. With my previous Plato experience backing me i wrote down all of the arguments stated in the book in a manner in which it was clear to me (i.e. words joined by arrows and random mathematical symbols. the best evidence that i am a science person heehee) So just in case we have anymore arguments Socrates style that we have to decipher, perhaps this method would help you people too (:

Reflections on Content
I was particularly struck by this phase "the desires of the less respectable majority are controlled by the desires and the wisdom of the superior minority". When put in this manner all of a sudden the concept of a government seems ludicrous. Unfortunately it describes the role of a government and the various statutory boards very well. It really makes me wonder if the said experts of a certain field are really the best people to decide on policies for the commoners. I personally believe that we should see each person as a unique individual with his own mixture of problems, and not attempt to fit them all in various fixed categories. This is why there are always people who fall through the cracks (to quote someone. actually i can't remember who but it was mentioned at the beginning of our internship) - because not everyone fits into the categories that we set. Then again, even as we understand that there is no such thing as one size fit all, we must also set guidelines for those who are implementing the policy. If there are no guidelines present it is very difficult to standardize across the board. For example, without guidelines, the profile of people who qualify for the HOPE scheme may differ from district to district, which would be ridiculous since HOPE is a national scheme. Where then, do we find the balance point?

Another point that struck me particularly hard was the saying that "the provision that the man naturally fitted to e a shoemaker, or carpenter, or anything else, should stick to his own trade has turned out to be a kind of adumbration of justice - hence its usefulness." my interpretation of this sentence is that those who are meant to be shoemakers should stay shoemakers because that is a form of justice (which is defined in the book as not interfering with other's business and doing what you have to do well). my concern is: WHAT HAPPENED TO MERITOCRACY? /:

does this mean that a shoemaker cannot attempt to better himself by going for various courses adn earning relevant degrees that will help him get an office job that might pay more? does it mean that he is destined to remain a shoemaker, earning peanuts his whole life? isn't this how the vicious poverty cycle starts? shoemaker has no money to send children to school/tuition -> children do not do well in school -> children end up learning shoemaking trade from father -> becomes shoemaker who earns very little -> has no money to send children to school/tuition -> etc

i personally think it's really quite scary. of course, i might be over-reacting /: