The Collipilis: From Noble Simplicity
To the City of Luxury
To understand the transition from the city of noble simplicity to the city of luxury we must understand what Socrates believes a city should consist of in his discussion with Glaucon. First we must explore the definition of what Socrates believes we call the city of simple nobility. A city comes to be because none of us is self-sufficient; we constantly depend and call out a need from a second and third person and so on. Each of these people take and share because they believe that it is better for them. A farmer will produce the food, then a weaver for clothes, and a builder for shelter, and so on till all the simplest needs of life are met. Socrates makes the point that “we’re not all born alike, but each of us differs somewhat in nature from others, one being suited for a task, another for another” (370). Therefore it is easier to be more efficient and skilled at a single task inherited by nature rather than trying to perform many tasks. You are often born into your profession which guarantees that the city will continue to work.
Socrates next division of labor that’s needed for the city to work as a whole is to have merchants who are responsible to import and export goods and provide the necessities needed by the city and the other skilled workers. In order to do this there must be people who know how to sail so that they can travel and provide goods from overseas. This also means that they will need to create a marketplace and currency to buy goods, but only goods that are needed by the city; nothing that is considered a luxury, for luxury brings greed and war.
Finally there are t ...