So the philosopher, with his passion for wisdom, will be one who desires all wisdom, not only some part of it. If a student is particular about his studies, especially while he is too young to know which are useful and which are not, we shall say he is no lover of learning or of wisdom; just as, if he were dainty about his food, we should say he was not hungry or fond of eating, but had a poor appetite. Only the man who has a taste for every sort of knowledge and throws himself into acquiring it with an insatiable curiosity will deserve to be called a philosopher. Am I not right ? (178) - The Republic of Plato, translated by Francis MacDonald Cornford Throughout Plato’s Republic, the idea of an ideal society is laid out with a fictional discussion between Socrates and three of his friends, who challenge this idea. To counter their claims, Socrates mentions various points of how this society can first be formed along with why it is more profitable to be a just man rather than an unjust one. Due to this question pervading their conversation, Socrates includes in his description of the ideal society the character of the King, dubbed the Philosopher King. Aside from stating who will rule the proposed utopia, the Philosopher King also serves the purpose of describing the just man to be greater than the unjust man by the parallel between the King’s thirst for wisdom and a just man’s thirst for righteousness. Before observing this parallel, the Philosopher King’s thirst for wisdom must first be defined as someone who seeks all forms of knowledge in order to enrich his daily conduct. As Plato puts it through the voice of Socrates “Only the man who has a taste for every sort of knowledge and throws himself into acquiring it with an insatiable curiosity will deserve to be called a philosopher,” (178). The result of this drive to attain knowledge would then allow the King to handle various problems that may arise in his kingdom, thus permitting the kingdom to continue to survive while under his rule. Furthermore, like King Solomon from the Bible, the wisdom he has required would bring forth great bounties for the kingdom, increasing the wealth of the land and the splendor of his people. Naturally, others will hear of his success and would come to his aid as allies and friends. Although some may seek to pilfer from the King’s work, the King would have the power of discernment, due to the wisdom he has gained, giving him the ability to rid himself of these lechers. Ultimately, the Philosopher King’s wisdom would grant him the knowledge of how to build a fulfilling life for himself and being the king of this ideal society, there is no doubt the King must also be just man. It is a just man, out of his righteousness, who earns the respect of his people and the honor of his friends which is gained through great wealths of wisdom. Which leads to the parallel of the just man being someone who immerses himself in all things righteous, like the Philosopher King immerses himself in wisdom. Where the comparison between the just and unjust man comes into play is when Plato writes “If a student is particular about his studies, especially while he is too young to know which are useful and which are not, we shall say he is no lover of learning or of wisdom; just as, if he were dainty about his food, we should say he was not hungry or fond of eating, but had a poor appetite,” (178). Due to having a distaste for righteousness, the unjust man will have very little interest in learning all things that concern what it means to be just. His only care would be to know enough to give the false perception of righteousness in order to continue embellishing himself in his own pleasures, resulting in the unjust man not truly possessing righteousness. However, it is only through the Philosopher King that a utopia can be created where everyone is able to truly enjoy the fruits of their own harvest as wisdom and righteousness forms a bountiful society where wealth is abundant and enriches all. Meanwhile, the unjust man can not achieve this same level of fulfillment as he can not truly have righteousness, making him fearful of loss since his selfish desires would consume him. Additionally, he would have no one he can genuinely call a friend as this fear that they will turn against him will come from how he has gained his own wealth by deriving it from others. This would lead him to suspicion towards those around him and a strong reluctance to invest any of his bounty with others for the fear of it being lost, ultimately leaving the unjust man in stagnation that leads to death while the just man continues to grow his household and thrive. Clearly, the overall theme within Plato’s Republic tackles the question of whether a man should live their life as the just man, full of righteousness, or the unjust man, full of deceit. Even throughout the sections that simply describe Plato’s idea of the perfect society, there remains the ideas of what it means to be just and unjust, along with how each ideal affects the person living up to it. As is observed in this excerpt, the Philosopher King embodies the spirit of the just man who is described to seek all things good, not only for himself but for others around him as well. Which leaves the unjust man as someone who does not strive for this goodness since he does not seek every aspect of what it means to be good. Leaving the overall comparison that the unjust man can not build his kingdom to be as bountifully as the just man.