On the other hand, a man whose desire for junk food overrules his understanding that such behavior is unhealthy is intemperate. For example, a man who reasons that it is unwise to eat fast food everyday – and therefore eats healthy foods instead of junk foods – is temperate. A man possesses temperance when his rational part controls his irrational desires.

Temperance is “the agreement of the naturally superior and inferior, as to the right to rule.” To clarify, consider man, who is composed of a rational part and an irrational part. Socrates next examines the virtue of temperance. Whether the rulers and laborers are courageous is irrelevant because the rulers and laborers do not fight in wars. Like the case of wisdom, a State is only courageous if one class of its citizens is courageous – the soldier class. He defines courage as the “true opinion about real and false dangers.” In other words, a man who knows what to fear – such as dishonor, shame, and defeat – and what not to fear – such as hardships, injury, and death – is courageous. Having identified wisdom, Socrates turns his attention to the virtue of courage.

Whether the soldiers and laborers are wise is irrelevant because soldiers and laborers do not legislate and enforce laws. Thus, if the rulers possess wisdom, then the State will, too.

A wise State is “a State that knows best how to deal with itself and with other States.” The duty of the rulers is to determine what is best for the State. Socrates first considers the virtue of wisdom. Because the perfect State possesses all virtues, Socrates resolves to identify the four primary virtues – wisdom, courage, temperance, and justice – within the State, and then draw an analogy between the just State and the just man. In Book IV of Plato’s Republic, Socrates and his interlocutors finally complete their creation of the ideal State.

Plato the republic book 4