stand the state. When the state is ordered the soul necessarily is ordered also. There are three classes of individuals in Plato’s ideal state: philosophers, warriors, commoners. The interest of the philosophers is knowledge and their highest virtue is wisdom achieved by reason (i.e. their soul). Warriors have the virtue of courage and their interest is honor driven by their spirit (i.e. their soul). Finally, the commoners are interested in pleasures and their virtue needs be temperance because of their desires (i.e. their soul). Thus, society is ordered in this way and justice applies to all of the three virtues. The philosophers and the warriors are therefore the rulers and protectors of the state. The common ends to Plato are best achieve when each and every human being is doing what he does best, the thing most fitted for the overall good of the state. However, Plato knows absolute power has a tendency to corrupt absolutely. Therefore, he puts certain guidelines forth for philosophers who would be king or guardians of the state:
The guardians must choose poverty with any possessions they own being held by all.
The children of guardians will have common families and be raised (trained to know the good) in common, not aware of who their real parents are.
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