is true of all qualities. Justice is something that is elusive, and Socrates again and again refutes suggestions as to how to define the matter. Similarly, in the Republic there are goals pursued by institutions and individuals, but there is no guarantee that they will be successful at attaining the ideal they seek. The Republic itself can be read as a search for an ideal, in this case Plato's ideal of a society without strife, and there is no guarantee that he will attain this ideal.
Plato's ideal state is geared toward the benefit of the state itself as an entity and to the people as a whole rather than to the individual. This is clearly seen in many of the social institutions and rules he proposes through his spokesperson, Socrates. The individual does not select his profession, for instance--that is chosen on the basis of an assessment of ability and the needs of society. The individual does not choose his or her marriage partner, either, since that decision is made by the leaders of society. The Guardians are the rulers and protectors, and they exist to prevent strife in the Republic. Minimizing the threat of or possibility of strife is an important component in the state envisioned by Plato, and he sees the avoidance of strife as deriving from unity in the community. This is to be a community in which sharing is the order of the day, including the sharing of wives and children by the Guardian class.
For Socrates, the good life is one that produces the greatest happiness, which is what the ideal republic is intended to assure. The structure noted above, with different levels of society and with the Guardians to watch over all, is designed to assure that
...