This essay is about Plato and his book "The Republic".

Is Plato a communist or a socialist? Does the Republic reflect his belief that the state should be more important or take on a higher position in priority lists than the individual's needs and wants? The Republic by Plato is centered around one point: justice. In order to define justice, Plato has to first define what a just or ideal state is, and it is through the process of defining of the ideal state and …

…by imposing these limitations, he will create a state in which the public will be happier than if they were allowed access to things like poetry about the gods behaving immorally. Plato feels that it is okay to infringe upon the public's rights in order to keep the city in a state of harmony and balance. If Plato's ideal state works the way it is supposed to it will be a "just" or "ideal" state.