The Two Cities

In Plato's book, the Republic, Socrates attempts to construct a city in order to find justice in the city, and as a consequence in those who live in the city. One of the cities, the one that Socrates suggests, has no luxury or meat or wars. However, Glaucon insists that a city must have meat, and so Socrates adds meat and luxuries to the city. According to Socrates reasoning, a city with meat in it will need to have more land and thus will go to war with its neighbors. In addition, the luxury that the second city gives will produce beggars and those who will not work. If Socrates is believed, then the second city is indeed a city of corruption and war, a place that most would shun in comparison to the first city.