Socrates

            
             In Book five of The Republic, Socrates further discusses the just city in which he is trying to use as a means to define justice. In his defining of the just city Socrates discusses three waves in which he attempts to explain the way the just city would function. The three waves are common wives and children, equality of the sexes, and the philosopher king. The three waves of the Republic are used in effort to explain away common practices, and to unify the people and the guardian class. The way the three waves do this is by eliminating jealousy and inequality in the social classes, and adding a greater level of knowledge and understanding in the ruling class.
             The first wave Socrates discusses is that of common wives and children. The goal of the first wave is to promote unity in the city as a whole. The reason for common wives and children is three fold. Not only does it remove jealousy from the guardian class, but the first wave also adds unity to the guardian class and leaders while producing loyalty and forgiveness within the class itself. This is done through the fact that if everyone in the guardian class can be with any person they want then there is no reason to be jealous. Secondly the common wives and children break away from the natural family setting of husband, wife, and kids. With common wives and children everyone in the whole city is family, every child is everyones", every woman is a mother and every man is a father. With this in place, Socrates feels that it removes any sense of competition among the leaders. Since no one has a single wife or child there is no argument about whose offspring will be the next ruler. Finally, the common wives and children wave emphasizes loyalty and forgiveness. This is done through the fact that all people in the city are considered family, and, therefore, are going to be loyal to family and be forgiving towards family as well. The common wives and children helps to set up the next wave: Equality of the sexes.