In my opinion, a citizen is a person apart of a group or community. A citizen is usually welcomed or born into a group. An example of a citizen being welcomed into a group is a person that made their high school sport team and is invited into the team. This person is now a citizen or member of that group. An example of being born into a group is a person that was born into the United States and became a legal citizen or member at birth. In a way, my parents allowed for me to be born into the United States and to be a citizen.
I am considered a member or citizen of the United States because I was born and currently live in the United States. I am apart of my field hockey team because I was welcomed or accepted to be apart of the team. I am members of both groups no matter how big or small. I believe that citizens need two things to participate in a society, membership and understanding. If the citizens can understand the people and problems their society face, they will develop an understanding. With an understanding, education plays a role.
You have to be educated on certain topics to fully indulge in conversation about your society. Membership also plays a role because as a member of your society you can relate to other members. The citizens are united in the society by the characteristic they all share, membership.In Plato’s The Republic there are many quotes that represent what Plato thinks a citizen needs in order to participate in society.
One of those qualities includes education. “But, whether true or false, my opinion is that in the world of knowledge the idea of good appears last of all, and is seen only with an effort; and, when seen, is also inferred to be the universal author of all things beautiful and right, parent of light and of the lord of light in this visible world, and the immediate source of reason and truth in the intellectual; and that this is the power upon which he who would act rationally either in public or private life must have his eye fixed.” This quote is describing the importance of education that Plato believes in. Plato stated that the true importance in the world of knowledge is based on who works to improve their knowledge.
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In a way Plato explains that everyone has knowledge but it is essential to continue expanding on that knowledge. Plato thinks that the citizens should improve their knowledge and that will enable them to keep up with the society (Plato, 217). Plato mentions throughout the book that he believes everyone should be able to participate in society. Plato however believes that each person is at a different intellectual level.
Plato believes in separating the people throughout different levels of knowledge. ”You have again forgotten, my friend, I said, the intention of the legislator, who did not aim at making any one class in the State happy above the rest; the happiness was to be in the whole State, and he held the citizens together by per-suasion and necessity, making them benefactors of the State, and therefore benefactors of one another;”(Plato, 220). This quote explains that happiness holds the citizens together which evidently holds the society together. Plato believes that happiness and education are important for each citizen to have to participate in society.
