Swillsburg City Limits (The ‘City Of Pigs’: Republic 370C–372D)

Abstract

At Republic 370c–372d, Plato presents us with an early polis that is self-sufficient, peaceful, cooperative, and which provides a comfortable life for its inhabitants. While Glaucon derides this polis as a ‘city for pigs’, Socrates is quick to defend its virtues characterizing it as a city which is not only ‘complete’ ( telea ), but a ‘true’ ( alêthinê polis ) and ‘healthy’ city ( hugiês tis ) (371e–372e). Is Plato sincere when he lauds the city of pigs? if so, why does the city of pigs degenerate so precipitously into the luxurious city ( truphôsa polis )? Some commentators have been unable to find any place for the ‘city of pigs’ in the substantive argument of the Republic . Other commentators have supposed that the source of instability in the city of pigs is the nature of human desire. I argue that these interpretations miss what is most deeply interesting about the city of pigs. On my reading, the city of pigs is healthy and true in that it is a unified community. However, this unity depends on good fortune, is highly contingent, and thus unstable.