10. The Lost Utopia of Socrates

Everybody knows about the authoritarian city-state described in Plato's masterwork, "The Republic." What may not be so widely known is the fact that, before he outlined this metropolis, the philosopher set down his personal ideal for a city... and it was hardly anything like the more famous Utopia to follow. He describes a society stripped down to its essentials; a society free from war and politics. In such a city, none of the social engineering describes later in "The Republic" is necessary, as its citizens act in accord with human nature. In this episode, I talk about this forgotten Utopia, and share some thoughts on the differences between it and its more notorious counterpart.

For Show Notes, please visit https://storyofnowhere.com/lostutopia/