THE SHIP OF STATE (or, THE SHIP OF FOOLS!)
| Republic Bk 6, 488ae: The shipowner is bigger and stronger than everyone else, but he is hard of hearing, short-sighted, and knows nothing of seafaring. The sailors quarrel among themselves about steering the ship, each thinking he deserves to be the captain, although none know anything about navigation . . . they crowd around the shipowner, begging him to give the rudder to them . . . if they don't persuade him, they execute the ones who do or throw them overboard . . . they stupefy the shipowner with wine or drugs and rule the ship, using up its supplies . . . they call one who forces the shipowner to let him run the ship "captain" or "navigator" . . . they don't know that a true captain must attend to all that pertains to the craft of navigation . . . a true captain they will call a stargazer, a babbler, and good for nothing . . . such ships resemble our cities and their attitudes toward true philosophers. |
| Symbolism. The ship = society, or the state. The shipowner = the citizens. The sailors = typical politicians. The stargazer or true philosopher = truly knowledgeable potential leader. |
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Two-panel ship cartoon:
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Painting: On Board the Ship |