Plato believed that the stories warriors of the state were told shaped their souls. In Book II of Plato’s Republic, he says, “Then shall we so easily let the children hear just any tales fashioned by just anyone and take into their souls opinions for the most part opposite to those we’ll suppose they must have when they are grown up?” (377b) Plato is explaining how he believes the arts that the Guardians will be taught should be modified and censored in order for the Guardians, warriors, of the state to perform their duties morally.
In 376, he compares the Guardian’s training to that of a dog, explaining how the dog is trained to protect the family and be aggressive to any outsider who seems to be a threat. Plato says, like the dog, they should be trained with good morals through the stories they are taught. Therefore, the stories of the poets, such as Homer and Hesiod, should be modified and censored so they are no longer, “bad representation[s] of what gods and heroes are like, just as a painter who paints something that doesn’t resemble the things whose likeness he wished to paint” (377e). He believes the poet’s stories should not be told to the young Guardians, for they would hear the bad acts that the gods had committed, which they are never to learn because …show more content…
It is commonly true that more people must be alive to win a battle, so if one knew the fears that come with death and that to win they must stay alive they would most likely fight their hardest and to the best of their capabilities in order to protect themselves and win the battle. Because of this increased desire to fight better, this could create more pride for one’s state which could help