Is the “city in theory” a city for pigs or a city for zombies? The “city in theory” is an idea, an idea of the just city. However, does the city truly create justice? Or does it drain humanity from its citizens, creating mindless drones. With the stifling of all forms of creativity and imagination the “city in theory” seems very similar to the city in Ray Bradbury’s book Fahrenheit 451. A city in which books are burned, free speech is forbidden and the people are zombies.
In Fahrenheit 451, the people are mindless drones that are told what to do and buy, by the leaders of the city. People who try to gain knowledge withheld by the leaders are killed. Most of this knowledge comes from books, which are burned if ever found by firefighters, and their owners killed. One fire
fighter said that it was the books and the ideas they gave people that made the world so bad before. He also said that as long as the people are kept dumb and happy, peace will rein. However, it cannot truly be peace or justice because of the way the people are being treated. They are like cows, kept fed and happy, and if needed for work or wars, the leaders use them to fight with no end.
Socrates’ “city in theory” has many similarities to Bradbury’s city. Socrates believed that all poets and storytellers should not be allowed in the city. Basically, burning books before they are written. Also the Leaders of the city, philosophers, will tell the people the “truth” because they are best at finding it, which does not seem like a trustworthy idea. It mirrors the image of the
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