Amateurs are solitarily concerned with a small portion of wisdom and knowledge, they are interested in spectacles of the reality of ideas, not knowledge itself. Furthermore, philosophers are adept at appreciating perpetual, static truths. To Socrates, this in no way suggests that philosophers are deficient in the common sense of leading a state. .
According to Socrates,'the guardian who is to keep watch over everything should be keen-sighted rather than blind?(484c)? and since philosopher's have the most finely honed insight into reality, naturally, a philosopher is the finest choice for a ruler. Socrates is aware that most people do not feel this approvingly towards philosophers. He uses an image of the parable of a ship to explain why people do not think more highly of the occupation. In his depiction, the ship symbolizes the state, the sailors are the politicians and the captain is the people. The captain isbigger and stronger than everyone else on board, but he's hard of hearing, a bit short-sighted, and his knowledge of seafaring is equally deficient (488b).? The sailors fight over control of the ship,they?re always crowding around the ship owner, and begging him and doing everything possible to get him to turn the rudder over to them (488c).? Among the sailors, there is atrue pilot?, the philosopher of the city. He understands how to direct a ship and would be the greatest captain but is regarded as having his head in the clouds and therefore, appears futile in navigation. Just as the true pilot seems to useless at navigating, the philosopher is viewed as having no use in society because of the mind-set it has towards philosophers. Because the philosopher, just like the true pilot, is not corrupt, like society, he cannot possibly cross the threshold into the world of politics. .
In regards to the education of the young, Socrates believes that Athenians are not introduced to philosophy at the right age.