Perhaps the most crucial relationship to be noted within the study and discussion of political theory is the relationship between the individual and the society which he is situated in. In all documented civilizations, the ways in which these two entities interact define their roles in the advancement and progress of the community in the long-run. The nature of these symbiotic responsibilities varies greatly between some of the most acclaimed political theorists who have deliberated on the topic. Though some, such as Aristotle, felt that humans are truly "social and political " animals who rely on each other and thrive on communication, there are others, such as Rousseau, who contrarily believe that humans' optimal state occurs when they exist as non-social beings. Additionally, these thinkers held differing views on what human nature was truly composed of, which led them to have quite unique thoughts on how humans adapt to society, as well as how they should interact with it. .
Much of political theory operated around an inherent expectation of the human to be an entity who was capable of making good decisions and submitting to societal needs. This would be the central idea behind Plato's depiction of an ideal society, in which the individual hoped above all else to practice virtues, such as wisdom, moderation, courage, and justice, in order to preserve a sustainable and prosperous society. In Plato's "Kallipolis ", he portrayed a society in which humans were placed into one of three classes "those who worked, those who fought at war, and those who ruled. From there, he went on to state the importance of individuals staying within their respective groups and performing their appropriate duties, and nothing else. Clearly, Plato believed that the perfect state could only prosper if the individual subjugated his own will to that of society. He stressed the importance of a communal system of life, in which there was no trace of private property or power in the possession of merely material goods.
