The Republic 3 Training the "Guardians" 《理想国》3 - 训练“护卫者”

            For any state, “Guardians” (or the soldier class) are crucial for the peace and prosperity within. However, in The Republic, the method that Socrates proposes to train them, essentially shackles the thoughts of the Guardians. He seeks to mold them and prepare them for their job in a mechanical and extreme way. If I were the ruler of a state, here is how I would train the Guardians to make sure they do their job effectively: 

            In my opinion, for any soldier, the spirit is more important than the body or skills. Just look at how the Communist Party managed to rise to power and gather so many followers in just a decade or so. The CCP told really attractive stories about providing peace, land, and more freedom to the common people. Due to their appealing stories of an idealistic future, all of the men and women fighting for the CCP during the civil war had great morale and could gain victories. Similarly, for my state, to ensure that my Guardians are spiritually and mentally prepared for battle, I would create stories and ideas for them that give them a reason to engage in combat. For example, I would tell them that they are fighting for millions and millions of peoples’ peace and stability, and that whoever shows valor and astuteness, and unity would be rewarded. Through this way, the soldiers would display high morale in battle and always be vigilant. Additionally, I would encourage them to read books or stories about real-life heroes who have done outstanding deeds for their country and their people. 

            Besides physical training, I would also make the Guardians receive education in various fields, such as science, history, and even philosophy. I agree with Socrates’ point that every Guardian needs to possess a philosophical disposition, so that they behave like civilized individuals in front of others. By educating them, I believe that they would be gentle and polite towards their fellow citizens, and still remain fierce and courageous towards their enemies, who threaten the peaceful life of the state. 

            Overall, even though physical training of the Guardians of my state is undoubtedly important, instilling a certain ideal or spirit in them is even more so. Additionally, I would educate the Guardians so that they can tailor their behavior more wisely to different circumstances. I would not ban any books, but I would make my soldiers realize that they are fighting for an actual purpose. 

        对于任何一个国家来说，"护卫者 "，即士兵阶层，对其内外部的和平与繁荣都是至关重要的。然而，在《理想国》中，苏格拉底提出的训练他们的方法，实质上束缚了“护卫者”的思想。他试图用一种机械而极端的方式来塑造他们，为他们的工作做准备。如果我是一个国家的统治者，我会这样训练“护卫者”，确保他们有效地完成工作。

        在我看来，对于任何一位“护卫者”来说，精神比身体和技能更重要。看看中国共产党是如何在短短的十几年时间里，成功崛起并聚集了那么多的追随者。共产党讲了一个非常吸引人的故事，说要给老百姓提供和平、土地和更多的自由。由于他们讲的理想主义未来的故事很吸引人，所以在抗日与内战期间为共产党打仗的男男女女都有很大的士气，可以获得胜利。同样，对于我的国家来说，为了确保我的“护卫者”在精神和心理上做好战斗准备，我会为他们创造一个很吸引人的故事和理想，给他们一个参与战斗的理由。比如，我会告诉他们，他们是在为千千万万人民的和平与稳定而战，或者是谁表现得英勇聪慧、团结一致，谁就会得到奖励。通过这种方式，士兵们会在战斗中表现出高昂的士气，时刻保持警惕。此外，我会鼓励他们阅读有关现实生活中为国家和人民做出杰出事迹的英雄的书籍或故事。

        除了体能训练，我还会让“护卫者”们接受各方面的教育，比如科学、历史，甚至哲学。我同意苏格拉底的观点，每一名“护卫者”都需要具备哲学的性情，这样他们在别人面前才会表现得像个文明人。通过对他们的教育，我相信他们会对自己的同胞温柔有礼，对威胁国家和平生活的敌人仍旧凶狠勇敢。

        总的来说，尽管“护卫者”的体能训练无疑是重要的，但向他们灌输某种理想或精神则更为重要。此外，我会对“护卫者”进行教育，让他们能够根据不同的环境更加明智地调整自己的行为。我不会禁止任何书籍，但我会让我的“护卫者”意识到，他们是为了一个实际的目的而战斗。