Ship of State

The Ship of State is an ancient and oft-cited metaphor, famously expounded by Plato in the Republic (Book 6, 488a–489d), which likens the governance of a city-state to the command of a vessel.^[1]^[2] Plato expands the established metaphor and ultimately argues that the only people fit to be captain of the ship (Greek: ναῦς) are philosopher kings, benevolent men with absolute power who have access to the Form of the Good. The origins of the metaphor can be traced back to the lyric poet Alcaeus (fragments 6, 208, 249), and it is also found in Aeschylus' Seven Against Thebes, Sophocles' Antigone and Aristophanes' Wasps before Plato. During the Renaissance Sebastian Brant amplified and reworked Plato's text in a satirical book The Ship of Fools (Das Narrenschiff,1494) which was translated soon in Latin, French and English

^ Brock, Roger (2013-05-23). Greek Political Imagery from Homer to Aristotle. A&C Black. p. 58. ISBN 978-1-4725-0218-6.
^ Santas, Gerasimos (2008-04-15). "Chapter 10: Plato and the Ship of State by David Keyt". The Blackwell Guide to Plato's Republic. John Wiley & Sons. pp. 189–214. ISBN 978-1-4051-5025-5.

[1] Brock, Roger (2013-05-23). Greek Political Imagery from Homer to Aristotle. A&C Black. p. 58. ISBN 978-1-4725-0218-6.

[:0-2] Santas, Gerasimos (2008-04-15). "Chapter 10: Plato and the Ship of State by David Keyt". The Blackwell Guide to Plato's Republic. John Wiley & Sons. pp. 189–214. ISBN 978-1-4051-5025-5.

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