#8 - Outside Reading 2 - Red Rising Pt. 2

 This book’s political system is remarkably similar to Plato’s Noble Lie from the Republic. In the Kallipolis (Plato’s hypothetical just city that exists as an allegory for the human soul), Every person is lied to from birth. They are assigned a role in society based upon what type of metal is “mixed with their soul.” Bronze people form the working class of Society. Silver people serve as the military. Gold people make up the leaders of the society. This idea is echoed and taken to a horrific extreme in Red Rising. In the story, every person is assigned a color and they have been assigned colors for so long that people have evolved to fit the duties of their colors. Obsidians, for example, are the bodyguards and police in this world. They are massively tall and strong, perfectly designed for their jobs. A government enforced lie might help society function properly, but if the people ever see through that lie, a rebellion is bound to happen, as can be seen in Red Rising. 


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