Senseful Censorship? In Plato's Republic, Socrates stated that stories influence the souls of those who hear them. That said, he went on to argue that censorship was not only necessary but also beneficial to society. Socrates wanted to censor parts of poetry, arts, and sciences that were not productive or beneficial to society. He believed that poetry was neither philosophical nor pragmatic and did not lead to true knowledge. Rather, he found it immoral, as it led to desires and passions. He therefore declared it inferior to the practical arts and of no educational value. I agree with Socrates' goal of protecting the world from such falsehoods. Our minds are like sponges, and to protect us from the absorption/effects of unnecessary and harmful practices, there must be a filter. Such a filter would protect/preserve what is moral and good in society, including the innocence of young people. This can be encouraged by banning inappropriate elements of popular culture, including suggestive film content, explicit song lyrics, and false information shared and displayed in the media, and replacing them with beneficial practices. So, how much does the world affect us? Can these “harmless stories” really harm our soul? YES! We are a product of our environment. We imitate those around us to be accepted. We conform to what society deems normal or desirable in an attempt to “fit in.” For example, a student may go to Baylor University, majoring in engineering, meet some "nerdy" friends who support and encourage him, and join a life group at church. That same student could have easily attended the University of Texas, joined a fraternity, embraced the “party life,” and gotten pregnant. Young preteen girls…middle of the paper…narrative about what is watched, seen, read and listened to could begin to protect society as a whole. Socrates tried to amputate a part of the dead body for the benefit of the body as a whole. Censorship is necessary if we are to allow society to function in accordance with its Word City. Unfortunately, he also points out that because society is made up of fallen, fallible men, it would ultimately go through all four unjust constitutions of city and man. Timocracy would end up giving way to oligarchy, in turn degenerating into democracy. Democracy would eventually turn completely into tyranny. Spiritually, (in the Christian sense of the word), we will probably never achieve lasting change because our fallen nature can only be resolved with a change of heart, and this can only be accomplished through God and not through the institutions of man..