Plato's ideal society is one that depends on the right actions of its citizens. In his utopia, all men and women are able to maximize their potential and, in turn, use their talents and abilities for the good of all. Happy citizens make a happy society. This perfect society has been both praised and criticized on the basis of some radical elements it possesses: citizens of Plato's ideal society are able to restrain their self-interest, and since they are happy, or at least psychologically conditioned to believe they are, these people choose to join the collective effort and submit to the rule of the philosopher king for the good of all. Philosopher-kings are in power by virtue of their wisdom which the entire community recognizes as a requirement for ruling effectively. Philosophers do not even wish to govern, but they do so because the law commands them to do so. Education and employment are accessible to all, men and women. There is no concept of family, because women (in the context of the birth of a child) and children are shared elements, and the rulers are responsible for the child's education. Private property is distributed for the sole purpose of satisfying the needs of producers for the production of society's needs. Everyone will live in harmony because each individual is satisfied, in part because one is forced to adhere to the “noble lie” that promotes the idea that one must accept class inequality but recognize one's profound relevance to society. The reconditioning that Socrates and Plato require of men and women so that their perfect society can be built and sustained was as controversial then as it is today. The citizens of his Republic, in their rejection of self-interest, are reduced to nothing more than... half the paper... s. Utopia, as a good place, thrives on the existence of a property that maintains the very delicate balance between the individual self-interest of its citizens and concern for the common good. Societies are judged on how well they are able to satisfy the needs and desires of their members. Over the years, countless solutions have been tested by different groups of people. This is where the different types and forms of government come into play. History books, documentaries, and Internet articles offer a lot of information and analysis, but in the end, what really matters is simple, guilt-free, meaningful satisfaction for everyone. Some societies have been successful by current standards (e.g. democratic socialist Scandinavian countries with a high human development index); others have failed (e.g. communism); and the others are still trying to find their match.