History of Political Thought - Plato - The Republic

History of Political Thought - Plato - The Republic

History of Political Thought - Plato - The Republic

Statement for discussion

“Rousseau once wrote that The Republic was not about politics at all, but that it was the greatest book on education ever written. But Rousseau was mistaken: despite the tensions that exist between a philosophical life and the political life of existing societies, the Republic is certainly a handbook for understanding politics.”

Introduction

Plato was an ancient Greek philosopher who, with teachings from his mentor, Socrates, helped establish the foundations of Western philosophy. Not only was Plato a brilliant thinker, but he also studied mathematics and was an excellent writer. Many of his philosophical ideas are contained in Dialogues, texts that encompass the basic teachings learned from Socrates as well as his own innovative thoughts. These writings take the form of conversations between a philosopher (usually Socrates) and a pupil. The major ideas, found in subjects such as mathematics, philosophy, logic, rhetoric, and others, are conveyed through indirect teaching and thought-provoking cross-examinations. The questioning involved in this method, known as elenchus, leads the subject to make his or her own conclusions. In many cases, this involves a state of uncertainty, called aporia, in which the interviewee realizes that he did not actually possess the knowledge he believed he had. Some recurrent themes found in the Platonic writings are the search for certainty in knowledge, the concept of virtue, the nature of reality, and politics.

Plato - The Republic

The Republic is an account of what Socrates said at his trial. In relation to the above statement Plato's contribution to the history of political theory, have formed two distinct opinions on the reasoning behind the work. The first group believes that The Republic is truly a model for a political society, while the other strongly objects to that, stating it as being far too fantastic for any society to operate successfully by these suggested methods. In an exchange between Crito and Dionysius, this argument is first introduced, with Crito siding with those who agree that The Republic is a realistic political model, and Dionysius arguing on behalf of those who doubt it as being realistic, claiming it to be a criticism of politics in general (Plato, 1968, 56).

Both sides have legitimate arguments, and there is evidence within the text to support each opinion. When Plato wrote Gorgias, he made it clear where exactly he stood on his personal involvement in politics.

"Unlimited power without the knowledge of good and evil is at the best unenviable, and the tyrant who uses it to exterminate his enemies and rivals is the most miserable of men a theme to be further developed in The Republic (Plato, 1968)."

But here, Plato was referring to the politics of his time, and critics who sided with Crito believed that The Republic was Plato's way of introducing a political system in which he would feel comfortable supporting (Plato, ...