Plato's Political Philosophy

• Shubhra Viraj Edutech authored this document

Plato

• Plato lived from 428-348 BC

Key Comments About Plato

• Plato equates to philosophy itself, his works serving as the foundation for ongoing thought and debate
• One must be either Platonic or anti-Platonic, without any neutral ground
• European philosophical tradition consists of footnotes to Plato's ideas
• Justice is both a personal virtue and a societal bond
• Plato is both a saint or teacher
• Modern communist totalitarianism takes root in Platonic communism
• Plato's justice bounds the society together

Introduction to Plato

• He’s titled the ‘father of political philosophy’
• He sought to define ideal states, good political life, and the ethics of political classes

Historical Background on Plato

• Post Athens defeat by Sparta in the Peloponnesian War motivated Plato to examine the defeat's causes
• The tyrannical rule inspired Plato to envision Athens as an ideal state, governed by a Philosopher King

Prominent Works and Key Ideas of Plato

• Apology: An imaginative recreation of Socrates’ defense
• Crito: Exploring the extent of political obligation and disobedience
• Enthypro: Centered on the concept of divine holiness
• Phaedo: Presents a rational argument for the immortality of the soul
• Charmides: "Know thyself," emphasizing self-control
• Meno: Discussing the teachability of virtue
• Gorgias: The need to adhere to one's conscience

The Republic

• Republic: Encompasses justice, physics, metaphysics, philosophy, and politics
• Theory of Justice, Education, and Communism are explored
• Key figures: Cephalus, Polemarchus, Thrasymachus, Adeimantus, Glaucon, Socrates

Other Works

• Statesman(Politicus): Advocates for the rule of law
• Laws: Consists of his Plato's longest dialogue and proposes a mixed constitution

Sources of Influence on Plato

• Parmenides: The theory of Ideas and Forms reflect his concept of unchanging reality
• Heraclitus: Plato's view of material objects stems from the idea of continual change
• Pythagoras: Plato's theories of Forms and the Soul incorporate geometry and soul transmigration
• Socrates: Justice theory based on Socrates' method and views, while also critiquing democracy

Plato's Methodology

• Dialectics: Employs discussion/debates
• Deductive: Approaches from general principles
• Idealist: Believes in grand ideas and holism
• Radical: Supports wholesale engineering
• Utopian: Aims for a perfect society that's unrealizable

Theory of Soul

• The soul is a cornerstone of his philosophy and illuminates his ethics, metaphysics, and the nature of reality
• The soul consists of reason (logos), spirit (thumos), and desire (epithumia), influencing human behavior
• An individual's soul is defined by the dominant virtue
• A society is based on a soul consisting of: Ruling, auxiliary (military), and producing class who are made of different metals

Theory of Recollection

• Recollection: Learning is recalling knowledge from the soul's past existence
• Education: Not acquiring knowledge, but remembering forgotten truths

Theory of Ideas

• “Reality is the shadow of Ideas"
• Theory of Idea: Rooted in Socrates' Theory of Knowledge
• Ideal State: Can only be understood through reason by the Philosopher King
• Ideas are real, permanent, and perfect
• Material World: An ever-changing world compared to divine permanence
• Allegory of Cave: Illustrates the difference between real knowledge and illusion, in which people favor comfort in ignorance

The Chained Man

• Chained Man: Represents ignorance, mistaking shadows for reality
• Sunlight: Symbolizes pure knowledge

Theory of Justice

• "State is individual writ large"
• Justice: Emerges from the minds within the state

Core Principles of Justice

• Central Problem: Discovering justice through Plato's Republic, the base of the ideal state
• Duty-Based: Explains justice as performing duties in different classes
• Dialectics: Derives justice's meaning through dialogue
• State Parallels Individual: Justice mirrors civic justice through functional specialization, non-interference, and adhering to virtue and duty
• Functional Specialization: Requires proper stationing and non-interference

Theory of Education

• "The Republic": Called the finest treaties on education by Rousseau
• Synthesis: Takes good things that education can offer from both Athens and Sparta
• Holistic: Encompasses mental, physical, and spiritual development, plus theoretical and practical education
• State-Controlled: Available for both sexes
• Aligned to Theory of Justice: Aims to find tasks based on aptitude

Stages of Education

• Pre-primary (0-6 years): Focuses on physical, mental, and moral development through gymnastics, music, and stories
• Secondary (6-18 years): Teaches general subjects such as math, history, and military education
• Higher Education (18-20 years): Increases the difficulty and complexity of education
• Higher Learning (20-50 years): Emphasizes theoretical knowledge (20-35 years) and hands-on experience (35-50 years)
• Philosopher King: Person becomes eligible at age 50

Theory of Communism

• Plato's communism to address corruption
• Connected to theory of justice
• Property and Family: Designed to give equality to all

Characteristics of Class Communism

• Guardian Class: Restricted to rulers and soldiers
• Unlike Producer Class: Those in whom power does not rest
• Deprivation of Property: Focuses of the rulers and guardians
• The state will decide who can marry
• Once the child is born adoption is inevitable

More About Class Communism

• It liberates women to perform community duties
• A feminist ideal

Communist Ideals

• Plato: Idealist, create ideal state, believes in state supremacy, citizens sacrifice, people should be divided, does not support violence, idea is the ultimate reality
• Marx: Materialist, wants to end the state, calls for revolution, create classless society, supports violence, ideas are 'false consciousness.'

Theory of Philosopher King

• For Plato, understanding surpasses law, and wisdom leads to immense sacrifice
• The Philosopher King has ultimate power
• Decisions: Independent of law/opinion
• Can not change the constitution without corruption
• The king is a reason based man, 50 years of education, with no property or family

Philosophies of the Philosopher King

• Not based on democracy
• To rid Athens of corruption, leaders and rulers need to have philosopher based thinking

Types of Government (Best to Worst)

• Aristocracy
• Timocracy
• Oligarchy
• Democracy
• Tyranny

In the Words of Plato

• Human behavior stems from desire, emotion, and knowledge
• Ideas drive all things
• Ignorance is the root of all evil
• "No law or ordinance is mightier than understanding.”
• Rulers govern best when the state is of less importance
• Impractical to limit an expert practitioner

Aristotle (384 B.C. to 322 B.C.)

• A greek philosopher, who is seen as the father of political science
• Disciple and critic of Plato

Modern Day Influence

• The ideas are no longer meant to be seen in the literal sense
• In politics, the study of science denotes practicality opposed to wisdom

Aristotle and his Times

• Influenced by his father, Nichomachus, who was a court physician
• At 30, he turned to philosophy thanks to his late mentor, Plato
• Like teacher, had relations with ruling classes which helped him see how public affairs are governed more closely

Experiences

• Family Background: Scientific way of understanding
• Time with Plato: Over 20 years
• Observation: Political observation
• Study At Lyceum
• Study of Constitution: 158

Plato's Influence

• Great aristotelian thinker is attributed to ideas of man and social communities
• Important in the way the state creates ideals for individuals with no contradiction

Aristotle Ideals

• practical and pragmatic, Conservativism, Golden Mean, Inductive Approach – Particular to General
• Plato: Utopian/Idealist, Radicalism, Extremist, Deductive Approach - General to Particular

Aristotle's Work

• Mainly comes from the politics alongside Nicomachean Ethics
• Study of 158 constitutions

Notable Study

• Nicomachean Ethics (350 BC): to be happy, one well in a polis, is one's basic function I.e fulfill the capacities
• Metaphysics (350 BC): Study being, rejected forms
• Politics (350 BC): Explores what makes a ‘polis’

Political Ideas of Aristotle

• One such idea that has remained is the concept that people are zoon politikon
• Highlights social life of humans, vital for people to live in communities

Theory of State: Key Statements

• "Man is by nature, a political animal.”
• “State comes into existence for the sake of life and continues for the sake for good life."
• “State is highest of all associations.”
• “One who can live without state is either a beast or God, he cannot be a man.”
• “State is a union of family and religious.”
• Part of the socratic tradition

How humans function

• Not Designed to be self sufficient
• Form family groups
• Create a state, that Aristotle posits, fulfills all the requirements of its citizens
• Said ‘man who can live without the state is either a beast’

Chronologically Vs Logically

• Human existence predates the beginnings of a state, logically the states precedes man
• State is NOT one family, but a family of families. = Unity in Diversity
• To maintain order among the state, we must achieve equilibrium

Theory of Citizenship

• All the residents are not citizens
• Only men who were greek males can be
• Citizens are native, owned land

Reasoning Behind Theory of Citizenship

• Women occupied with domestic life
• Old people deemed physically fragile
• Children deemed with lack of understanding
• Slaves lack reasoning

Responsibilities

• Has duty to the state/civic duties

Theory of Slavery

• Needed for those who rule
• Natural, and desirable

How slavery was categorised

• "natural slaves"
• “slaves by law” (prisoners of war)
• Nature had designed the slave system based on mental and physical attributes

Utilitarian Aspects of Slavery

• Masters revolved around reason and courage, were essential attributes for effective decision-making
• Slaves lacked these qualities

Theory of Property

• Aristotle's analysis of property systems reveals his keen insights into the relationship between property, society, and individual well-being
• Property criticizes property
• Property should source from many virtues

Property vs Abolishing

• Does not support abolishing institution of private property
• Gives suggestions to see how the negativity can be dealt with

Addressing Private Property.

• Aristotle criticizes communism
• It is not conducive to how it looks after people as a lack of responsibility and well being due to lack of accountability

Communal Ownership

• Neither good for property nor society
• Can be said "everyone ownership is no one's responsibility"

Aristotelian System

• System is known as "Golden mean".
• People Have right to own property
• The common good is also applied
• Aristotle was against amassing excessive wealth.

Theory of Constitution

• Important reason for Aristotle the title of the Father of political science.
• Constitution: Deals with everything state, revolution, justice goverment etc

His Ideals

• Best be monarchy
• Government meant to consent not by rulers
• The study resulted in six basic forms of democracy

Polity

• Best practicable form of government
• A moderate and balanced group for more stable governance

He suggests that Polity is the ‘Best Practicable' form of government.

• Ruled by Middle class
• not arrogant
• Rule of Middle class is the best practicable.

The 6 Basic forms of government

• One: Monarchy: Virtue, becomes: selfishness: Tyranny Virtue
• Few: Aristocracy: Wealth, becomes greed: Oligarchy
• Many: Martial: becomes poor: Democracy

Theory of Revolution

• Political changes can be big or small
• Changes of any kind = revolutuion
• Prefered Stability over change

Types of Revolution

General causes of revolution:

• Insolence for class
• Rivalries of different races
• Unprincipled leader
• Ensuring people do not feel people are getting the feeling on balance/corruption.

Concept of Justice & Equality

• promotes the common interest”
• Unjust to treat people how they should be
• Inequality leads to tyranny
• A lot of different things can cause injustice
• Justice is the very essence of state to ensure it endures

The Two things that can make justice

1. Rectificatory Justice: System of grievance
2. Distributive Justice: Linked with the distribution

• State should reward a person worth their contribution
• Slavery leads to not masters or slaves are treated equally

Rule of Law

• "Law is a reason without Passion"
• Should be imposed to all citizens
• Should be consitutuional
• Aristotle's law is teleological
• Good order by nature.

Machiavelli (1469-1527)

• Regarded as the first modern political thinker. He was focused on cultural values to promote renaisannce

First modern political thinker

• Independent or autonomous

• Renaissance thinker, but criticised

• Gramsci seperated from ethics

• Real world to the real world

• Machiavelli was of his times

• Whole Renaissance

• Dates

Machiavelli Early Times

• Government of florence
• His political upheaval caused turmoil for
• Forced to retire

Historical Background

• Activated by public support
• Low Catholic Church
• Secularity, patriotism, passion.

Influence

• Renaissance revived spirit and humanism
• Reformation: separation public and private, influenced secularism.
• Feudalism: New territorial order
• Nation State
• Rise of Captialism.

Machievelli Work

(1521)- theory of war (1525)- work (1531)- deals. (1532)- advice

Method

• Empirial and political
• Father of political realism
• Materialist
• Historial is greater than phoolshopy.

Politics

• Prince security matters.
• Universal Egoism": didn’t believe well for men. All bad
• Selfish for conduct

Politics and Ethics

• View as foundation for politics
• It’s own independent standard.
• What can be wrong religiously correct
• Dual morality
• Save Principles of prince
• morality the prince

Utilitarian attitude

• Suggests prince use of the interest of the nation

• Can pretend to be religous

• Government is a thing, unless to help

• must surrender

Sovereign Power

• Judge prospering
• Monarch, strong army

Machiavelli Principle

• Skill both
• If no people won’t listen
• Be ready to crush

Machiavelli

• Be feared over loved

* Thomas Hobbes

• Thomas Hobbes (1588-1679)
• Greatest in the English language
• Security
• Commodios life

Life

• Born in England
• Political turmir
• Chaos
• Parliament

Ideas

• Roylatist
• Horrific War lead to the nature of human nature- Pessimissm

Proment Work

• Anticipation
• Leviathan = Law Of natire and absolutde solgn
• Long Parliament.

Hobbes Methods

• Nature hobbles
• Mechanic materialim
• Matter in motion

Methods

• State of nature = Commoil -> common wealth
• Interactions no

Leviathan

• Appetite driving force for power, is the beast
• Motion is key, vital, helps existence.
• Differentiating Animals as right
• Preservation = most common
• State of Nature before the start, civiailaztion is important

The Social Contract

• State is accomplished through, comes common.
• Setting up sovereign - keep safe.
• Not party

Sovereign

• Cannot be overriden
• No Obligation
• Monrach
• Abiding the citizen.

On Liberty

• Absence of
• Everything unless sovereign permits
• Absolute

Hobbes quotes and words

• Twin both at once
• Wisdom
• Nature
• The long night.

John Locke (1632– 1704)

• Politcal
• Regards

John Locke life

• Monracty

• Knbowldege

Government

• Natural rights

Promient Work

• Letter concertion Thought of nature

• Reform the Hobbes

• Absolute to liberalism

• Preserve for natrue

• The state of nature

• Moralilty or inconvenience

Thomas Hobbles vs John Locke

• THOMAS HOBBIES**

• Absolute monarch -Born to be governed

• Are selfish -People aren't truste

• JOHN LOCKE** -Democracy

• Born equal -People are good. -Able make goods