1

Plato
Biography

Plato is a well-known Greek philosopher, scientist, historian, and political theorist. He is the son
of the statuary, Sophroniscus, and of the midwife, Phaenarete. Plato was a disciple of Socrates.
He was born in Athens in June of 427 B.C. He excelled in the fields of astrology, geometry and
was acquainted with the doctrines of Greek leaders. Because he was a close follower of the
teachings of Socrates, the majority of his ideas about the system of justice and his perception of
how the system operates in society, directly represent those of Socrates. Thus, his relationship
with Socrates leads him to learn the art of crafting and shaping his own theories that identify
with his own individuality. That fact that his works mirror those of Socrates has brought him
much fame throughout history. Because his works are so significant to the political field, he is
credited as the most celebrated Greek moralist.

His early efforts in defending and defining the system of justice has gained him fame in the
political field. However, though he has proposed many great theories that have benefited the
society significantly, Plato’s greatest contribution to political science is essentially his powerful
yet impartial definition of system. In The Republic, Plato explains that the common perception of
justice in the contemporary world is that those who behave unjustly naturally gain power and
become rulers and stronger people in society. On the other hand, when weak people behave in
accordance with justice, they are disadvantaged, and the strong gain the advantage.

Contributions of Plato on the Study of Politics

In The Republic, justice is presented almost as a way to measure the moral values of individuals
for citizens in society. Despite the fact that The Republic is largely dedicated to explaining and
defining the system of justice through the lens of past teachings, it defines and explores issues of
political doctrine and mores. Among the major writings that Plato has published, The Republic is
the most influential historical document. In fact, it is so significant that the theory proposed in
this historical work relates to the political beliefs and systems of the contemporary world. Plato’s
proposal has challenged political scientists and theorists to detach from their assumptions about
the system of justice and to observe the system with the understanding that morality and justice
are the building blocks of Plato’s political theory.

In the “second title, Concerning Justice” Plato equates justice with virtue, thus making them
equal. Notwithstanding, as one attempts to explain justice within the context of political
discipline, one sees that laws were initially created to bring peace and social order to society.
According to Bruell, The Republic presents itself as a consideration of justice. This is an
important statement because it shows Plato’s argument about the system of justice as a dynamic
political philosophy. The fact that it is perceived as a “consideration” of justice shows it is the
work of the humanistic intellect rather than expose of a universal truth. Plato’s consideration of
 2

justice shows that in the domain of justice there are multiple ways to designate its private and
public place in the society. He argues that justice is an orderly system and it functions according
to the needs of the society and the individual (Website). In fact, the system itself is so powerful it
can become manipulative in regulating the lives of innocent individuals when such a system rests
in the hands of powerful rulers who practice lawlessness.

The Republic argues that in order to discover the truth about right and wrong, one must abandon
the traditions of the past and start observing justice personally by building up knowledge without
resting on traditional beliefs. His penetrating questions and hypothesis on the relativity of justice
is highly philosophical. In discovering the true nature of justice, Plato primarily dedicates the
majority of his writings centering on his notion of morality. Most importantly, The Republic
serves to introduce the relativity, the all-encompassing reach of Plato’s conception of justice. In a
nutshell, Plato states that it is advantageous when one practices justice. He creates a connection
between the acts of righteousness to the act of justice and concludes that such deeds are
worthwhile (website). He encourages one to perceive just deeds as more than mere good deeds,
namely, they also brings one “pleasure” in the sense that they transforms the individual who
practices then. “There is nothing more appropriate than that philosophers should rule, for that
activity consists in modeling the moral and social whole according to the harmony of the
forms”(article). Thus, the introspective facet of reason can never be freed entirely from
“participation” in the ruling dimension. Hence, Plato’s greatest contribution in politics is his
argument that it is fundamentally the partiality that the system of justice encompasses which
makes it a powerful system.

In The Republic, Plato defines clearly the definition of justice and morality. His work is a major
political discovery to the truth of right and wrong. The system of justice can be interpreted in
different ways but essentially its political theory proves that the strong holds advantage over the
weak is a universal truth. However, his revealing of the truth between right and wrong gives birth
to the notion that justice is defined by the act of good will, rather than the self-interest of the
individual. The intellectual notion of justice that Plato argues for is so powerful that the validity
of its political doctrines is timeless in human history.

Plato’s Ideal State

“Until philosophers are kings or the kings and princes of this world have the spirit and the
power of philosophy and political greatness and wisdom meet in one, cities will never rest
from their evils.” (Plato)

The Republic of Plato is interpreted as Utopia to end all Utopias, not because it is a romance, but
because he constructed an ideal state in it. He compares the construction of an ideal state with an
act of an artist who sketches an ideal picture without concerning himself with the fact whether
individual characteristic features of imaginative picture are to be found anywhere or not? In the
same way, Plato never thought of the possibility of the institutions of his ideal state, being
capable of ever becoming a reality. He never thought of the impracticability of this idea
concerning his ideal state.
 3

Plato built his state on the analogy of an individual organism. He believed that the virtues of an
individual and of the state were identical. He was of the view that an individual presented almost
the same features and qualities on a smaller scale as society on a bigger scale.

Features of an Ideal State

1. Rule of Philosophy
Plato was of the view that in an ideal state the philosopher-ruler should be prominent. He
should has a broaden vision of unity of knowledge. Philosopher-kings are immune from
the provisions of law and public opinion.
2. No unqualified absolutism
Though, neither, there is any restraint of law nor of public opinion over philosopher-
rulers but that is not an unqualified absolutism. It is not all despotism, because rule of
philosophy is not free from the basic articles of the constitution.
3. Control over the education system
Philosopher ruler should control the education system in an ideal state.
4. Justice in ideal state
Justice is the main feature of Plato’s Republic and it is also present in his ideal state.
Justice is the bond which binds every member of society together. It forms a harmonious
union of individuals.
5. Censorship of art and literature
In an ideal state, there should be a complete censorship of art and literature. It is
necessary so that nothing immoral things might falls into the hands of the young
individuals.
6. System of Communism
Plato was of the view that guardian class should live under the system of communism of
property and family. The rulers and soldiers do not possess any property of their own.
7. Equality among men and women
According to Plato, equal opportunities should be given to both men and women for their
economic, social, intellectual and political uplift. We can say that Plato was the first
feminist of his time.
8. Principle of Functional Specialization
Plato was of the view that due to multiple wants, an individual could not fulfill all his
desires by himself alone due to lack of capacity. Thus co-operation among individuals
should be necessary to satisfy their mutual desires. Some people are specialized in
performing some certain tasks.

The Virtues of the State

In Plato's Republic, the four cardinal virtues are wisdom, temperance, courage and justice. These
reflect the nature of the soul.

The soul has three parts. Our reason thinks; when it does this well, it has wisdom. Our appetite
desires; when it does this well, it has temperance (self-control, soberness). Our "high spirit"
shows emotions (fear, anger, respect, etc.); when it does this well, it has courage.
 4

Justice consists of the proper interplay of the three parts of the soul. In the just person, reason
controls the "high spirit" -- and both control the appetite.

The Ideal Man

According to Plato, the ideal person is a philosopher, since his wisdom means his soul is
in complete harmony with itself. The philosopher’s rational faculty governs his passions and
appetites, never allowing them free rein, but still respecting their claims on him and indulging
them when expedient. He has knowledge of himself and society; he knows what it is to be
virtuous; he has a certain amount of equanimity, and he never loses control over himself. By
contrast, Plato’s unjust person is divided against himself, torn between his passions and
appetites, and has no respect for reason, which alone could unify his soul such that he would be
an individual in the literal sense of the word ‘in-dividual’.

The Ideal Society

Plato describes a perfect society as one where everyone lived harmoniously and without
the fear of violence or material possession. He believed that political life in Athens was too
rowdy and that no one would be able to live a good life with that kind of democracy.

Upper Class

Philosopher Kings

 Had political power because they were considered wise (known as the guardians)
 Also had power because Plato believed that good society could only happen when
“political power and philosophy meet together.”

The Auxiliaries

Warriors/Military

 Protected society
o They were devoted exclusively to war. The members of this class must be
courageous and intellectually gifted.
o They must be philosophic; so that they will be able to identify who the true
enemies of the state really are.

The Masses

 The masses was everyone else; those who were not in the upper classes.
 The masses were driven by nothing but their desires.

The Philosopher/Ruler
 5

Plato believed there were three parts to a human soul and proposed that people would be divided
into three classes, depending on which part of their soul is dominant. People dominated by the
“Appetitive” part are those driven by their basic desires and would become the workers
(including businessmen, professionals, etc.). Those with the dominant “Spirited” part would
make auxiliaries (soldiers and police) because they could control their desires, channel their
energies and therefore be brave and loyal, but not capable of making the best policy decisions.
Finally, those dominated by the “Reasoning” part, the philosophers, are capable of logical
judgment and therefore most fit to rule. Plato believed that it is the philosophers who are capable
of seeing the true forms of goodness, virtue and justice. They would also be able to understand
that to live virtuously is the best kind of life and that virtue overrides self-interest. They would,
therefore, be the best kind of rulers.

The Abolition of the Family

Plato’s suggestion, in the Republic, to abolish families for the Guardians is probably one of his
most controversial ideas, with critics calling it everything from impractical to undesirable.
Aristotle, his first recorded critic, says that if all children are held in common, then all children
will be neglected because “what is common to many is taken least care of.” He also mentions
several other concerns, including the fact that it would be impossible to prevent some people
from suspecting familial relationships between one another due to physical similarities, his belief
that the dissolution of familial ties would also weaken the ties of friendship, and that the myriad
of difficulties in implementing such a plan would make it impractical at best.2 The question
becomes whether the desire for the creation of a utopian society, where inequitable ownership of
private property doesn’t exist, requires such a drastic measure and – if so – whether it would
really be utopian at all.

The Equality of Women

Plato is commonly credited with a much more enlightened view concerning the equality of
women and their political rights than Aristotle. This is due to the fact that he acknowledges, in
the Republic, the possibility that women possess abilities that are equal to those of men and
therefore assigns to them the same functions in the state. Plato’s principle of equality is,
however, limited to the women of the upper classes in the Republic, and it is, at least in part, a
consequence of the separation of the classes. Because these conditions no longer obtain in the
“second-best state” designed in the Laws, women are assigned, there, a much inferior role. In the
Timaeus, women are treated not only as the weaker but also as the decadent form of humankind
in the cycle of births and rebirths. Plato’s views on the worth of women change, if not with time,
then with context.

Sources:

https://www.ukessays.com/essays/philosophy/platos-contribution-in-political-science-
philosophy-essay.php
 6

https://www.scholarshipsads.com/platos-ideal-state/#gs.zx54w2

https://www.harryhiker.com/ms/plato-00.htm

https://philosophynow.org/issues/90/Platos_Just_State

https://prezi.com/egakfrrvj9bb/platos-ideal-society/

https://midnightmediamusings.wordpress.com/2014/07/06/plato-the-republic-and-why-
philosophers-should-rule/

https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-319-96313-6_13