Philosophy of Law, Coquia

Law the generality of it could not always do justice to particular cases.

The State for Plato is a man on large scale. It is a whole form of various individuals and solidly built, as
body is formed of several organs, which together make its life possible. Both in the individual and in the
State, there must reign that harmony which is obtained through virtue. Justice is the virtue par
excellence, insofar as it consists in a harmonic relation between the various parts of a whole.

Three parts or faculties exist in the soul of the individual:

 Reason which dominates
 Courage which acts
 sense which obeys

Similarly, in the State three classes are distinguished:

 The wise to dominate
 Warriors to depend the social organisms
 Artisans and farmers who must feed it

The cause of participation in and submission of the individual to the State is the lack of autarchy, the
imperfection of the individual, his insufficient by himself.

For Plato, it is only the State which is a perfect being and sufficient unto itself, and which absorbs and
dominates all. The State, therefore, dominates human activity in all its manifestations. Upon its rest the
duty to promote good in its every form. The power of the State is limitless. To render stronger and closer-
knit the political organization, Plato suppresses social entities which are intermediate between the
individual and the State. By Plato, at any rate, the personality of man is not adequately recognized.

These briefly are the principal concepts formulated by Plato in the Dialogue, Republic. The Dialogue Laws,
composed later, when Plato was seventy, has character different preceding one, because it does not trace
out a pure ideal, but considers instead historical reality, and there appear often an admirable sense of
practical experience.

In the Dialogue Laws, Plato shows a greater respect for individual personality, always, however, that of
free men only. Family and property are conserved, no longer sacrificed to the sort of Statism, as in
Republic. The authority of the State however remains nevertheless very great and overpowering.

Plato criticizes both monarchy and democracy, and proposes a sort of synthesis, a mixed government.
Just like in Sparta, aside from two kings, there were the Senate and the Ephors.

COMMENTS ON PLATO BY CAIRNS, THE REPUBLIC

How much Plato owed to his predecessors?

From Solon: Happiness of the state depended upon the faithful observance of sound laws, and that it was
the duty of the good citizen to see that such laws were made.

From Herodutos: Law is the master.

From Pindar: Law is the lord of all.