UNIVERSITY OF OKARA

Department of Education

Assignment No: 01

Quantitative Research Methods in

Education

Dr. Khalid Saleem SB

Submitted By

Rao Hammad

F23-MPEdu-5005
INTRODUCTION

1. PLATO(427-347 B.C) was born into an aristocratic Athenian family. He

was an Athenian philosopher during the Classical period in Ancient
Greece, founder of the Platonist school of thought and the Academy, the
first institution of higher learning in the Western world.
2. He is widely considered one of the most important and influential
individuals in human history, and the pivotal figure in the history of
Ancient
Greek and Western philosophy, along with his teacher, Socrates, and his most
famous student, Aristotle. Plato has also often been cited as one of the
founders of Western religion and spirituality. The so-called Neo-Platonism of
philosophers such as Plotinus and Porphyry greatly influenced Christianity
through Church Fathers such as Augustine. Alfred North Whitehead once
noted: "the safest general characterization of the European philosophical
tradition is that it consists of a series of footnotes to Plato."
3. Plato was an innovator of the written dialogue and dialectic forms in
philosophy. Plato is also considered the founder of Western political
philosophy. His most famous contribution is the theory of Forms known
as the pure reason, in which Plato presents a solution to the problem of
universals known as Platonism (also ambiguously called either Platonic
realism or Platonic idealism). He is also the namesake of Platonic love
and the Platonic solids.
4. His own most decisive philosophical influences are usually thought to
have been along with Socrates, the pre-Socratics Pythagoras, Heraclitus
and Parmenides, although few of his predecessors' works remain extant
and much of what we know about these figures today derives from Plato
himself.

5. PLATO’S WORKS

6. Plato's writings were in dialogue form, and the hero in all writings
except in the Laws was none but his teacher, Socrates. In the dialogue-
type writings, philosophical ideas were advanced, ' discussed, and
criticised in the context of a conservation or debate involve in two or
more persons. .The collection of Plato's works includes 35 dialogues and
13 letters, though doubts are cast on the authenticity of a few of them.
 The dialogues may be divided into early, middle and later periods of
composition.
7. The Statesman and the Laws deal more with the actual states and
ground realities, and as such do not have the same idealism and radical
overtures, which the Republic possessed. Plato of the Republic is what is
known to the world: the idealist, the philosopher and the Radical.

8. PRE SOCRATES

9. The Socratic influence on Plato is well known. There was never a time
when Socratic image was out of Plato’s mind. The fundamental idea of
the ‘Republic’ came to Plato in the form of his master Socrates’ doctrine
that virtue is knowledge. Plato gave his teacher’s doctrine- virtue is
knowledge – a prime place in his philosophy. Like Socrates, Plato was
also convinced that human nature has four elements: reason, courage,
temperance and justice. Through these, a man can attain virtue which
makes man capable to work towards his end.
10. The Socratic imprint on Plato can be observed in every sentence the
pupil wrote.
11. In most of Plato’s writings. Socrates was seen almost everywhere.
Particularly in Republic. Republic is one of the most famous dialogue of
Plato which is by all accounts a great work of philosophy. The Republic
is quite simply a remarkable work of the human mind. Plato’s intent
was precisely that if the Republic could not alter people politics, it could
at least alter the lives of those who read it. For the Republic, its not just
about politics, rather it is about the individuals and how he/she should
live his or her life.

12. HAPPINESS AND VIRTUE

13. The characteristic question of ancient ethics is “How can I be happy?”

and the basic answer to it is “by means of virtue.” But in the relevant
sense of the word, happiness—the conventional English translation of
the ancient
14. Greek eudaimonia—is not a matter of occurrent mood or affective state.
Rather, as in a slightly archaic English usage, it is a matter of having
things go well. Being happy in this sense is living a life of what some
scholars call “human flourishing.” Thus, the question “How can I be
happy?” is equivalent to “How can I live a good life?”
15. Whereas the notion of happiness in Greek philosophy applies at most to
living things, that of arete—“virtue” or “excellence”—applies much
more widely. Anything that has a characteristic use, function, or activity
has a virtue or excellence, which is whatever disposition enables things
of that kind to perform well. The excellence of a race horse is whatever
enables it to run well; the excellence of a knife is whatever enables it to
cut well; and the excellence of an eye is whatever enables it to see well.
Human virtue, accordingly, is whatever enables human beings to live
good lives. Thus the notions of happiness and virtue are linked.
16. But it is far from obvious what a good life consists of, and so it is difficult
to say what virtue, the condition that makes it possible, might be.
Traditional Greek conceptions of the good life included the life of
prosperity and the life of social position, in which case virtue would be
the possession of wealth or nobility (and perhaps physical beauty). The
overwhelming tendency of ancient philosophy, however, was to conceive
of the good life as something that is the achievement of an individual
and that, once won, is hard to take away.

17. THEORY OF FORMS

18. Theory of Forms or ldeas is at the centre of Plato's philosophy. All his
other views on knowledge, psychology, ethics, arid state can be
understood in terms of his theory. His theory of Forms or ldeas taken
from the Greek word "Edios" is so inter-related to his theory of
knowledge that they can be understood together. Following Socrates,
Plato believed that knowledge is attainable and believed it to have two
essential characteristics: one, knowledge is certain and infallible; two,
that it is to be contracted with which is only appearance. Knowledge,
being fixed, permanent, and unchanging is, according Plato (following
Socrates), identified with the realm of 'ideal' as opposed to the physical
world which is seen as it appears. In other words. 'Form', 'Idea'.
'Knowledge'-all constitute what is ideal, and what appears to the eye is
actual. There is, thus, a difference between what is ideal and what is
actual; between what are 'form and what are appearances; and
 between what is knowledge arid what is an opinion; and between what
'can be' and what it is or what it is 'becoming'.
19. Plato's theory of Forms or Knowledge, or Idea is found in the Republic
when he discussed the image of the divided line and the myth of the
cave. In the former, Plato made a distinction between two levels of
awareness: opinion and knowledge. Claims or assertion about the
physical or visible world are opinions. The higher level or awareness, on
the other hand, is knowledge because there reason is involved. The myth
of the cave, as discussed by Plato, described individuals chained deep
within the recesses of a cave where the vision is restricted and no one is
able to see another man; the only visible thing is the wall of the cave.
Breaking free, one of the individuals escapes from the cave into the light
of the day. With the aid of' the sun, that person sees for the first time the
real - world, telling his fellow men that the only thing they have seen
heretofore are shadows and appearances and that the real world
awaits them if only they are willing to struggle free of their bonds. The
essential characteristics of Plato's theory of Forms would, thus, include:
(a) There is a difference between 'Form' or 'Idea'; 'Knowledge' and
'Appearance'; 'Actual', or 'Opinion' as there is difference between the
ideal /invisible world and the physical / visible world. (b) The form is
the ultimate object of appearance. (c) The actual world can attain the
ideal world. (d) Knowledge can replace opinion and is attainable. (e)
The visible world is the shadow of the real world. What appears to be is
not the Form, but is a form of the Form. Plato explained that there is a
difference between things which are beautiful and what beauty is:
former lies in the realm of opinion while the latter, in the realm of
knowledge. What is more important is Plato's insistence that the
journey from 'appearances' to 'form' is possible through knowledge.
20. Plato had conceived the Forms as arranged hierarchically-the supreme
form is the form of the Good, which like the sun in the myth of the cave,
illuminates all the other ideas. The forms of the Good (i.e., the idea of the
Good) represents Plato's movement in the direction of attaining
goodness. In a way, the theory of Forms, as propounded by Plato, is
intended to explain how one comes to know, and how things have come
to be as they are, and also how they are likely to attain their ideals.
21. Plato's theory of Form is closely related to his belief that virtue is
knowledge. According to Plato, the idea of virtue is the idea of action;
the ultimate object of virtue is to attain knowledge, the knowledge of
 virtue is the highest level of knowledge, knowledge is attainable and so
is virtue attainable.

22. Theory of Justice

23. According to Plato, justice is the quality of individual, the individual

mind. It can be understood by studying the mind of man, its functions,
qualities or virtues.Mind is not homogeneous but heterogeneous, and in
fact, has three elements, viz., appetite, spirit and reason, and works
accordingly. But, all by itself these three elements will not work in a
coordinated fashion and mind as a whole will work disjointedly.
Therefore, it is important that every part of the mind must work
virtuously’ in unison with other parts and under the sovereignty of
reason.

24. Whenever appetite functions the under reason, it will be moderate or

temporary. When reason works under the control of its own breath, it
will attain its virtue, which is called wisdom. And when all these parts of
mind, thus, function under the supremacy of reason, the virtue of mind
as a whole is born and that virtue is called justice. Thus, Plato suggests
that justice is the virtue or quality of mind. It is neither might nor
selfishness and it cannot be equated with success.One of the finest
products of mind is society. Plato proceeds from the microcosm to
macrocosm; from parts to the whole. Both mind and society are
heterogeneous and neither of them can be thrown in one direction in a
concentrated form. Society, like mind, has certain necessary elements.

25. Firstly, the society needs food and clothes and thus, the first part of the
society is to produce food and other necessities of life— artisans and
producers.

26. The second necessity is to defend the society against onslaughts and this
leads to the class of fighters—the soldiers.

27. The third necessity is government, and so we have the class of rulers.

28. Plato opined that the producers would correspond to appetite, the
fighters to spirit and the rulers to reason. Every class must function in
 co-ordination with each other and virtuously in its best form. This is
possible only when all the elements of the mind work in unison with
each other.He, therefore, stated that the producers must act
temperately, the fighters must operate courageously, and the rulers
must govern wisely. Thus, the virtue of producers is temperance, the
virtue of fighters is courage and the virtue of rulers is wisdom, and the
virtue of society as a whole is justice.

29. POLITICS

30. The dialogues also discuss politics. Some of Plato's most famous
doctrines are contained in the Republic as well as in the Laws and the
Statesman. Because these opinions are not spoken directly by Plato and
vary between dialogues, they cannot be straightforwardly assumed as
representing Plato's own views. Socrates asserts that societies have a
tripartite class structure corresponding to the appetite/spirit/reason
structure of the individual soul. The appetite/spirit/reason are
analogous to the castes of society.
31. • Productive (Workers) – the labourers, carpenters, plumbers,
masons, merchants, farmers, ranchers, etc. These correspond to the
"appetite" part of the soul.
32. • Protective (Warriors or Guardians) – those who are adventurous,
strong and brave; in the armed forces. These correspond to the "spirit"
part of the soul.
33. • Governing (Rulers or Philosopher Kings) – those who are
intelligent, rational, self-controlled, in love with wisdom, well suited to
make decisions for the community. These correspond to the "reason"
part of the soul and are very few.
34. According to this model, the principles of Athenian democracy (as
it existed in his day) are rejected as only a few are fit to rule. Instead of
rhetoric and persuasion, Socrates says reason and wisdom should
govern.
35. Socrates describes these "philosopher kings" as "those who love the
sight of truth" and supports the idea with the analogy of a captain and
his ship or a doctor and his medicine. According to him, sailing and
health are not things that everyone is qualified to practice by nature.
 A large part of the Republic then addresses how the educational
system should be set up to produce these philosopher kings.
36. According to Socrates, a state made up of different kinds of
souls will, overall, decline from an aristocracy (rule by the best) to a
Democracy (rule by the honorable), then to an oligarchy (rule by the
few), then to a democracy (rule by the people), and
finally to tyranny (rule by one person, rule by a tyrant).Aristocracy in
the sense of government (politic) is advocated in Plato's Republic. This
regime is ruled by a philosopher king, and thus is grounded on wisdom
and reason.

37. PLATO’S THEORY OF EDUCATION

38. Education was an attempt to touch the evil at its source, and reform the
wrong ways of living as well as one’s outlook towards life. According to
Barker, education is an attempt to cure a mental illness by a medicine.

39. The object of education is to turn the soul towards light. Plato once
stated that the main function of education is not to put knowledge into
the soul, but to bring out the latent talents in the soul by directing it
towards the right objects. This explanation of Plato on education
highlights his object of education and guides the readers in proper
direction to unfold the ramifications of his theory of education.Plato
was, in fact, the first ancient political philosopher either to establish a
university or introduce a higher course or to speak of education as such.
This emphasis on education came to the forefront only due to the then
prevailing education system in Athens. Plato was against the practice of
buying knowledge, which according to him was a heinous crime than
buying meat and drink. Plato strongly believed in a state control
education system.He held the view that without education, the
individual would make no progress any more than a patient who
believed in curing himself by his own loving remedy without giving up
his luxurious mode of living. Therefore, Plato stated that education
touches the evil at the grass root and changes the whole outlook on
life.It was through education that the principle of justice was properly
 maintained. Education was the positive measure for the operation of
justice in the ideal state. Plato was convinced that the root of the vice
lay chiefly in ignorance, and only by proper education can one be
converted into a virtuous man.The main purpose of Plato’s theory of
education was to ban individualism, abolish incompetence and
immaturity, and establish the rule of the efficient. Promotion of
common good was the primary objective of platonic education.

40. • Plato’s Scheme of Education:

41. Plato was of the opinion that education must begin at an early age. In
order to make sure that children study well, Plato insisted that children
be brought up in a hale and healthy environment and that the
atmosphere implant ideas of truth and goodness. Plato believed that
early education must be related to literature, as it would bring out the
best of the soul. The study must be mostly related to story-telling and
then go on to poetry.

42. Secondly, music and thirdly arts were the subjects of early education.
Plato believed in regulation of necessary step towards conditioning the
individual. For further convenience, Plato’s system of education can be
broadly divided into two parts: elementary education and higher
education.

43. • Elementary Education:

44. Plato was of the opinion that for the first 10 years, there should be
predominantly physical education. In other words, every school must
have a gymnasium and a playground in order to develop the physique
and health of children and make them resistant to any disease.

45. Apart from this physical education, Plato also recommended music to
bring about certain refinement in their character and lent grace and
health to the soul and the body. Plato also prescribed subjects such as
mathematics, history and science.

46. However, these subjects must be taught by smoothing them into verse
and songs and must not be forced on children. This is because,
 according to Plato, knowledge acquired under compulsion has no hold
on the mind. Therefore, he believed that education must not be forced,
but should be made a sort of amusement as it would enable the teacher
to understand the natural bent of mind of the child. Plato also
emphasized on moral education.

47. • Higher Education:

48. According to Plato, a child must take an examination that would

determine whether or not to pursue higher education at the age of 20.
Those who failed in the examination were asked to take up activities in
communities such as businessmen, clerks, workers, farmers and the
like.

49. Those who passed the exam would receive another 10 years of
education and training in body and mind. At this stage, apart from
physical and mathematical sciences, subjects like arithmetic,
astronomy, geometry and dialectics were taught. Again at the age of 30,
students would take yet another examination, which served as an
elimination test, much severe than the first test.

50. Those who did not succeed would become executive assistants,
auxiliaries and military officers of the state. Plato stated that based on
their capabilities, candidates would be assigned a particular field.
Those who passed in the examination would receive another 5 year
advanced education in dialectics in order to find out as to who was
capable of freeing himself from sense perception.

51. The education system did not end here. Candidates had to study for
another 15 years for practical experience in dialectics. Finally at the age
of 50, those who withstood the hard and fast process of education were
introduced to the ultimate task of governing their country and the
fellow beings.

52. These kings were expected to spend most of the time in philosophical
pursuits. Thus, after accomplishing perfection, the rulers would exercise
power only in the best interests of the state. The ideal state would be
realized and its people would be just, honest and happy.
53. THEORY OF AN IDEAL STATE

54. In his book the Republic, Plato gives the theory of an ideal state. As far
as a state is concerned, Plato gives ideas about how to build an Ideal
commonwealth, who should be the rulers of the Ideal state and how to
achieve justice in the Ideal state. Plato finds the state as the more
suitable place to discuss about the morality than an individual, because
everything is easier to see in the large than in the small. A state , says
Plato , is a man ‘writ’ large against the sky. The elements that make up a
city correspond to the elements that constitute the individual human
soul.
55. The justice of the city is the same as it is for the individual.
For Plato, there is not one morality for the individuals and another for
the state. Like the tripartite individual human soul every state has three
parts which are its three classes.

56. The elements that constitute the human soul are as follows:

57. 1.Bodily appetite,

58. 2. Spirited elements
59. 3. Reason

60. Like the tripartite individual human soul ,every state has three parts
such as-

61. 1. Producer class

62. 2.Military
class 3.
Ruling class

63. Plato finds the origin of the state in the various needs of people. Nobody
is selfsufficient. So, to meet the various needs men created the political
institution. To Plato, in the beginning there was only one class namely
the producing class. Then emerged the guardian class. From the
guardian class emerged the ruling class.
64. Selection of the ruling class

65. Plato gives most emphasis on the selection of the ruling class. The
selection of the ruling class is from all classes by natural intellectual
capacity. women as well as men possess the natural capacity of
intelligence to become members of the ruling class.
66. Plato proposes that an ideal state will be governed by a person who is
highly educated, has passion for truth and has achieved the greatest
wisdom of knowledge of the good. The ruler of this ideal state is called
the Philosopher king. The Philosopher king has several important
functions to perform. The rulers, said Plato, should be the one who has
been fully educated, one who has come to understand the difference
between the visible world and the invisible world, between the realm of
opinion and the realm of knowledge, between appearance and reality.
The Philosopher king is one whose education, in short, has led him up
step by step through the ascending degrees of knowledge of the Divided
line until at last he has a knowledge of the good.

67. To reach this point, the Philosopher King will have progressed through
many stages of education. By the time he is eighteen years old, he will
have had training in literature, music and elementary mathematics.
His literature would be censored. Music also would be prescribed so that
seduction music would be replaced by a more wholesome, martial
meter. For the next few years there would be extensive physical and
military training. At the age twenty a few would be selected to persue
an advanced course in mathematics. At age thirty, a five year course in
dialectic and moral philosophy would begin. The next fifteen years
would be spent gathering practical experience through public service.
Finally, at age fifty, the ablest men would reach the highest level of
knowledge, the vision of the good and would then be ready for the task
of governing the state. Justice in the state
68. Like the human soul, the justice will be achieved in a state when each
class fulfills their respective functions. Justice is a general virtue. It
means that all parts are fulfilling their special functions. As the
craftsmen embody the element of appetite, they will also reflect the
virtue of temperance. Temperance is not limited to the craftsmen but
applies to all the classes, for it indicates, when it is achieved, the
 willingness of the lower to be ruled by the higher. Still temperance
applies in a special way to the craftsmen subordinate to the two higher
levels. The guardians, who defend the state, manifest the virtue of
courage. To assure the state that these guardians will always fulfill
their functions. Special training and provision are made for them.
Unlike the craftsmen, who marry and own property, the guardians will
have both property and wives in common. Plato considered these
arrangements essential if the guardians were to attain true courage,
for courage means knowing what to fear and what not to fear. The only
real object of fear for the guardian should be fear of moral evil. He must
never fear property and privation, and for this reason mode of life
should be isolated from possessions.

69. Thus, in his Republic Plato gives the theory of an ideal state..

70. COMMUNITY OF WIVES AND PROPERTY

71. For Plato the community of wives and property tried to eliminate all the
negativities that obstructed the proper growth of the individual. Since
the stress was on creating a meritocratic society in which every
individual would perform tasks appropriate to one’s nature, the
community of wives and property ensured that nepotism, accident,
family ties and wealth would not be the criteria of selection for social
stations and their assigned tasks. It ensured that since governance was
the selective and specialized function, only the best and deserving would
make it. Plato abolished private family and property for the guardian
class, for they encouraged nepotism, favoritism, particularism,
factionalism and other corrupt practices among rulers. Politics did not
mean promoting one’s personal interests. Instead it was to promote the
common good. Plato proposed that the members of the guardian class
live together in common, like soldiers in the barrack. They would not
possess any gold and silver. They would only have the small amount of
property that was necessary. None would own a house or storeroom,
namely an exclusive private space. They would receive a fixed quota
 from the producing class, depending on what was required for
subsistence.

72. In the ‘Republic’, Plato devoted greater space and consideration to

community of wives than to property. This was because he was bothered
by the negative emotions of hatred, selfishness, greed and envy that the
family encouraged. He was also offended by the secondary position
women held within the family, confined to perform household chores.
The Platonic scheme was based on the premise that women and men
were identical in natural endowments and faculties. Like Pythagoras, he
accepted that men and women did not differ much and that they should
be treated equally. Following Aristophanes’ proposal, Plato accepted
women as legislators and rulers. There were two distinct ideas that
were embedded in Plato’s community of wives: reform of conventional
marriage, and emancipation of women. To achieve these, he proposed
abolition of permanent monogamous marriage and private families.
However, these were restricted to guardian class women alone.
73. Conventional marriage led to women’s subordination, subjugation and
seclusion. He rejected the idea of marriage as a spiritual union or bond
based on love and mutual respect. However, marriage was necessary to
ensure the reproduction and continuation of the human race. He,
therefore, advocated temporary sexual unions for the purpose of
bearing children. He relieved women of child rearing and child care
responsibilities. Plato proposed strict regulation of sexual intercourse,
which was to be performed in the interest of the state by ensuring that
the best and the fittest human stock were made available. The
philosopher ruler would decide on sexual unions. Plato viewed the ideal
age for marriage to be between 25 to 55 for men and 20 to 40 for
women. He forbade relationships between mothers and sons, and
between fathers and daughters. Abortion was recommended for
illegitimate children, those that were not sanctioned by the state or
were the result of mating by persons beyond the prescribed age limits.
Once children were born, they would be taken care of by the state-
maintained nurseries, which would be equipped with well-trained
nurses. Except for the philosopher ruler, none would know the
 parentage of these children. Even the biological parents and their
children would be oblivious of their relationship, the idea being that the
all children would be respectful towards their elders in the same way as
they would, had they been their parents. Conversely, all elders would
shower equal love and affection on all the children, as if they were
theirs. Plato’s meritocratic society gave very little importance to birth.
He did not believe that skills and talents were hereditary which passed
from one generation to another. Plato did not mention the institution of
slavery. Far from abolishing it, he merely regarded it as unimportant

74. CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF PLATO’S THEORIES:

75. • Criticisms of Theory of Justice: Critics have criticized Plato’s

theory of justice by stating that Plato did not state about the conflict or
disagreement among the members of the class or among the different
classes. Criticisms were also made for the drawback that the guardian
class endowed with wisdom will eventually predominate over entire
society.
76. • Criticisms of Theory of Ideal State: Critics that Plato’s ideal state
is a utopian state. It cannot be realized in practice. In Plato’s ideal state
there was no provision for law. The philosopher king/queen was not
bound by any law. It was also antidemocratic. All the powers were
concentrated in the hand of the philosopher king or the guardian class
and the opinion of other people were not given any importance. Plato
built state on the analogy of individual and this identification leads to
confusion. He failed

77. to distinguish ethic from politics. The critics also stated that Plato failed
to condemn the institution of slavery and regard it as fundamental evil.
Criticisms also made for his assumption that the state should control
 the entire lives of the citizens as it is against to human liberty. Plato
completely ignores the lower class in his ideal state which forms the
great bulk of population. All these drawback in Plato’s theory of ideal
state led to the decline of ideal state.
78. • Criticism of the Philosopher king: Plato denied the participation
of the average person in politics and decision making processes. By
discounting the opinion of the average person, Plato tried to play safe
and prevent any opposition, criticism, dissent or even disobedience. He
justified it on the grounds that these lead to functionalism and
particularism, whereas a good society should promote the common
good. Plato rejected majoritarianism and popular participation on the
grounds that the ordinary person did not have the capacity to
comprehend absolute truth and Idea of good.
79. • Criticism of Theory of Education: Plato’s scheme of education had
been criticised severely on the grounds that his scheme of education
was for the guardian class other classes like peasant and artisan were
not covered. The Plato’s suggestion for censorship of art and literature
is extremely critical. Plato’s education system is not logical as there is
no relationship from one stage to the other stage. The philosopher king
who administer the state does not have the necessary training in
administration and other problems.
80. • Criticism of Community of wives and Property: Critics state that
In trying to ensure that family life was not corrupted with selfishness,
Plato went to other extreme and eliminated the emotional bonding that
the family provided. Plato certainly challenged some of the cherished
conventions within human society. Many of his critics were disturbed by
these proposals. Aristotle was the earliest of those who disagreed,
giving a detailed reason as to why the family and private property was
 important for the happiness of the individual and the welfare of the
state.

81. CONCLUSION

82. We observed and came to know that Plato was one of the prolific
writers, a philosopher of the ancient Greece, born in 428/7 BC and died
in 348/7 BC. His works have come to us in the form of dialogue which
have an appeal to the educated and an interest in philosophy. He was a
great political philosopher. In him, myth, metaphor, humor, irony,
paths, and a rich Greek vocabulary captivates those who read him as his
philosophy, leads to the most pressing issues of the mind and reality.
Plato was influenced by his teacher Socrates and by the then conditions
of the ancient Greek.

83. The theme of Plato’s social and political thought, especially of the
Republic is that philosophy alone offers true power, it also is the way to
knowledge. The philosopher knows the forms, the ideals. He alone is fit
to rule those who are guided by reasons and knowledge alone should
have the power. They alone are capable of establishing justice, to see
that everyone contributes to the best of his abilities, of maintaining the
size and purity and unity of the state. These rulers, possessed with the
element of gold together with man of silver and copper, constitute the
ideal state. Justice for Plato, lies in the each class( and in each individual
in his own class ) doing his own job. Plato gives to these three classes
education which each one needs. Plato, being a perfectionist does not
take any chance and seeks to have a corruption- free administration.
Which is why he applies communistic devices on the guardians.
84.
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