POLITICAL THOUGHT OF PLATO

PLATO: BRIEF BIOGRAPHY

Plato belongs to Ancient Greece. Greece was not a unified nation-state as it is today, but a
collection of city-states. Plato was born in Athens in 427 BC to a well-established aristocratic
family. Only a few years before Plato was born, Athens entered into a drawn-out war with Sparta
(the Peloponnesian War), that eventually led to the decline of Athens’ power in the
Mediterranean world. Although he grew up during Athens’ great experiment with direct
democracy during the Fifth Century, it was certainly evident at this time that democracy was
failing, and that some other type of political system was needed.

Around the age of twenty, he became a disciple of Socrates, the father of Western philosophy.
Plato was so taken by the character and ideas of Socrates that he used Socrates as the central figure
in all his philosophical dialogues (Dialecticism), and made considerable use of Socrates’ method
during his early part of his career. Socrates, however, left nothing in writing – all we have about
him comes from contemporaries, especially Plato. Much of Plato’s work is in the form of
“dialogues”, in which Socrates plays a central role. Thus, The Phaedo, The Gorgias, The
Symposium, The Meno, are dialogues dealing with a variety of philosophical questions. After the
death of Socrates, Plato left Athens and for the next twelve years traveled around the
Mediterranean, studying philosophy, geometry, religion, and other sciences.

Eventually Plato returned to Athens in 387 to found his Academy, the aim of which was to
philosophically educate the future leaders of Greek society. The Academy has been called the
first European university, since its studies included, not just philosophy, but all the known
sciences. Plato himself was said to have delivered many of the lectures at the Academy, although
the notes from these lectures were never published. Among the most famous students of the
Academy was Aristotle, who would later go on to found his own school, the Lyceum. Plato’s
Academy would continue to educate Athenian noblemen for several centuries, influencing most
of the major philosophical schools of the Western world. Plato died at the age of 80 in 347 BC.
PLATO’S POLITICAL THEORY

Plato’s main works of relevance to political philosophy are: The Republic – a description of the
workings of what Plato saw as an ideal state; and The Laws – which is less often read, but which
is mainly an examination of how a state could realistically be organized (in the Republic, if
everything is set up as Plato suggests, there would be no need for any law; in The Laws, in contrast,
law is seen as essential and central).

THE REPUBLIC: PLATO’S IDEAL STATE

The Republic has been Plato’s most famous and widely read dialogue. The Republic is a Socratic
dialogue, authored by Plato around 375 BC, concerning justice, the order and character of the just
city-state, and the just man. It is Plato's best-known work, and has proven to be one of the world's
most influential works of philosophy and political theory.

In the Republic, Plato wanted to establish, philosophically, the ideal state, a state that would stand
as a model for all emerging or existing societies currently functioning during Plato's time and
extending into our own times. The Republic of Plato is interpreted as Utopia. 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.

 Classification of Society in The Republic

Plato's ideal state was a republic with three categories of citizens: artisans, auxiliaries, and
philosopher-kings, each of whom possessed distinct natures and capacities.

Plato divides the general population into three classes - reason, appetite and spirit. Rulers /
(philosopher kings) are governed by reason; civilians/ working class (those that provide for
material needs) are governed by appetite and pleasure; the soldiers/ auxiliaries or warriors are
governed by spirit and action. This division is made on the basis of state provided education, not
by birth or wealth. Everyone is assigned an appropriate rank through a process of examination. In
the just State each element plays its part and keeps within its boundaries. Harmony in society is
achieved when people with reason and wisdom rule. Such a society is a true aristocracy (rule by
the best). In the Republic, Plato considers aristocracy to be preferable to democracy.

 The Republic: The Government of Philosopher Kings

It is generally believed today that democracy, “government of the people by the people and for the
people,” is the best and only fully justifiable political system. The distinct features of democracy
are freedom and equality. Democracy can be described as the rule of the free people who govern
themselves, either directly or through their representatives, in their own interest.

Why does Plato not consider democracy the best form of government?

In the Republic he criticizes the direct and unchecked democracy which was prevalent in ancient
Greece. Firstly, although freedom is for Plato a true value, democracy involves the danger of
excessive freedom, of doing as one likes, which leads to anarchy. Secondly, equality, related to
the belief that everyone has the right and equal capacity to rule, brings to politics all kinds of
power-seeking individuals, motivated by personal gain rather than public good. Democracy is thus
highly corruptible. It opens gates to demagogues, potential dictators, and can thus lead to tyranny.
Hence, although it may not be applicable to modern liberal democracies, Plato’s main charge
against the democracy he knows from the ancient Greek political practice is that it is unstable.

Plato argues, then politics needs expert rulers, and they cannot come to it merely by accident, but
must be carefully selected and prepared in the course of extensive training and education. Making
political decisions requires good judgment and reason. Therefore, Plato in the Republic decided
that state should be ruled by Philosopher Kings.

 Communism in The Ideal State

Are philosophers kings/ Rulers incorruptible? Plato’s ideal state is not a practical and it is
regarded as Utopia. However, it did not imply that Plato was politically naive. He realized that
people are fundamentally driven by their appetites, egoistic passions and can easily fall prey to
greed. Therefore, to minimize the chance of corruption and abuse of power, Plato outlined
principles of Communism for the ruling and the guardian class. They can neither enjoy private
property nor family life. Although they are the rulers, they receive only a modest remuneration
from the state, dine in common dining halls, and have wives and children in common. These
provisions are necessary, Plato believes, because if the philosopher-rulers were to acquire private
land, luxurious homes, and money themselves, they would soon become hostile masters of other
citizens.

Plato’s theory of communism is just opposite to Marxian theory of communism that seeks to
eventually establish a classless and hence stateless society, as according to it the state is instrument
of the domination in the hands of ruling classes. Plato’s theory of communism that is used as one
of instruments of consolidation of the hierarchically ‘well ordered’ state through perpetuating
class-division and class-domination, the other instrument being the education. Plato’ Republic
seeks to establish justice, i.e. the ideal state where the philosophers, selflessly, rule over the masses
involved in the material production of the society, with the help of the armed auxiliaries. Plato’s
theory of communism is based on his belief of corrupting influences of family and property over
people holding the public offices that remains a historic fact and continuing norm. It is aimed at
freeing the ruling classes, i.e. the philosophers and the warriors from the institutions of family and
property. The vast producing masses are kept out of the realm of communism that applies to only
ruling classes – the philosophers and the warriors. The longings for family and property make the
rulers self-seeking, indulgent, greedy and hence corrupt that is a diversion from and impediment
to appropriate performance of their duty to rule not in their own but in public interest.

PLATO’S CLASSIFICATION OF FORMS OF GOVERNMENTS

According to Plato, Aristocracy is the best of government and it keeps deteriorating from
timocracy to oligarchy to democracy and then to the worst, tyranny.

LAWFUL/ GOOD GOVERNMENTS UNLAWFUL/ BAD GOVERNMENTS

Monarchy Tyranny

Aristocracy Oligarchy

Constitutional Democracy Unconstitutional Democracy

Plato tells us that everything decays and therefore, forms of government also decay. The best form
of government deteriorates into a less perfect form and then an even lesser appreciated form.
Likewise, the form of government diminishes in character and integrity to become the worst of all
forms. the best form of government according to Plato. It is called aristocracy or government of
the best. The ruler has to be the best of philosophers and the best at war as mentioned earlier.
Excellence and education are a priority and equality are observed under the rule of an aristocrat.
An aristocracy changes mildly into a timocracy or government of honor. This form of government
is one in which the ruler is more involved in warfare, hence, a government of honor comes to
being. The ruler is honored by public and this makes it similar to an aristocracy but the state is
involved more into warfare. Similarly, timocracy degrades into an oligarchy. Oligarchy is a
government of few and the rich are the few that rule the majority of the poor. Oligarchy just
naturally evolves from timocracy because a nation indulged in war will accumulate a lot of wealth
and it will lose its respect for excellence. The few rich people will begin to rule and suppress the
poor. Extreme poverty will bring crime rate and illiteracy to their peaks. The poor majority will
soon come together to form an even worse form of government, democracy. This is the form of
government in which everyone wants to be rich, Plato believed. In a rule like this one there is no
compulsion for anything. Hence, people start disregarding all laws and nobody wants to be ruled.
This is where another form of government and the worst of all, comes to existence i.e. Tyranny.

THE LAWS

One of the most significant obstacles to using Plato as a guide to modern politics is his view of
democracy. This is not to say that Plato speaks only ill of democracy or that proponents of
democracy should altogether ignore him. What most interpreters have
overlooked is the importance of The Laws. This is a grave oversight, given that, as one prominent
theorist argues, in contrast to The Republic's philosophic message, The Laws is "the only proper
and practical political work of Plato." What is more, David J. Melling notes, “The Republic
presents merely the theoretical ideal, the Laws describes, in effect, the Republic modified and
realized in the conditions of this world”. The Laws is Plato’s final text, we should consider it to
be his "last words”. In this respect, The Laws should be placed at the center of any serious
study of Plato's political thought.

Upon consideration, it seems that democracy appears in a more positive light in The Laws than it
does in Plato's other writings. While the Republic contrasts democracy with the ideal city and the
nearly impossible rule of philosopher-kings, The Laws illustrates how democracy plays an
essential role in establishing the best possible regime. In so doing, The Laws presents a more
practiced assessment of popular government and Constitutional Democracy.

Reference: Political Thought: From Plato to the Present by Judd Harmon

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------