DEPARTMENT OF SOUTH AND

CENTRAL ASIAN STUDIES

TOPIC: Contribution Of Plato In Political Thought

SUBMITTED BY:
YOGESH MISHRA
Course code :Pol.508
Reg.no.19maplsc02
CONTENTS
 At a Glance
 Socrates Influence
 Methodology
 MajorWorks
 Plato’s political Theory : A way to Good Life
 The Republic :Concerning Justice
1. Virtue is knowledge
2. Classes and Souls
3. Justice
4. Communism
5. Education
 The Statesman and The Laws
1. Readmission Of the Law
2. The Mixed State
AT A GLANCE:
 Plato (427-347) B.C.
 First systematic political thinker of the western
tradition.
 Pioneer of Western Political Thought
 Founder of 1st European school, Academia having
subjects , like Astronomy , Mathematics , Biology
etc.
Socrates Influence :
 Mentor of Plato
 Plato was influenced by the
methodology of Socrates-
Dialectic Method
 Plato’s choice of Socrates as
the main character of his
works.
Methodology:
 Style of dialogue represents the dialectical method , which
was introduced by Socrates himself.
 Use of ‘Analogies’ , i.e. the style of referring to simple and
familiar things in order to explain the complex and
unfamiliar things.
 Teleological method , i.e. we determine the nature of things
with reference to the final cause or ultimate purpose fort
which they exist.
Major Works:
 The Republic- Concerning Justice , 380 BCE
 The Laws
 The Statesman
Plato’s Political Theory : A way to good
life :
 The aim of philosophy is to prescribe the kind of life most
likely to promote the happiness of men.
 Division of private and public affairs was not tolerated.
 Good life is possible in good state only.
 •The Republic:
1. “Virtue is knowledge”;
 Spirit of true knowledge as the foundation for a
philosophic statecraft.
 There is an objective good to be known and that it can , in
fact, be known by rational or logical investigation rather
than by the guesswork, intuition or luck.
 Government ought to be an art depending on true
knowledge.
 2. Classes and Souls :
• Statesmanship is a highly specialized function for which duly
qualified persons with impeccable moral character , must be
chosen.

 Human behaviour flows from three main sources:

a. Desire(Apetite)
b. Emotion(Spirit)
c. Knowledge(Intellect)
3. Justice:
 New theory of justice rather than classical Greek concept.
 Architectonic theory of justice
 Justice results from each element in a society doing its
appropriate tasks, doing it well, doing it only .
4.Communism:
 Guardian class is Philosophers + Soldiers.
 Communism of property and wives.
 Abolition of private property.
 Minimum goods for the Guardian class for their all day to day
activities and whatever they can keep will be shared by all.
 Concept of common children.
5.Education
 Principle of compulsory education system and full equality
of opportunity for all citizens, with no discrimination.
 Elementary Education ( up to 10 yrs)
a. All boys and girls separated from parents and in custody of
the State.
b. Predominant physical education and foundation of health
made so strong that there will be no need of medicine in
future.
 11 – 15) yrs.
a. Training of music.
b. Familiarization of Mathematics, History in the form of
verses.
 (20- 30) yrs.
a. First high level examination , those who will fail will be
sent to be Artisans , Peasants.
b. Advanced mental ,moral and physical training from the
(21st to 31 yrs).
 (30-35)yrs.
a. 2nd Examination, those who fail will be sent to became
auxiliaries.
b. Those who are successful , will be taught philosophy.
 (35-50)yrs.
a. Return to wordily life and grapple with the problems of
daily life.
 At 51th yr.
a. Final examination .Those who are successful will become
rulers and those who will fail join the ranks of Auxiliaries.
•The Statesman and The Laws
1. Readmission of Law:
 Laws was written in attempt to restore law to the place
which it occupied in the moral estimation of the Greeks.
 In Republic , Plato told “ no law or ordinance is mightier
than knowledge”.
 A truly ideal state , that will be based on wisdom is
unattainable.
 Common moral consciousness is right in believing that a
government according to law is better.
2.Mixed State:
a) A combination of the monarchic principle of wisdom
with the democratic principle of freedom.
b) The Laws deals with actual states.
c) The Ideal state is set off definitely from the class of
possible or actual states.

DIVINE/UNATTAINABLE REAL STATE/PREVERTED FORM

 The Ideal State 1. Timocracy

2. Oligarchy
3. Democracy
4. Tyranny
THANK
YOU