Plato

1
Plato

• 427- 347 B.C.
• Member of the Athenian aristocracy (descendent of
  Codrus, the last king of Athens, and Solon).
  After Platos father died, his mother married a
  friend of Pericles.
• Platos uncle Carmides and his cousin Critias
  (disciple of Socrates) take part in the
  (oligarchic) gvt. Of the Thirty.
• The democratic reaction to that gvt. Leads to
  Socrates death.
• Reaction Plato resents practical politics
  (Seventh Letter) democracy
• 387 B.C. Foundation of the Academy (closed in 526
  A.D. by emperor Justinian).
• Dialogues (Socrates)
• Other major works Statesman, Laws, Apology

2

• Ebenstein Ebenstein
• Platos Republic, first work of political science
• -Platos assumption the right kind of
  government and politics can be the legitimate
  object of rigorous, rational analysis. (E E
  20)
• Application of Reason to the study of social
  relations
• Eternal and unchangeable truth
• Only a few can access truth
• (ultimatelythrough Revelation)
• Religion myths are medicinal lies for the
  masses
• Wisdom/craft (ontological hierarchy)

3
(Politeia) Republic (380 B.C.)

• Politeia Constitution
• Everything comprising the state as it is (law,
  organization, government, community, culture,
  economy)
• Constitution, as when we refer to a persons
  bodily constitution.
• Athenian laws were written on stones in public
  places across the city (ex the Agora)
• Isocrates politeia is the "soul (psyche) of the
  polis" with power over it like that of the mind
  over the body

4
Republic Ten Books

• Book I Introduction. Thrasymachus (elenchus)
• Book II Glauco requests Socrates for an analysis
  of justice and injustice
• Books II-IV Definition of the just city and the
  just individual character
• Books V-VII Problems of organization of the ideal
  city, in charge of the king-philosopher
• Books VIII-IX Injustice (degenerate types of
  constitution timocracy/honor, oligarchy/money,
  democracy/the people, tyranny or
  despotism/individual caprice)
• Book X Conclusions. Advantages of justice over
  injustice need of rejecting poets as educators

5
Themes

• Justice/Injustice
• Thrasymachus vs. Socrates (Max Webers ethic of
  ultimate ends vs. an ethic of responsibility)
• The city of pigs vs. the just city (kallipolis)
  (third city?)
• The king-philosopher
• The Just/Ideal city/individual character (ideal
  constitution) (monarchy/aristocracy)
• labor specialization classes hierarchy
• Hierarchy of functions
• In the city (producers, guardians, and rulers)
• In the body (appetitive, spirited, and rational
  parts) (self-mastery)
• Isomorphism of city and soul (fractals)
• Virtues wisdom, courage, temperance, and
  justice.
• Education/Censorship (Which stories should be
  told to achieve virtuous individuals?)
• ? Art
• Gender equality
• Ideas (allegory of the cave) Idealism what we
  call reality is a mere (distorted) reflection
  of the real (?Hegel).

6
Thrasymachus vs. Socrates

• What I say is that just or right means
  nothing but what is to the interest of the
  stronger party.
• in every case the laws are made by the ruling
  party in its own interest a democracy makes
  democratic laws, a despot autocratic ones, and so
  on.
• injustice, on a grand enough scale, is superior
  to justice

• injustice is not more profitable than justice.
• justice quality that may exist in a whole
  community as well as in an individual
• when each order keeps to its own proper
  business in the commonwealth and does its own
  work, that is justice and what makes a just
  society.

7
Soul city

• Virtue seems, then, to be a kind of health, fine
  condition, and well-being of the soul, while vice
  is disease, shameful condition, and weakness.
  (444 e)
• It seems likely that there are as many types of
  soul as there are specific types of political
  constitution Five forms of constitution and five
  of souls.(445 e)

8
Democracy

• The Democratic City
• Liberty and free speech are rife everywhere
  anyone is allowed to do what he likes.()every
  man will arrange his own manner of life to suit
  his pleasure. The result will be a greater
  variety of individuals than under any other
  constitution. variegated pattern of all sorts of
  characters.() A democracy is so free that it
  contains a sample of every kind emporium of
  constitutions

• The Democratic Soul
• now he will set all his pleasures on a footing
  of equality denying to none its equal rights and
  maintenance, and allowing each in turn, as it
  presents itself, to succeed, as if by the chance
  of the lot, to the government of his soul until
  it is satisfied His life is subject to no order
  or restraint, and he has no wish to change an
  existence which he calls pleasant, free, and
  happy.

9
Kallipolis Political Order

• Is based upon an ontological order
• Disorder (political and personal) disease
• Discuss
• Platos political theory supposes the
  annihilation of politics (Kallipolis)

10

• How useful/dangerous are stories to convey
  things? Discuss Platos perspective.
• Is censorship necessary in education?
• Are city and soul (really) similar? Do natural
  hierarchies organize them?
• Can we distinguish between necessary and
  unnecessary appetites?
• Why do many associate Platos Kallipolis with
  Totalitarianism?
• Are democracy and self-mastery incompatible, as
  Plato suggests?