Plato - Notes

Political Science

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Plato

Introduction

Plato is so prominent in Political studies that he doesn't required any introduction. It

would not be wrong if we say that he himself is actually an introduction to our subject.
As it was rightly said by one of his admirer R W Emerson that “Plato is Philosophy and
Philosophy is Plato, from out of Plato comes all things that are still written and debated
among the men of thought”.
Every his greatest critique like Karl Popper acknowledged the position of Plato , when he
said “One can either be Platonic or anti-Platonic but can't be non-Platonic”.
Plato is one of the prominent political philosopher.
He laid the foundation of the Greek political theory.
Plato is known as the Father of Political Philosophy.
Plato, the disciple of Socrates was born in 427 BC in Athens.
Plato’s Academy in Athens. Founded in 387 BCE.
He is generally referred as the Founder of Philosophical Idealism.
The Utopian thought in the west begins with the political philosophy of Plato.

SUBJECT | Political Science 1 of 9

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Context of his times in Athens

Athens was defeated by Sparta in the Peloponnesian War. Plato wanted to study the
reasons for the Athens defeat.
He witnessed the most troubled phase of the Greek history.
The tyrannical rule of the reactionaries which Plato considered as corrupt was the main
reason why he wanted to make Athens an Ideal State. He considered that the only way
out was to establish the Rule of the Philosopher King

Book
(Chronological Central theme
order)

Apology Socrates' defense speech

Crito Political Obligation & Disobedience

Phaedo Immorality of Soul

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Meno Ideas of teaching virtue

Gorgias Importance of Conscience

Divided in 10 Parts.
It contains Theory of Justice, Theory of
Education,
Theory of Communism and Kallipolis (Ideal
state).
Republic
Republic was written in dialogue form,
participant in discussion were: Cephalus,
Polemarchus, Thrasymachus, Adeimantus,
Glaucon and Socrates (Plato used the name
of Socrates, while giving his own view)

Statesman Types of Government

Laws Second Best State (Sub-ideal state) or Rule of Law

Plato’s Methodology

Dialectics (Dialogues) – rational, logical dialogues or discussions/debates.

Plato’s methodology is Deductive (from general to particular).
Plato is an Idealist – Concerned with ‘what ought to be’ rather than ‘what is’.
Plato is radical – Solutions which Plato is looking for are far reaching and way ahead of
his times.
Plato is Utopian (Impractical)

Major themes of Plato’s Political Thought

Theory of Ideas

“Reality is the shadow of Ideas”.

Plato’s theory of Ideas is influenced by Socrates’ theory of Knowledge. Plato suggests
that - Idea is Real, permanent and perfect.

SUBJECT | Political Science 3 of 9

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According to Plato, for understanding spiritual world, one needs Enlightenment of Soul.
Material world is the world of change. World of God is the world of Perfection and
permanent.
According to Plato, if we consider the material world as real, then it is because we are
ignorant.
Plato explains his theory of Ideas using the ‘Allegory of Cave’. According to Plato, our
position is like a chained man in a cave with his back towards the entrance of the cave.
When the man looks at the cave wall, he looks at images that he considers as real.
However when his chains are removed, he is pushed into the light and will realize that,
what he was considering as real was just a shadow.
Plato explains the need for transformation from the state of ignorance to the state of
ideas.

THEORY OF SOUL to THEORY OF JUSTICE

Plato has divided human soul into three virtues, knowledge, courage, appetite.
According to him each man's soul is defined by the dominance of one among any three
virtues.
Accordingly, he said that dominance of virtue determines the division of three classes in
Human Society - Ruling, auxiliary(military) and producing class. He propounded that each
class is made of different metal (Myth of Metals).

As for Plato, the state is individual writ large; the same case also applies to the broader
conception of justice on the level of a city-state. Hence, essential components of
Plato's justice theory are functional specialization, non-interference and following the
norm of 'one-virtue -one class- one duty'

SUBJECT | Political Science 4 of 9

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Theory of Education

Rousseau has called "The Republic" as the finest treaties on education to be ever written.
According to Plato, education is the means to find out the spiritual qualities of a soul and
establish an Ideal State
Plato makes a harmonious blending of the features of Spartan system of education with
the Athenian essence.
Plato takes education in a very holistic manner. Education is necessary for the
harmonious working of the state and the society.
Features of Plato’s scheme of Education:-
State controlled Education
Both for men and women
Strict censorship of literature
Compulsory education
Both mental and moral development
Relation with soul
Producing Philosopher King

Stages of Education

AGE NATURE OF EXAM

STAGES RESULT
GROUP EDUCATION (Test)

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Upto 7
I. Moral Stories
years

Music &
From 7 to Gymnastics and
II.
17 years Elementary
education

Those who fail

From 18
Physical and At 20 would join
III. years to
Military Training years PRODUCING
20 years
CLASS

Higher
From 21 Education- Those who fail
years to mathematics, At 30 join AUXILIARY
IV. 30 years CLASS
Astronomy, years
geometry,
(Soldier Class)
harmonics etc.

Dialectics,
From 31
Metaphysics,
V. years to
Logic, and
35 years
Philosophy

At 50, Qualified
From 36 Practical
to become
VI. years to Training of
Philosopher
50 years Governance
King

Theory of Communism

SUBJECT | Political Science 6 of 9

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Another feature of Plato’s political thought which is intimately connected with his theory
of justice is communism of property and wives.
Plato proposes communism of:
Property
Wives
Classes which Plato proposes communism is:
Ruling class
Soldier class
Plato does not propose communism for the producer class since they are the people in
whom appetite dominates and hence cannot control the appetite for property and family.
Communism of Property: He deprives the ruling/guardian class from acquiring or owning
property
Communism of family
According to Plato, Family is a bigger evil than property. It is for the family that the person
acquires property.
Communism of Family includes the communism of marriage and wives.
For Plato, the entire state is a family.
There is no system of permanent wedding among the guardian class and all women are
to be common to all men and vice versa.
Who will marry whom will be decided by the state.
Plato had a Eugenic purpose to favor communism of wives. He wanted to raise a better
and a more intelligent race. Therefore only the ablest of men and the ablest of women
would unite.
The purpose of marriage is just for procreation.
Once the child is born, he/she will be in the custody of the state. This will relieve the
women from the responsibility of child rearing and therefore can participate in the affairs
of the state.
This way, no one will be able to discriminate amongst children and all children will be
treated equally.

Theory of Philosopher King

Plato’s concept of Philosopher King is corollary of Plato’s concept of Justice.

He accorded a position of pride to the element of ‘reason’.
He held that only competent and efficient people should have the right to govern.
Plato did not favor democratic system of government. He instead wanted to give
unlimited powers to his Philosopher King. He was in favor of a government by the elite.
Plato wanted to make Athens an ideal state. Therefore until philosophers are rulers or
rulers learn philosophy, cities will never get rid of corruption and evil.

SUBJECT | Political Science 7 of 9

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Qualification:
Man of Reason
50 years of education
No property, No family.
Plato’s philosopher King had absolute powers. His wisdom cannot be questioned by
public opinion.
Plato puts only one limitation on the Philosopher King – He cannot change the
constitutions/laws.
Plato accords a position of pride to Law in his book Laws.

Types of Government

• Plato categories Fives types of government in the order of best to worst. It starts with
‘Aristocracy’ at the top and ‘Tyranny’ at the bottom.

Famous Commentaries on Plato:

1. Justice for Plato is at once a part of human virtue and the bond which joins men
together in the states – Barker.
2. Virtually all socialistic and communistic thought has its roots in Plato – Maxey
3. Plato may not be every¬body’s saint, but undoubtedly, he is everybody’s teacher - R. N.
BERKI
4. Modern communist totalitarianism has been derived from Platonic communism - Karl
Popper
5. Plato is Philosophy and Philosophy is Plato, from out of Plato comes all things that are
still written and debated among the men of thought – R.W Emerson
6. Plato's Justice is a bound which holds the society together – Sabine
Quotes by Plato
● “Human behavior flows from three main sources: desire, emotion, and knowledge.”
● “Ideas are the source of all things”

SUBJECT | Political Science 8 of 9

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● “Ignorance, the root and steam of all evil”.

● “No law or ordinance is mightier than understanding.”
● “Those states are best governed where the ruler is least interested to govern”
● “It is foolish to limit an expert practitioner of medicine with the book of medicine”.

SUBJECT | Political Science 9 of 9