Ancient Political Thought

Plato’s Republic

Overview

I. Setting 2. Historical Background 3. Structure of the work 4. Cast of Characters

I. The Setting: Locale

Locale: Pireaus– Port of Athens, about 6 miles from city– Center of commerce – like NYC today – the usual

diversity and disorder associated with a trading center

– Center of the democratic party in Athens; i.e., those citizens who wanted popular control of the political life of the city

I. The Setting: The Polis

“The Republic” is the Latin translation of the Greek “politeia.”

Politeia itself derives from the root “politiēs” or citizen (“literally one who belongs to the city”)

Politiēs also gives us “polis” or city and is the root of our modern understanding of “politics”

The word for statesman – “politikos” – means “one who knows the things of the city.”

I. The Setting: The Polis

Polis as city/state– City is the fundamental political unit at the time,

indeed the fundamental social unit– Bit like the modern understanding of the state, but

with some technical differences

I. The Setting: The Politeia

The Politeia or Republic is then:– The class of citizens who rule the city– They influence and structure the basic way of life

of the city through their character and their actions

– Think of it as a “regime”

So the book describing the true or best regime, is simply called “The Regime”

II. Historical Background

Date of Dialogue– About 411 B.C.– In 404 B.C. (just after this dialogue) Piraeus

became the center of the democratic resistance against the “Thirty Tyrants” who ruled Athens

II. Historical Background

The Thirty Tyrants– Athens loses the Peloponnesian War to Sparta

(431-404 B.C.E.) [more on that later]– In the wake of the defeat, the Thirty seize power

and rule Athens, backed by Spartan power and street thugs

– A number of the thirty were former students or associates of Socrates, the central figure in the Republic and all the Platonic dialogues

III. Structure of the Work: Plato

The Republic is written by Plato – (the name means “broad”)

Best guess on life is: 427-347 B.C.E Came from upperclass Athenian family, was widely

expected to play active political role, but turned instead to philosophy

He had two relatives (Charmides and Critias) who were part of the Thirty Tyrant dictatorship

III. Structure of the Work: Plato

Founded a school – The Academy – for the study of philosophy, lasted until about 529 C.E.

III. Structure of the Work: Plato

Plato wrote in a dialogue form Amazingly, all of his writing seems to have

survived intact. We have all 29 dialogues*

*35 were passed down from antiquity, but 6 have been rejected as not genuine

IV. Cast of Characters: Socrates

The central character in all of the Platonic dialogues is Socrates

Lived from about 470 - 400 B.C.E. Was executed by the Athenian people following his

conviction on charges of blasphemy and corrupting the youth of Athens

Remember the Thirty Tyrants came to power in 404 B.C.E.

Democracy was restored in 403 B.C.E.

Cast of Characters: Plato’s Brothers

2. Glaucon: son of Ariston– a. Ariston is Plato’s dad, so…– b. Glaucon is Plato’s brother and…– b. father of Charmides (30 tyrants)

3. Adeimantus – Plato’s brother

Cast of Characters

4. Cephalus:– A metic, meaning an alien (he was originally from Syracuse)

who was allowed to settle in Athens and who pays taxes, but enjoyed no civil rights.

– Has 3 sons who appear in the dialogue

5. Polemarchus, – son of Cephalus– active in the democratic resistance to the tyranny– will be executed by the Thirty Tyrants

Cast of Characters

6. Lysias, – son of Cephalus, brother of Polemarchus, – played a major role in the restoration of democracy– renowned for his oratory

– called “the ablest writer of his day” by Plato in the Phaedrus

7. Euthydemus– son of Cephalus, brother of Polemarchus

Cast of Characters

8. Thrasymachus– earned his living by teaching rhetoric– the art of political or legal persuasion

9. Cleitophon– Title character in a short dialogue discussing the instruction

of virtue, where Plato contrasts the Socratic style with that of Thrasymachus

10. Charmantides

Cast of Characters

11. Niceratus– son of Nicias, – Nicias was an Athenian general – elected as Co-Leader -- with Alcibiades -- of Athenian

assault on Syracuse during the Pelopennesian War, but …– Athens loses battle of Syracuse (Nicias sees eclipse, opts

not to attack) – this loss hastens Athens’ defeat in the Peloponnesian War,

which ushers in the 30 Tyrants

Cast of Characters: Alcibiades Aside

One of Soc’s “best and brightest” students, and a renowned leader in democratic Athens

Not trusted by Athenians, though, which is why they split the military command

Eventually he was called back to face charges of desecrating religious shrines during a drunken spree

Cast of Characters: Alcibiades Aside

Opts not to go back and instead heads to Sparta (middle of the war remember)

Was ambushed in a woman’s bed and assassinated on orders from Critias, another Socratic pupil and Plato relative, during the reign of the Thirty Tyrants

Cast of Characters: Alcibiades Coda

Eventually, Alcibiades shows up in the dialogue “Laches” which discusses courage

He is shown not to “know” what it is May act courageously, but doesn’t really know the

term. Ends up with reputation, according to Xenophon, as

being one of “the most licentious, the most arrogant, and the most violent” leaders of the democracy

V. The Drama

The dialogue takes place in the shadow of the Thirty Tyrant’s rule

The action takes place just before they seize power, but it is written just a few years after it

Note the host of party is murdered by the Thirty

Glaucon’s Question

“In what way does its [justice’s] very possession benefit a man and injustice harm him?”

-- The Republic, book II, 367d, p. 26