plato - revision notes political philosophy

8/13/2019 Plato - Revision Notes Political Philosophy

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Political philosophy notesThe truth is that if you want a well-governed state to be possible, you must find for

your future rulers some way of life they like better than government; for only thenwill you have government by the truly rich, those, that is, whose riches not consistof gold, but of the true happiness of a good and rational life 512a

The possibility of the city1. Why philosophers make good rulers and why their rule is possible.2. how to prepare the guardians for rule, or how we can recognise as good may

be maintained in existence.

Knowledge, belief and the philosopher (473c-487a)

Those whose hearts are fixed on the true being of each thing are to be calledphilosophers and not lo ers of opinion!" #es, certainly." $%&a

'hilosophy and political power coincide in the same place, and (ocrates attempts to

)ustify the philosopher"s dominance*

1. the good city is made possible if and only if irtuous and expert rule by itsleaders is possible

2. + ssumption 2 or 2- irtuous and expert rule is possible if and only if therulers may be philosophers

/. 0ule by philosophers is possible$. Therefore, the good city is possible.

A - !ocrates arg"es for this on the basis of philosophers# attach$ent tolearning, which he arg"es with this%

1. 'hilosophers lo e e ery kind of learning is his lo e of any branch of learningthat re eals eternal reality, the realm unaffected by the icissitudes ofchange and decay" $%5b

2. o one else lo es that kind of learning/. + ssumption / or /- The lo e of e ery kind of learning produces knowledge

of ethical matters$. The lo e of e ery kind of learning produces irtue5. Therefore, by +/- and +$-, the lo e of e ery kind of learning makes on a

irtuous and expert ruler. + 2- by +1-, +2- and +5-, one is a irtuous and expert ruler if and only if one is

a philosopher.

3f the argument works then it turns politics into an intellectual rather than practicalpursuit.

'remise 2 rules out non4philosophical go ernance. laucon warns that a mob willsei6e (ocrates and punish him for what he has said. +Trial of (ocrates-

laucon 4 lo ers of sights will still want to learn.


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7 (ocrates responds with why knowledge is only really opinion compared tophilosophers. +8pistemology argument-

What has he shown of rele ance to the political rule of philosophers!7 The must possess something ethical of a sort that can lead a city, + /-

'roblem* assumes that e eryone is suited to one )ob + oble lie!-, but (ocrates isproposing practical knowledge of ruling and abstract, theoretical philosophy beyoked together.

7 3f 'lato concedes that not e eryone is suited to one )ob, then his politicalsystem will collapse.

7 3f it stands, the con)unction of philosophy and politics is unnatural.

ecessary premise* p$, that the lo e of e ery kind of learning produces irtue.9nowledge : irtue would complete the argument.

irtue always accompanies philosophy, as a passion for wisdom reduces otherpassions.

7 'hilosophers become moderate, courageous and )ust.;e ignores that a strong passion could lead to new ices, and that those absorbedin cerebral pursuits are still susceptible to greed and lust.

7 if reason can perform practical go ernance of the theoretical pursuit of truth,then the philosopher is both practical master and theoretical hunter.

7 Therefore, this will not pre ent philosophers but rather demand it.

&haracteristics of the philosopher (48'c-487a)7 he is in lo e with that whole of reality +the


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7 politicians A sailors who ie for ship"s captaincy the crew are >uarreling witheach other... they spend all their time milling around the captain and doingall they can to get him to gi e them the helm" $%%c

ll hostile towards the true na igator +philosopher- who they say is merely astarga6er 4 they do not think there"s such a thing as the art of na igation"

(ocrates is not only saying why they (88B useless but why they actually 08.7 9nowledge of the best policy in this world has nothing to do with the

execution of that policy.

'arable of the seed +$C1d4$C/a-7 The most gifted characters become particularly bad if they are badly brought

up.7 the philosophic nature we ha e postulated, if it is properly taught, must in

the course of its growth de elop e ery excellence, but if it is sown inunsuitable soil, the ery opposite will happen, unless pro idence inter enes"$C2a

grees with deimantus that philosophers are icious, but it is society that hascorrupted them. ;e does not answer this, but merely pro ides an alternati e 4Dintrinsic badness

@arge and 'owerful animal +$C/a4$C$a-The parable of the large and powerful animal serves as a critique against Atheniandemocracy and the ophists, who value the art of rhetoric and the power of persuasionmore highly than reason! Adeimantus criticises the "ialectic method which ocrates uses,comparing it to being #hemmed in$ in a game of draughts, but also criticises his descriptionof a philosopher-ruler! %e highlights the difference between ocrates a priori description ofa philosopher &which portrays them as being truthful, controlled and quick to learn etc' andthe a posteriori observations of philosophers as being corrupt and useless! ocrates does

not disagree that philosophers are corrupt and useless, but instead continues to e(plain whythis is not the fault of philosophy &evident again in the simile of the ship'! )eople often claimthat philosophers are corrupt due to confusion between the philosophers and ophists! Thissimile highlights the different nature of the ophists!

ocrates compares the ophist to a man who, after rearing a beast for a long time, learnshow to please the animal, when it is likely to be especially vicious, and what the differentnoises it makes mean! %e supposes the man then sets up to teach this system, calling it ascience! *t is evident, however, that the man does not really know the reasons behind theanimals behaviour; which of its actions are admirable or shameful! %e would simply callthat which pleased the animal #good$ and that which displeased it #bad$! This criticises the

Athenian democracy, where the best ophists often delivered speeches or were bribed! *nthe same way as the man in the parable learnt what pleased the animal, not what was goodfor it, the ophists would only give the public what they wanted and not what they neededor what was best for them! ocrates emphasised the need for a resolute leader rather than aresponsive leader! The ophists merely pander to popular taste, calling their understandingof human emotions a science! +odern political theorists call )latos thesis a form of

paternalism, as his analogy seems to imply that, because our leaders know what is in ourbest interests, we should allow them to decide laws accordingly . +This is taken from The(tudent 0oom as an example exam answer to illustrate the @arge and 'owerful animal, and 3thought it was clear and useful-


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#et, deimantus has seen something important about the olatile relationshipbetween philosophers and politics. 8 en in a good city, there is a potential forcorruption of its rulers. They will be susceptible to the blandishments of wealth andglory, and after all, they are human.

Philosophers in the *ood &ity (' c-'+4b);ow can it maintain itself!What education will pre ent them from corruption!Eigresses*


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I our state and yours will really be awake and not merely dreaming likemost societies today, with their shadow battles and their struggles forpolitical power, which they treat as some great pri6e"

Fnly philosophers know a happier life than ruling, hence only they will rule withoutfalling into factions.

7 implies that philosophers ha e something better to do than rule the city.Hack to the problem of philosophy and ruling being two different things.

I not denying the aptitude, but showing they are different things toperform.

Plato#s ed"cational theory (' +c-'4+b);a e to go through education in music, maths, gymnastics, synoptic study of allsub)ects, dialectic and then ser e in military and ci il posts.

Then by the age of 5& they reach the


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'lato was merely a precursor to authoritarianism, not totalitarianism as it is amodern day ideology.

plato - revision notes political philosophy

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