plato the rule of reason

8/11/2019 Plato the Rule of REASON

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THE RULE OF REASON

Prepared by Mr. Roland Lorenzo M. Ruben

Philosophy section, SSD

De La Salle University-Dasmarias

(427-347 BC)


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HISTORICAL

BACKGROUND(Greek: , Pltn, "wide, broad-shouldered")Greek philosopher bornto an aristocratic family in Athens.

Orphaned as a child, Perictione,his mother married Pyrilampes(an associate of Pericles).

A disciple of Socrates, he

witnessed the death of histeacher in 399 BC.

(428-347 BCE)


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HISTORICAL

BACKGROUND

Left Athens and traveled to Italy,Sicily, Egypt, India.

Made two trips to Sicily: 367 &

361: to tutor Dionysius theYounger, in the art ofphilosophical rule.

In 387, Plato founded the

Academy in Athens Intended to be a training

ground for young men from allover Greece

(428-347 BCE)


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The Academyin Athens in 387, first European university:astronomy, biology, math, political theory, philosophy.


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HISTORICAL

BACKGROUND

Concluding years spentlecturing at the Academy.

Died at 80 in Athens in 348 or347 BC.

(428-347 BCE)


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METAPHYSICAL

BACKGROUND

According to this theory, ultimate reality is a realm of

forms (essences) not accessible to the senses but only tothe mind (intellect). He calls that level of reality the

intelligible realm (because it is accessible only to the

intellect). The perceptible world (i.e., the world we

perceive through our senses) is a reflection or copy of

that higher intelligible world.


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METAPHYSICAL

BACKGROUND

ALLEGORY OF THE CAVE

The myth of the cave describes individuals

chained deep within the recesses of a cave.Bound so that vision is restricted, theycant see one another. The only thing

visible is the wall of the cave upon whichappear shadows cast by models or statues

of animals and objects that are passedbefore a brightly burning fire.


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THEORY OF HUMAN

NATURE

Man is a reflection of the duality of thesensible and ideal worlds

Body & Soul:

Body: 4 elements: earth, water, air, fireSoul: 3 levels: Reason, Spirit, Appetite

Man is his soul: There was a timewhen the soul was not bonded to thebody, man is thought to be originallypart of the Eternal One.

But his birth into his earthly andmaterial existence tainted, and madehim forget about, his divine past.


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reason

spirit

appetite

Tripartite structure of the soul

- Reason= rational or moral

judgment

- Spirit= emotion

- Appetite= bodilydesires/physical urges

We are ineradicably social: to

live in society is natural tohuman beings.


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World of

Idea Fall

RECOLLECTIONANAMNESIS

World of the

Senses

After the fall, soul was exiled, imprisoned in the body.

Material world is only a shadowy reflection of the world of Forms;

knowledge is a recollection, reminiscenceof the Forms - s

Freedom:souls departure from the body towards the world of Forms:union with the Ideal Beauty and Good itself.

DIAGNOSIS


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Reason, Sprit and Appetite arepresent to some degree in everyperson.

Reason ought to control both Spiritand Appetite; each has its proper roleto play, there should ideally beharmonious agreement among thethree aspects of our nature.

Depending on which element isdominant, there are three kinds ofpeople whose main desire isknowledge, reputation or material

gain.

World of the Senses


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1. REASON (knowledge: philosophic)

Governing(Rulers or Guardians)those whoare intelligent, rational, self-controlled, in love withwisdom, well suited to make decisions for thecommunity. These correspond to the "reason" part ofthe soul and are very few.

King SolomonMahatma Gandhi


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2. SPIRIT (reputation: victory-loving)

Protective(Warriors or Auxiliaries)those who areadventurous, strong and brave; in the armed forces. Thesecorrespond to the "spirit" part of the soul.


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Productive(Workers)the labourers, carpenters,plumbers, masons, merchants, farmers, ranchers,etc. These correspond to the "appetite" part of thesoul.

3. APPETITE (material gain: profit-loving)


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A well-ordered, just society is one in whicheach class or person plays a distinctiverole, in harmony with other classes

The problems of human individuals areintimately related to the defects in humansocieties = interdependent


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An imperfect society tends to produce

flawed individuals, and troubled or poorly

educated individuals contribute to social

problems.
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/0,9263,7601940704,00.htmlhttp://www.time.com/time/magazine/0,9263,7601941114,00.htmlhttp://www.acclaimimages.com/usepolicy.html


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Plato, through the words of Socrates, asserts thatsocieties have a tripartite class structure correspondingto the appetite/spirit/reason structure of the individual

soul.

TRIP RTITE CL SS STRUCTURE
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Marcus_aurelius_bust.jpghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:AlexanderAttackingDarius.jpg


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1. Aristocracy

The Ancient Greek term meant a system ofgovernment with "rule by the best".This is the firstdefinition given in most dictionaries. The word isderived from two words, "aristos" meaning the

"best" and "kratein" "to rule". Aristocracy = ideal society ruled by a philosopher-

king; the ideal state: 3 classes:

merchant class: economic structure of the state;

temperance military class: security needs; courage

philosopher-kings: political leadership; wisdom
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:T_Jefferson_by_Charles_Willson_Peale_1791_2.jpghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Marcus_aurelius_bust.jpghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:AlexanderAttackingDarius.jpg


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What do you think of the following

statements by Plato (Socrates)?

The best possible

political system (state) will

be ruled (governed) by

PHILOSOPHERS!

(Is he kidding?)

The best rulers of the state are those who know the Good,who dont look to politics for their happiness, & who live ahigher life than the political life.

Political power should be held by those who do not want

it.


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2. Timarchy

= honor and fame

are valued aboveall (spirit)

The word derives from the

Greek words timo-, meaning

"honour" or "worth", and -

kratiameaning "rule" (as ingovernment).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Helmed_Hoplite_Sparta.JPG


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3. Oligarchy

(Greek , Oligarkha) is a form of governmentwhere political power effectively rests with asmall, elite segment of society(typically the mostpowerful, whether by wealth, family, military strength, or

political influence). The word oligarchyis from the Greekwords for "few" ( fligon) and "rule" ( arcgekho)= rule of the few.

= money-making become the dominant activity,

political power reside with the wealthy
http://radicalgraphics.org/collection/view_photo.php?full=1&set_albumName=Money&id=Money02http://radicalgraphics.org/collection/view_photo.php?full=1&set_albumName=Money&id=Money02http://radicalgraphics.org/collection/view_photo.php?full=1&set_albumName=Money&id=Money02http://radicalgraphics.org/collection/view_photo.php?full=1&set_albumName=Consumerism&id=America23http://radicalgraphics.org/collection/view_photo.php?full=1&set_albumName=Progress&id=Progress01


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http://radicalgraphics.org/collection/view_photo.php?full=1&set_albumName=Progress&id=Progress01


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4. Democracy

(literally "rule by the people", from the Greek demos,"people," and kratos, "rule") is a form of government for a

nation state, or for an organization in which all the

citizens have an equal voteor voice in shapingpolicy or electing government officials.

it is absurd to give every person an equalsay; the person lacks discipline, pursues mere pleasures ofthe moment, indulging unnecessary, spendthrift desires.


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http://radicalgraphics.org/collection/view_photo.php?set_albumName=Politics&id=Politics01


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5. Tyranny

A tyrant(Latin tyrannus, from Greek

trannos) possesses absolute powerthrough the peoplein a state or in anorganization.

In ancient Greece, tyrants were generallyaristocrats who had gained power over theothers by getting the support of the poor peopleby giving them land, freeing them from slavery,etc.

the person is dominated by his own appetites,

especially sexual desires ; Money-making,pleasure-seeking, lust-dominatedpeople are unhappy! Idi Amin
http://radicalgraphics.org/collection/view_photo.php?set_albumName=Politics&id=Politics01


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PRESCRIPTION

JUSTICE: the just state is one in which each classperforms its own function well without infringing on theactivities of the other classes while the just man is the one inwhom the rational element, supported by the will, controls

the appetites. HARMONY(injustice is lack of it)

EDUCATION: themost important way to

produce virtuous,harmonious, well-

balanced, justpeople: not just formalschooling but all thesocial influences onones development

paideia

Training ofthe whole

person:- Sports

-Poetry

-Music


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Can a really just (or at leastapproximately just) political

system exist? What would make itpossible?

(It is the separation ofphilosophy & politicalpower.)

And this leads to . . . .


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Paraguay President Fernando Lugo
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unlesspolitical power & philosophyare brought together& those who nowpursue either the one or the other

exclusively are prevented from doing so --neither our political problems nor ourhuman troubles in general can be ended

. . ..


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From the elite:

Produce philosopher-kings(Guardians): intellectual studies

(mathematics, philosophy, etc) = only such lovers of wisdom

and truth would be impervious to the usual temptations tomisuse power; they value more happiness of a right and rational

life.

From the non-elite:

the Auxiliaries= soldiers, police and civil servants; theywould put the directions of the Guardians into effect.

the workers of all kinds= farmers, craftsmen, traders,

and all those who produce and distribute the material

necessities of life.


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CRITICAL DISCUSSION

He seems more concerned with the harmony andstability of the whole society than the well-beingof the individuals in it

HisRepublichas a directly authoritarian,totalitarian character

He dismisses democratic constitutions rather

unfairly He endorses democracy for all its imperfections

as the best kind of constitution, given humannature as it is (Stateman, Laws)

Wh t ill I b h I ?


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What will I be when I grow up?


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THE RULE OF

REASON

(427-347 BC)

plato the rule of reason

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