Political PhilosophyOf

Plato and

AristotlePRESENTED BY: VELOSO, REGINE S.

SECTION: III- 15 BEED

PlatoBorn: May 29, 428/427 BCE in AthensDied: 348/ 347 BCE

Main Interest: Rhetoric, Art, Literature, Epistemology, Justice,Virtue, Politics, Education, Family and Militarism.

Considered a s essential figure in development of Philosophy especially in Western world.

Student of SOCRATESTeacher of Aristotle

DialoguesHave been used to teach a range of subject including Philosophy, Logic, Ethics, Rhetoric, Religion and Mathematics

35 DIALOGUES13 LETTERS

(ASCRIBED BY PLATO)

Plato’s main works of relevance to political philosophy are: THE REPUBLIC- a description of the workings of what Plato saw as an ideal state; and THE LAWS which is often read, but which is mainly an examination of how a state could realistically be organized.

The City- State

Society/ State is natural

institution.

Society/ State exists for the

sake of the good life.

The aim of the good Society is

Justice

The Statesman must be a

Philosopher

The RepublicThe Republic concerns with the definition of justice, the order

and character of the just city state and the just man.

DEFINITION OF JUSTICE

Plato identifies Political Justice as harmony in structured political body

(BOOK II, III, IV)

PRODUCERS(craftsmen,

farmers, artisans, etc)

AUXILIARIES(warriors)

GUARDIANS(rulers)

The RepublicPlato tries to show that individual justice mirrors

political justice.

THREE PART STRUCTURE ANALOGOUS TO THE THREE CLASSES OF SOCIETY

PRODUCERS(craftsmen,

farmers, artisans, etc)

AUXILIARIES(warriors)

GUARDIANS(rulers)

Rational Part of the Soul

Spirited Part of the Soul

Appetite Part of the Soul

Who Shall Rule?Plato give careful directions for choosing rulers and for making

sure that, once chosen, they would not work for their own advantage.

All children, male and female will be raised communally by the state until

they were 18 .

They would be subject to three types of test. They would be in part

physical, in part intellectual and in part moral.

Those who will passed these test would be carefully isolated for further

learning.

Second part of the schooling which is the practical.

They will be appointed to administrative post of lesser order

and constantly observe the performance in their duties.

The rulers would take part in active administration of the society

Plato’s Philosophy leads, by natural steps, to an antidemocratic and to Authoritarian

Philosophy.

It is a government for the people but not by the people.

Aristotle

Born: 384 BCE in Macedonian city of Stagira,Chalkdice on Northern Greece

Died: 322 BCE (62) Euboea, Greece

Philosopher, Scientist

Joined Plato’s Academy (18 yrs old) in Athens and remained their until 32 yrs. old.

Student of PlatoTeacher of famous ALEXANDER THE GREAT

Established library in the Lyceum

The Purpose of the City- It is the clear that all partnership aim at some good, and the

partnership that is most authoritative of all and embraces all the others does so particularly, and aims at the most authoritative

good of all. This is what is called the city or the political partnership

- The purpose of the city is to make it possible for the citizens to achieve the virtue and happiness.

How the City comes into being?PARTNERSHIP

HOUSEHOLD/ FAMILIES

VILLAGE

CITY

Man, the Political Animal Nature bring us together- we are by nature political animal-

nature alone does not give us all of what we need to live together. There is in everyone impulse toward this sort of

partnership. And yet the one who first constituted is responsible for the greatest of goods. We must figure out how to live

together for ourselves through the use of reason and speech, discovering justice and creating laws that make it possible for

human community to survive and for the individuals in it to live virtuous lives

Discover the right laws, acting with justice, and exercising the virtues that allow human to function

The Six RegimesMonarchy- rule by one man for the common good.Aristocracy- rule by few for the common good.Polity- ruled by many for the common good.Democracy- rule by many in their own interest.Oligarchy- rule by few in their own interest.Tyranny- rule by one man in his own interest.

Polity: The Best Practical Regimes

Polity- the mixture of Oligarchy and Democracy.

A democracy in which interest of the wealthy were taken into account and protected by the laws would be ruling in the interest of the community as a whole