StudentShare
Contact Us
Sign In / Sign Up for FREE
Search
Go to advanced search...

What does the Rebublic by Plato teach us about philosophy and its relation to poltiics - Essay Example

Cite this document
Summary
Plato lived around c. 427-347 B.C., a time Athens was under immense conflicts and wars. Plato’s political philosophy advocates for the use of reason in politics. The ideas of Plato influenced forms of governance in the United States and Western Europe…
Download full paper File format: .doc, available for editing
GRAB THE BEST PAPER93.2% of users find it useful
What does the Rebublic by Plato teach us about philosophy and its relation to poltiics
Read Text Preview

Extract of sample "What does the Rebublic by Plato teach us about philosophy and its relation to poltiics"

Download file to see previous pages

According to Plato, politics and virtue should go hand in hand, the latter being learnt philosophically. In politics, there are different, conflicting ideas. Plato believed that different, divergent views in a political system can be harmonized. The best political order in any state leads to peace in the society. Plato advocates for dependable systems of governance because they give citizens a chance to flourish in whatever they are doing. However, Plato says that the freedom given to citizens to do whatever they like should not be used to discriminate others.

The rights of other citizens must be honored. Freedom to perform certain duties should not lead to violation of other people’s rights. Consequently, Plato asserts that, the best political order cannot be obtained without virtue (Bloom 5). Plato was a student of Socrates during the turbulent times in Athens. Socrates had been convicted of impiety. He was charged with inciting Athen’s youths against the gods put in place by the political leaders. Plato stated that the judgment given to Socrates was unjust.

In particular, Plato stated that human beings will never have justice until real philosophers take charge of the political systems. According to Plato, it is only philosophers who can honor the political will of the citizens. Evil will continue to affect human race until philosophers acquire power. In addition, evil will only be eliminated in the society when people in power receive divine intervention form a supreme being. (iep, par 2). While in Athens, Plato set up an academy where citizens could be taught principle ideas concerning politics and philosophy.

Plato taught his students about mathematics, rhetoric, dialectics, and virtue. These subjects were necessary for any person who wanted to be in politics. Plato’s students became exemplary leaders in the society; they advocated for the use of reason in making right political decisions (iep, par 2). For Plato, politics was an area of significant concern. Politics determined how people lived in a state. Political power is often used to acquire wealth, and status. Plato’s political philosophy concentrated on three areas; state, power, and democracy.

Through the republic, Plato wanted political leaders to make the right decision whenever they are faced with dilemmas. Making the right political decisions is the main test of exemplary leadership, it also defines statesmanship. Political leaders must make rights decisions concerning peace and war. Peace and war are critical choices that any statesman or political leader can make while in power. According to Plato, the decisions made concerning peace or war should not be based on public opinion.

Leaders should make decisions without succumbing to public pressure. Such leaders have philosophical wisdom in them. Philosophy is, therefore, necessary in the governing of states. In making decision, Plato proposes that leaders evaluate beliefs; right beliefs lead to correct decisions thereby leading to best political order (Bloom 7). The republic also advocates for the prevailing of justice in the society. Justice forms a crucial part of ethics and political concepts in any state. In some instances, justice can refer to individual virtue, and harmonious living in the society.

According to Socrates, leaders can exercise justice by ensuring that every citizen speaks the truth. This definition is based on morality principles such as honesty and goodness. However, Plato says that such a definition of justice is not applicable to the modern society where there is the power of critical thinking

...Download file to see next pages Read More
Cite this document
  • APA
  • MLA
  • CHICAGO
(“What does the Rebublic by Plato teach us about philosophy and its Essay”, n.d.)
What does the Rebublic by Plato teach us about philosophy and its Essay. Retrieved from https://studentshare.org/philosophy/1458126-what-does-the-republic-teach-us-about-philosopjhy
(What Does the Rebublic by Plato Teach Us about Philosophy and Its Essay)
What Does the Rebublic by Plato Teach Us about Philosophy and Its Essay. https://studentshare.org/philosophy/1458126-what-does-the-republic-teach-us-about-philosopjhy.
“What Does the Rebublic by Plato Teach Us about Philosophy and Its Essay”, n.d. https://studentshare.org/philosophy/1458126-what-does-the-republic-teach-us-about-philosopjhy.
  • Cited: 0 times

CHECK THESE SAMPLES OF What does the Rebublic by Plato teach us about philosophy and its relation to poltiics

Theories of International Politics: Aristotle and Plato

He considers the state is a creation of nature and puts the individual in relation to the whole with the argument that an individual is not self-sufficient.... Aristotle sees this as the true relation of the body and the soul.... The literature about Aristotle and Plato is extensively so for this reason, my purpose is to give the reader an brief understanding of the position of Aristotle and Plato on human nature and political and social relations....
7 Pages (1750 words) Book Report/Review

Historical Philosophers namely Hobbes, Paine and Plato

Although both paradigms accept the notion of some disorder in world politics, both paradigms disagree about the nature, extent, and causes of that order (Baldwin 1993: 14).... This report "Historical Philosophers namely Hobbes, Paine and plato" analyses the political theories each of the philosophers Hobbes, Paine, and plato have written throughout history and try to link these political theories with contemporary theories and politics.... Hobbes identified this as a war of all against all as what contemporary political thinkers call anarchy or the absence of a government....
7 Pages (1750 words) Book Report/Review

Hobbess Political Theory

Finally, I explore the theory of plato who provides a way of how a good city can be established.... In conclusion, I attempt to explain why I argue that in choosing the camp of liberalism based on the incorporation of the notions of Hobbes, Paine and plato, is based on a combination of elements of the two political theories, that of Hobbes and that of Paine based on the notion that some elements of these historical political theories are obsolete as a result of the changing settings of world politics throughout history....
7 Pages (1750 words) Essay

Philosophers and Political Communities: More and Plato Philosophies

Along with his guru, Socrates, as well as his apprentice, Aristotle, Plato aided the establishment of the underpinnings of Western philosophy in addition to science.... Platos conversations have been applied to teach an assortment of themes, including theory, logic, morals, expression, and mathematics.... This paper analyzes More and plato philosophies, and their relevance to the contemporary Western society.... nbsp;plato and Thomas More were prominent philosophers and theorists who played a very imperative role in the development of human thoughts....
10 Pages (2500 words) Research Paper

A Model for a State Surveillance and Militarization

hellip; According to the paper, to maintain order in society, the government must keep close monitoring of its citizens and create a strong-armed force and police to defend that social order.... To maintain order in society, the government must keep close monitoring of its citizens and create a strong-armed force and police to defend that social order.... While this sounds to be very appealing for an effective and efficient state and government, this brings about the concern of the state as being totalitarian in nature....
5 Pages (1250 words) Essay

Just and Unjust Ruler in Plato's Republic

he socio-political issues are reflected in several works by plato: “Republic”, “Laws” and “Politics”.... he early dialogues by plato in which Socrates is present, usually contain the ideas of Socrates.... he socio-political philosophy of Plato, his theory of politics, is an integral part of Plato's philosophy.... It covers the questions about nature and about human and the soul of the human, and the cognition, and about the socio-political system, and the language, and art, sculpture, painting, music, eloquence, and education....
11 Pages (2750 words) Article

The Comparison of Philosophies of Plato Aristotle and Plotinus

This essay examines Plato's theory of forms as it evolves throughout his philosophy and considers a number of issues and ideas that are central to Platonic philosophy.... While the ideas in his early works are greatly attributed to Socrates, who was Plato's teacher and mentor, his middle works, notably the Republic are regarded by scholars as Plato's own philosophy.... The author of the present essay "The Comparison of Philosophies of plato Aristotle and Plotinus" explains that plato and his writings through the Platonic Dialogues constitute one of the foundational elements of the Western philosophic tradition....
15 Pages (3750 words) Essay

A Critique of Plato's Just Society Using the Notion of Fairness From John Rawls

The author states that Rawls views the just state as one that has equality as its aim.... plato viewed a state as one that reflected the harmony of the three parts of the soul working together.... Where both viewed 'reason' for rationality as universal, plato maintained that some had a greater capacity.... plato maintained that inequality in society was a reflection of inherent or biological differences.... By contrast, Rawls viewed inequality as created by the distribution of wealth, and while plato's ideal was a harmonious soul, Rawls ideal was equality itself....
14 Pages (3500 words) Assignment
sponsored ads
We use cookies to create the best experience for you. Keep on browsing if you are OK with that, or find out how to manage cookies.
Contact Us