Plato political science. Plato's Theory of Forms 2022-10-27

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Plato was a Greek philosopher who was highly influential in the development of political science. He was a student of Socrates and a teacher of Aristotle, and he is best known for his works on political philosophy, such as "The Republic."

Plato believed that the best form of government was a meritocracy, where leaders are chosen based on their ability to govern, rather than their wealth or social status. He argued that such a government would be more just and fair, and would lead to a more harmonious society.

Plato also believed in the concept of the "philosopher-king," where rulers are those who have the wisdom and knowledge to rule justly. He argued that philosopher-kings would be the best rulers because they would be motivated by a desire for the common good, rather than by personal gain.

One of Plato's most famous ideas is the concept of the "noble lie," which is the idea that it is acceptable for rulers to deceive their subjects in order to maintain social harmony. Plato argued that the noble lie was necessary in order to maintain order and prevent dissent, and that it was ultimately in the best interest of the people.

Overall, Plato's ideas about political science were highly influential and continue to be studied and debated by political philosophers today. His belief in the meritocracy and the philosopher-king, as well as his support for the noble lie, have had a lasting impact on our understanding of politics and government.

Plato and Aristotle (Comparison)

plato political science

He looks up at the night sky and marvels at the stars and the moon, and one day, he even looks directly at the Sun, the source of everything he has seen. Matter belongs to the world of change. The means of good life is Power. It is also known as philosophical theory or ethical theory and uses a priori deductions as its methodology. Public concerns and the conduct of public affairs were their great topics of interest.

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Plato's Theory of Justice: An Overview

plato political science

What Protagoras presumably meant is that the proper study of mankind is the man. To what extent mind will act rationally and purposefully that considerably depends upon education. The old free give and take of the town-meeting and the council are utterly gone, and this side of human personality, which the Athenian democrat valued above everything, must be quite eradicated from the masses. What it succeeded in doing was to give a new interest and a new direction. It was this which made Plato seem to the Fathers of the Church almost a Christian. They, the wise and virtuous, free from faction and guided by the idea of the common good, should rule for the common benefit of the whole community, so that the city will not be internally divided by strife, but one in friendship Republic, 462a-b. The assumption that goodness is unity also explains why mathematics is so important to the ascent to the good through mathematics an account of the one over the many is learned cf.

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Plato's Metaphysics

plato political science

Ignorance, the condition of Alcibiades, is also the condition of the great majority of the people 118b-c. It assumes that every man can equally well govern other men. Similarly the other classes are also dependent on each other. . It is in no way surprising, therefore, that Plato should have imagined that progress in the rational understanding of the good life lay along a similar line. There are two aspects of our personality.


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Plato's political philosophy

plato political science

It is this quality which has made it a book for all time, from which later ages have drawn the most varied inspiration. Like individuals, classes will also not interfere with each other. The conviction encourages individual to fight against injustice and irrationality. Plato calls this stage the Form of the Good. Justice for Solon is not an arithmetical equality: giving equal shares to all alike irrespective of merit, which represents the democratic concept of distributive justice, but it is equity or fairness based on difference: giving shares proportionate to the merit of those who receive them.

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💄 Normative approach to political science. ANALYZE THE NORMATIVE APPROACH TO POLITICAL complianceportal.american.edu 2022

plato political science

He was a pupil of Socrates, whom he considered the most just man of his time, and who, although did not leave any writings behind, exerted a large influence on philosophy. It is not as though a person is held responsible for what his reason does but not for what his appetite does. The two problems are thus to discover justice and then to demonstrate its absolute value. These three aptitudes imply on the psychological side three vital powers or souls, that which includes the appetitive or nutritive faculties and which Plato supposes to reside below the diaphragm, that which is executive or spirited and which resides in the chest, and that which knows or thinks, the rational soul which is situated in the head. At face value, Socrates offers a more robust conception of parts, wherein each part is like an independent agent. What really is the unchanging core of human nature which all men have in common, whatever may be the veneer of second nature which habit and custom have laid over the surface? Plato says that every nation has its own virtues and the Greeks consider that wisdom, courage, temperance or self-control and justice are the four virtues.


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Political Thought Before Plato

plato political science

The underlying causes were economic and the issue was between the aristocracy, dominated by the old and wellborn families whose property was inland, and democracy, dominated by the interests of foreign trade and aiming to develop Athenian power upon the sea. Though philosopher is a man of reason, yet he has appetite too. The first response calls for a quasi-empirical investigation of a difficult sort, but the second seems easy. Nature of reality has been a matter of debate among scholars. In many situations, it is preferable for man, not to follow rules. But habit depends upon the material conditions. He had great love for his motherland and he wanted to make Athens an ideal state.

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Plato the Republic

plato political science

Still, the scientific politician must keep an eye on intellectual education. One important challenge in understanding Plato is to make sense of these differences. The training was to be divided into two parts. Therefore, in the Republic, as well as in other Platonic dialogues, there is a relationship between conceptual analysis and critical evaluation of beliefs. But his main interest concentrated on the ideal state. It is not only the cause of knowledge and truth, it also the object of knowledge. Books One and Two , and of the Athenian oligarchs, many of whom pursued their own material interests narrowly, however much they eyed Sparta as a model.

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Life of Plato Philosophy and Works

plato political science

Plato 2 Theory of Education The theory of education is linked to his theory of justice. Just man does not interfere in the task of the other. Secondly, there is a group motivated by spirit or courage which can be called warriors or auxiliaries. Even a state cannot fulfil all the objectives of an individual. That is how mind will act and react that will be decided by the material conditions of society. So his account of what justice is depends upon his account of the human soul. Like Plato but earlier , he wrote a dialogue titled Politikos, which unfortunately is lost, together with his other works.

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