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Summary Great Political Thinkers: From Plato to the Present
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review of most important philosophers in the book
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Plato (427-347 B.C.)Book
The Republic
Justice
When each order (tradesman, Auxiliary, Guardian) keeps to its own proper business in the
commonwealth and does its own work, that is justice and what makes a just society.
Nature
Nature has determined which task everyone is made for, in which order everyone belongs.
Government
Plato is anti-democratic: he is in favour of the rule of the people who know over those who
not, regardless of the latter’s consent. It doesn’t matter to him whether there is monarchy or
aristocracy.
State
First city:
community based on division of labour, no rulers and guardians (“community of pigs”)
Second/ideal city:
1 philosophers/guardians (know the Truth and therefore should rule) wisdom-rational
2 auxiliaries (military virtue, should therefore be soldiers) courage-spirited
3 animals/producers/hand workers (desire food, sex, etc: biggest group) appetite-appetitive
Virtue
Guardians and auxiliaries no individual interests (property, love, family): austerity.
Extra
Man must approach everything with reason hostility towards artists.
Distinction between the “public” and the “private”.
Education for the rulers and guardians only, not for all.
Women equal to men.
Truth is eternal (after training revelation to the vision of Goodness).
“Medicinal lie” makes ruling easier.
Plato
Justice as the interest of the stronger
Nothing enjoys the interest of the stronger party, but more the interest of the weaker.
Plato does not think that right means what is the interest of the stronger. People have
an opinion but this does not have to be just. Plato believes in a higher truth, which is
just. Because most people cannot attain this higher truth the strongest people’s
opinion is not just.
No one who practices a craft makes mistakes. A man is mistaken when his
knowledge fails him and at that moment he is no craftsman, but he is never mistaken
as long as he acts like one. So applying this to the ruler, the ruler in so far as he is
acting like a ruler makes no mistakes and consequently enjoins what is best for him;
and that is what the subject is to do.
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