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Plato's Republic and Modern Politics

Uploaded by mfields on Dec 28, 2004

Plato believes it is the role of a central government to determine what positions people will have in society. This belief alludes to the ideals of communism or totalitarian socialism, but Plato’s ideas have many deviations from these schools of thought. Plato’s Republic organizes labor through a government run education system that identifies proper roles for each citizen. He justifies this theory of government with his theory of justice. Plato believes justice exists when three parts of a man’s soul, reason, appetite, and spirit, are in harmony with that person’s role in society.

It seems that what links most theories of government is their reliance on a theory of justice. The classical liberal theory of justice, that was the foundation for the American Republic, was one that stated that a just society was one in which everyone was treated equally in front of the law. The theory stated that men must be allowed to use whatever skills they had at their disposals to advance their personal fortunes. More collectivist theories of justice hold that a just society must be one in which all people have not only equality of opportunity but equality of the end results of an economy. They don’t feel anyone should be able to use the work of another for their own personal gain. The ideas Plato outlined in the Republic reject the freedom allowed in a liberal country but outline a system of class distinctions that is contrary to collectivist and socialist ideas. His theory is certainly closer to collectivist theories, primarily because he puts the needs of the many over the rights of the one. Some other differences arise from differing ideas about what makes people happy. Plato writes that people are happy when they are fulfilling their proper role in society. Communist theory states that people are happiest when they are working for the collective good of society.

An important aspect of Platonic theory to explore is whom he puts in charge. In Plato’s society the country is run by a group called the “Philosopher Kings” who are chosen by his fair public education system. Even though this ruling class would be made up of the smartest and most able in society it would still be a tyranny. Plato felt that any democracy was fatally flawed because the public could be convinced to vote for bad proposals whereas an intellectual elite could be counted on...

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Uploaded by:   mfields

Date:   12/28/2004

Category:   Philosophy

Length:   3 pages (742 words)

Views:   13345

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