Philosopher-Kings: The Argument of Plato's Republic C. D. C. Reeve
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New Haven: Yale University Press, 2006. In the Republic, Plato maps this psychology on to the state or polis. Dr Kennedy argues that Plato did not use the code for pleasure, but for his own safety. Although it's a staple of philosophy classes everywhere, Plato's Republic has attracted considerable criticism over the centuries. For example: "The Republic's discussion of philosopher-kings and the form of the ideal just man occurs at the centre of the dialogue. Though the conversation ultimately questions the makings of a philosopher, Socrates begins by asking whether it should or should not be a philosopher who governs/rules a city. I can see the feminist love/hate relationship with Plato again here: on the His argument: if none of the states has a perfect separation of branches, one shouldn't expect the proposed central government to have it, either. No guardians or philosopher-kings exist or have existed. Additionally, and perhaps of equal Plato argues that a certain group should rule in the city and the reasoning part should rule in the soul; the virtue that pertains specifically to this function of ruling is wisdom, or knowledge of the Good (Agathon). €Plato's Republic: A Philosophical Commentary”. But John Dillon, recently retired professor of a schema of the well-ordered human soul.” It's in the Laws, Dillon argues, that “Plato is being serious about constructing a state. However, Gosling (1973) Lange (1939) argues Plato was to an extent an aristocrat, and in the Republic it is proven, he argues Democracy is all about equality, equality for the unequal. For this reason it is necessary to understand the philosophical anthropology underlying Plato's political philosophy as well as the anthropological principle, i.e., that the city is man writ large. Plato's Republic, Book V: The advocacy of the holding of wives and children in common just begs for a rebuttal, and of course Aristotle gave us one, which we'll read in due course. As a vision of an ideal state, many of its prescriptions have become notorious: banishing poets, rejecting democracy , putting “philosopher-kings” in charge, and so on. As far as the "Republic," I am more sympathetic to the argument that Plato is not describing the just city, but rather demonstrating (ironically) the limits of philosophy through the absurdity of the "philosopher king" and the like. Plato's Republic, Philosiphor Kings (167-88). So leads on to argue however, using Plato's idea of philosopher kings, that the masses cannot do this job, but if the majority are led in a kind and compassionate way, keeping the majority at heart, they would not rebel, as a result an able and peaceful society. Socrates has painted Glaucon's statue with wild, unrealistic colors because the statue itself is wild and unrealistic.