Plato

Intro…
• 427 to 348 or 347 BCE
• Son of wealthy and influential aristocratic Athenians, one of the most creative
influential thinkers in political philosophy.
• Writers described Plato as the real intellectual founder of Christianity, 'a Christian
before Christ', while others, of Marxian socialism. With some, Plato is a
revolutionary, a radical at that, with others, a reactionary, a fascist at that. Some
admire Plato while others condemn him, but none dare ignore him.
• Plato was an idealist, for he laid down the basis for political idealism in the West
• Student of Socrates: most wisest person in Athens according to Plato. Believed to
unravel truth through cross-examination.
 Early Life and times
• Born in Athens at a time when it was engaged in a deadly war with
Sparta- The Peloponnesian War.
• As a young man, Plato had political ambitions, but he became a
disciple of Socrates, accepting his basic philosophy and dialectical
style of debate: the pursuit of truth through cross-examination
• He belonged to a political family but he had disgust and dislike for the
ruling regime for several reasons in particular because of the
execution of his teacher on charges of corrupting the youth and
impiety.
• “that as far all states now existing are concerned, they are all badly governed”.
There was no direction or management. He concluded that the order will
remain evasive until “either the true and genuine breed of philosophers shall
come to political office or until that of the rulers in the states shall by some
divine ordinance take to the true pursuit of philosophy”.
• In 399 When Socrates was executed, Plato traveled to Egypt and Italy, studied
with students of Pythagoras, and spent several years advising the ruling family
of Syracuse.
• In 388 BCE, he returned to Athens and founded his own school of philosophy,
the Academy, at gate of which was written “Those having no knowledge of
mathematics need not enter here."
• Literary Works
• 39 Dialogues – wrote in defiance of the arrest and death of his mentor,
Socrates
• Socrates is Plato’s mouthpiece, Socrates will converse with person
claiming knowledge.
• The Republic – most famous dialogue; discusses the virtues of justice,
wisdom, courage, and moderation as they appear in individuals and
society; also argues that government should be led by philosophers
• Comprises of 10 books, Books II to IV explain the organization of the
State, and of the system of education.
• Methodology
• It is usually said that Plato's methodology was deductive, also called
the philosophical method. In this, general principles are determined
first, and thereafter, are related to particular situation. Opposite to
inductive method.
• That Plato's methodology is deductive is an important aspect, but the
fact is that Plato follows a variety of methods in expressing his
political thought.
• Plato's methodology is dialectical, is a method in which a point is
advanced by cross-examining opposite views.
• Plato's methodology is analytical in so far as he divided a
phenomenon into its possible parts, analyzing each part fully and
thereafter knitting the results of all parts together.
• There is also a teleological method in Plato's thinking. Teleology
means 'the object with an objective‘.
• Analogy as a method has also been followed by Plato in his
philosophy. Analogy means a form of reasoning in which one thing is
inferred to be similar to another thing in a certain respect on the basis
of known similarity in other respects.
• Plato pursued the historical method as well.
 His Philosophy
• Concerned with justice, virtue, and the human soul.
• Socrates had profound influence upon Plato’s philosophy. He considered himself lucky
that he was born in Socrates times. His philosophy could be viewed as extension of his
master’s doctrine of “Virtue as knowledge”.
• Like his teacher, Plato firmly believed that virtue can be attained through knowledge.
• was convinced that human nature has three elements: reason, courage, temperance
• He believed that the ruler should be one who knows the art, science and knowledge
of administration. This according to sabine is certainly an elaboration of Socrates'
conviction that virtue, political virtue not excluded, is knowledge.
• Theory of Forms or ldeas is at the centre of Plato's philosophy. Closely
related to theory of knowledge.
• Plato believed that knowledge is attainable and believed it to have two
essential characteristics: one, knowledge is certain and infallible; two, that it
is to be contrasted with which is only appearance.
• Everything has a truth or an essence, or form, your job is to seek this truth.
Life is an adventure and journey, not destination.
• There is, thus, a difference between what is ideal and what is actual;
between what are 'forms' and what are appearances; and between what is
knowledge and what is an opinion; and between what 'can be' and what it is
or what it is 'becoming'.
• What objects we see in observable world are copy or shadow of their
forms-becoming something.
• Forms represent true/real knowledge, can be known by reason
• In the metaphor of divided line Plato made a distinction between two
levels of awareness: opinion (physical world) and knowledge
(intelligible world)
• What appears to be is not the Form, but is a form of the Form