Philosopher-Kings: The Argument of Plato's Republic C. D. C. Reeve
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Although it's a staple of philosophy classes everywhere, Plato's Republic has attracted considerable criticism over the centuries. His arguments were: 1) The great mass of experts support evolution, and 2) I must be an ignorant fundamentalist if I do not support evolution. 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. Yesterday, in my Duke University "Learning in Retirement" course on Plato's REPUBLIC, I reached what may fairly be called the pivotal passage in the entire work -- the famous discussion of The Divided Line. Plato argued throughout the text that the philosopher kings would be virtuous rulers and that the Polis would be a just city. Burke felt that we should not trust theory kings, who count themselves progressive reformers and who are guided by abstract ideals, but have no common sense about real life and no appreciation of the cultural heritage. The compelling power which Socrates's methods and arguments had over the minds of the youth of Athens gripped Plato as firmly as it did so many others, and he became a close associate of Socrates. Socrates has painted Glaucon's statue with wild, unrealistic colors because the statue itself is wild and unrealistic. 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. The first deals with the way Plato described the ideal Polis in the Republic. The Republic is structured in a way that supports and strengthens the need for philosopher-kings, because through them the Kallipolis is brought to life and genuine happiness of society is achieved. Plato's second trip to Syracuse took place in 367 B.C. Hence, it would be false to say that the arguments put forward by Plato are not persuasive. After the death of Dionysius I, but his and Dion's efforts to influence the development of Dionysius II along the lines laid down in the Republic for the philosopher-king did not succeed, and he returned to Athens. €Gifts persuade gods, and gifts persuade revered kings.” These arguments are largely calling back to earlier work by Plato around the concept of individual responsibility and fate. A theory king guiding a The philosopher Plato wrote about an ideal city in his Republic. It is important to recognize that Plato understands his utopia only as a concept but not as a political be adapted to the reality of Greece but to the reality of the “retained in heaven” (592b) Republic. No guardians or philosopher-kings exist or have existed.