PLATO

(c.428-347 B.C.)
Introduction
:

Plato is generally viewed as one of the greatest and most influential philosophers in the
Western tradition. His political philosophy is held in similarly high regard, and is the earliest
comprehensive political view we possess. As with other great figures, Plato's political theory was not
only part of his overall philosophical system but profoundly shaped by his social and political
circumstances. Plato's political experience was one of general decay and decline. In his view, the
traditional polis, the main function of which was inculcating its moral values, was under assault from
forces of democracy, individualism, and imperialism. Throughout his works Plato defended the
traditional polis and argued for the need to pursue values of justice and the intellectual virtues rather
than worldly goods such as wealth and reputation.
Ideal State :

In his most celebrated book , The Republic ; plato gives the theory of an ideal state.As far as state
concerned ,plato gives ideas about how to build an ideal commomwelth, who should be the rulers of the
ideal state and how to acheive justicein the ideal state.The Republic of Plato is interpreted as Utopia to
end all Utopias, not because it is a romance, but because he constructed an ideal state in it. He compares
the construction of an ideal state with an act of an artist who sketches an ideal picture without
concerning himself with the fact whether individual characteristic features of imaginative picture are to
be found anywhere or not? In the same way, Plato never thought of the possibility of the institutions of
his ideal state, being capable of ever becoming a reality. He never thought of the impracticability of this
idea concerning his ideal state.

PART ONE
Features of Ideal State:
1.Rule of Philosophy
Plato was of the view that in an ideal state the philosopher-ruler
should be prominent. He should has a broaden vision of unity of
knowledge. Philosopher-kings are immune from the provisions of
law and public opinion.
2.No unqualified absolutism
Though, neither, there is any restraint of law nor of public opinion
over philosopher-rulers but that is not an unqualified absolutism.
It is not all despotism, because rule of philosophy is not free from
the basic articles of the constitution.
3.Control over the education system
Philosopher ruler should control the education system in an ideal
state.
4.Justice in ideal state
Justice is the main feature of Plato’s Republic and it is also present
in his ideal state. Justice is the bond which binds every member of
society together. It forms a harmonious union of individuals.
5.Censorship of art and literature
In ideal state, there should be a complete censorship of art and literature. It is necessary so that
nothing immoral things might falls into the hands of the young individuals.
6.System of Communism
Plato was of the view that guardian class should live under the system of communism of property
and family. The rulers and soldiers do not possess any property of their own.
7.Equality among men and women
According to Plato, equal opportunities should be given to both men and women for their
economic, social, intellectual and political uplift. We can say that Plato was the first feminist of his
time.
8.Principle of Functional Specialization
Plato was of the view that due to multiple wants, an individual could not fulfill all his desires by
himself alone due to lack of capacity. Thus co-operation among individuals should be necessary to
satisfy their mutual desires. Some people are specialized in performing some certain tasks.
Philosopher King:

Philosopher king, idea according to which the best form of government is that in which philosophers rule.
The ideal of a philosopher king was born in Plato’s dialogue Republic as part of the vision of a just city. It
was influential in the Roman Empire and was revived in European political thought in the age of absolutist
monarchs. It has also been more loosely influential in modern political movements claiming an infallible
ruling elite.In Plato’s Republic the leading character, Socrates, proposes the design of an ideal city as a
model for how to order the individual soul. Such a just city will require specialized military “guards,”
divided subsequently into two groups—rulers who will be “guards” in the sense of guardians, dedicated to
what is good for the city rather than for themselves, and soldiers who will be their “auxiliaries.” Already at
this stage of the Republic it is stressed that the guardians must be virtuous and selfless, living simply and
communally as do soldiers in their camps, and Socrates proposes that even wives and children should be
in common.

PART TWO
the key to the notion of the “philosopher king” is that the philosopher is the only person who can
be trusted to rule well. Philosophers are both morally and intellectually suited to rule: morally
because it is in their nature to love truth and learning so much that they are free from the greed
and lust that tempts others to abuse power and intellectually because they alone can gain full
knowledge of reality, which in Books V through VII of the Republic is argued to culminate in
knowledge of the forms of Virtue, Beauty, and, above all, the Good. The city can foster such
knowledge by putting aspiring philosophers through a demanding education, and the
philosophers will use their knowledge of goodness and virtue to help other citizens achieve these
so far as possible.
Views of
Education:

Plato view of education is for the good of the individual and for the safety of the state. The aim of education,
according to Plato, is the welfare of both the individual and the society. His guiding principle is that, "Nothing
must be admitted in education which does not conduce to the promotion of virtue. Moreover, Plato's
treatment of education in the "Laws" is different from that of his "Republic". Education in the "Laws" is to be
universal and not restricted, as in the "Republic", to the guardian class and is to be compulsory. Children
should come to the school not only if their parents please, but there should be compulsory education.

PART THREE
Scheme of
Education:

Plato in his famous book "The Republic" has suggested appropriate kind of education for the ruling and the military
classes of community, but he does not mention anything about the education of the industrial class.
Plato prescribes a general type of Greek education for both the military and governing classes. It includes the two
main divisions of Greek education-music and gymnastics. He says that the first (i.e. music) is necessary for the
training of soul and the other (i.e. gymnastics) for the training of the body. Plato also asserts that we should begin
education with music and go on to gymnastics afterwards, mental education is thus to precede physical education.
Curriculum of Education:
Plato prescribed a general type of curriculum prevailing in Greece at that time. The curriculum for the
early training, that occupied first seventeen years of life, was comprised of music and gymnastics. The
word music was used in a much broader sense than we use it today. It included poetry, drama, history,
oratory and music in its more limited sense.The education of these two subjects aimed at producing an
improved soul and a healthy body. Even moral results were obtained through them. Music helped the
child to grow gentle, graceful and harmonious. Gymnastics helped him to develop, courage, patience,
reason, consideration, and temperance and whole mindedness.
At the first stage of life i.e. before the age of seven years, the child should not be educated formally. He
should stay with his mother or nurse and be educated in their company. At this stage the mother or the
nurse should tell him the authorized tales about the gods and heroes of the nation to develop the trait of
noble character in them.
For the early education, Plato recommends the inclusion of dances, hunting and field exercises in
gymnastics.
For higher education he emphasizes the study of numbers and geometry. This will sharpen the minds of
students. Astronomy is another subject recommended by Plato for higher education. Lastly, music was
also included.
 Views on Justice:
After rejecting those prevailed concepts of Justice, he proposed his own concepts of justice. He opined that, justice
must be present both in individual and in society. He thought that justice in the state existing in bigger and much
noticeable form, he tried to put it with the help of state. According to Plato, there are three constituents inhuman
mind namely reason, sprit and appetite, which are presented by the rulers, soldiers and farmers. He opined that
each of these three makes a valuable contribution for the creation of the state. Justice can be done if the each group
performs their duty without interfering each other. Justice is a bond which holds a society together, pleasant union
of individuals, each of whom has found his life work in accordance with his natural fitness and training, it is both
public and private virtue. Plato’s concept of justice was explained by Barker as, social justice many be defined as the
principle of society, consisting of different types of men (producing type, military type, ruling type), who have
combined with each other to perform their own duties.
Hence, the concept of justice by Plato, based on three principles. First it works as functional specialization like
giving a definite function to each one according to his capacity and merit, second, it works, noninterference of
different groups. So that they can concentrate on their own duty. This sort of work required for the unity and
welfare of all the members of sate. Third, it implies harmony in between the three classes (groups) representing
wisdom, courage and temperance respectively.

PART FOUR
 Views on
Communism:

Plato Communism is a heroic remedy for a desperate evil – the union of Political Power and economic temptation in
the one and the same hands, which is not wholly without local support, institutional and ideological. Plato's
Communism is a heroic remedy for a desperate evil – the union of Political Power and economic temptation in the
one and the same hands. Plato introduces a new social order in which the ailing class in his Ideal State surrenders
both its family and property rights for the sake of unity and integrity and the State.Plato introduces for the sake of
justice, unity and sincere devotion to duty Communism in the upper class but it is not designed to improve the
standard of their living. It has a political or moral rather than an economic end.

PART FOUR
Communism on
Property:

Plato pleads for the common renunciation property by the guardian class. The guardians shall receive fixed salaries
from the citizens which should be sufficient to meet their annual expenses and no more than that. They shall live
together in common barracks like soldiers. They will be served with common rood in common mess. The result of
this according to Plato would be that there would be no competition for political power among the ruling class
attributable to the desire to use such power for economic welfare.

PART FOUR
 Communism on
Family:
In case of Communism or family, there is a system of common ownership of women by the ruling class. Neither
marriages nor any form of monogamous union were allowed among men and women in the ruling class. Breeding is
to be regulated by the State to produce best children from the women of best stock, mating and sexual intercourse
is periodic. The citizens shall select women of excellent stock and there will be held an annual festival where the
intercourse among those women and the guardians shall take place. Their children will be reared by the State. In the
words of Plato, the wives of our guardians and theft children are to be common and no parents, should know theft
own child and not any child his own parents.
Plato wanted to maintain the State at a favorable size and populated by the best of the children produced by men
and women in their prime. Abortion, infanticide and neglect of the chronically ill and unfit are devices
recommended by Plato to maintain the size and quality of the

PART FOUR
 THE END
THANK YOU...😊

-PRESENTED BY SAGAR PARATE