THE REPUBLIC BY

PLATO
Philosophy of Law
1A

The Republic:
Content of the Report

Historical Background

Works of Plato

Platos theory of Forms

Platos own theory of Knowledge

Political Theory

The Guardians Temperament

Primary education of the
Guardians
The Guardians manner of
living

The Republic

Justice as the interest of the stronger

Ruling as an art
The rudiments of social organization
Justice as the interest of the stronger
Ruling as an art
The rudiments of social organization
The luxurious state

The Guardian

The Virtues of the State

The Composition of the Soul

Equality of Woman

The Paradox: Philosophers must be

Kings

Democracy and Democratic Man

Relevance of Platos Philosophy to the

Historical Background

Plato was born in Athens in 427 BC in the midst of a war

He could not turn blind eye to his environmental condition

Major events that set course in his life

Meeting Socrates
o Peloponnesian War
o

The chain of events that led Plato the intricate web of beliefs
that unify metaphysics, epistemology, ethics, and politics
into single inquiry is difficult to determine.

Socrates lived-out philosophy and style of relentless

questioning became the basis for Platos early writings.

Historical Background

Plato served in the military during the Peloponnesian War.

The defeat of Athens ended its democracy, which Spartans

replaced with oligarchy that led to political chaos.

Despite of the chaotic world of politics, Plato considered a

career in politics following his family lineage.

He tried to seek true philosophy

It is pertinent to note that when he turned to consider the

theory of political life, he had lost his faith in the system of
democracy.

Historical Background

The human race will have no respite from evils

until those who are really philosophers acquire
political power or until, through some divine
dispensation, those who rule and have political
authority in the cities become real
philosophers.

Historical Background

Platos ideal type of government was the authoritarian rule

of the "philosopher-king."

In the Republic, he envisioned a civilization governed not

by lowly appetites but by the pure wisdom of a philosopherking.

All the said events that was thoroughly discussed, led the
young Plato to set his course in life, to become a
remarkable philosopher who was in search for the utopian
state that he greatly aspired for his own beloved Athens.

Works of
Plato
The dialogues of Plato may be divided into early, middle, and later periods of
composition.

The earliest represent Platos attempt to communicate the philosophy and dialectical
style of Socrates. As Socrates begins to raise questions, however, it becomes clear
that the one reputed to be wise really does not know what he claims to know, and
Socrates emerges as the wiser one because he at least knows that he does not know.
Such knowledge, of course, is the beginning of wisdom. Included in this group of
dialogues are:
Charmides (an attempt to define temperance)
Lysis (a discussion of friendship)
Laches (a pursuit of the meaning of courage)
Protagoras (a defense of the thesis that virtue is knowledge and can be taught)
Euthyphro (a consideration of the nature of piety)
Crito (Socrates defense of obedience to the laws of the state)

Works of Plato
The

dialogues of the middle and later periods of Platos life reflect

his own philosophical development. The ideas in these works are
attributed by most scholars to Plato himself, although Socrates
continues to be the main character in many of the dialogues.

Two dialogues are considered to belong to a transitional time

between Platos early and middle periods. They are:

Gorgias (a consideration of several ethical questions)

Meno (a discussion of the nature of knowledge).

Works of Plato
The

writings of the middle period include

Phaedo

(the death scene of Socrates, in which he

discusses the theory of Forms, the nature of the
soul, and the question of immortality)
Symposium (Platos outstanding dramatic
achievement, which contains several speeches on
beauty and love)
The Republic (Platos supreme philosophical
achievement, which is a detailed discussion of the

Works of Plato
The works of the later period include the following:
Theaetetus (a denial that knowledge is to be identified with sense
perception),
Parmenides (a critical evaluation of the theory of Forms)
Sophist (further consideration of the theory of Ideas, or Forms)
Philebus (a discussion of the relationship between pleasure and the
good),
Timaeus (Platos views on natural science and cosmology)
Laws (a more practical analysis of political and social issues).

Platos theory of Forms

At the heart of Platos philosophy is his theory of Forms, or Ideas.

his view of knowledge, his ethical theory, his psychology, his

concept of the state, and his perspective on art must be understood
in terms of this theory.

Platos theory of Forms and his theory of knowledge are so

interrelated that they must be discussed together.

Influenced by Socrates, Plato was convinced that knowledge is

attainable.

He was also convinced of two essential characteristics of

knowledge.
First, knowledge must be certain and infallible.
Second, knowledge must have as its object that which is genuinely real as

Platos own theory of knowledge

Found in the Republic, particularly in his discussion of the image

of the divided line and the myth of the cave.

In the divided line, Plato distinguishes between two levels of

awareness: opinion and knowledge.

Claims or assertions about the physical or visible world, including

both commonsense observations and the propositions of science,
are opinions only.

The higher level of awareness is knowledge, because there

reason, rather than sense experience, is involved.

Reason, properly used, results in intellectual insights that are

Political Theory: The Republic

Concerned with the question of justice and therefore with

the questions what is a just state and who is a just
individual.

It is a book on politics, but also on psychology, morality,

education and eugenics.

The Republic discussed the right kind of government that

with just society and just man.

It is a lengthy exposition of the ideas underlying Plato's

earlier dialogues and is an attempt to unite rational, ethical,
and religious principles.

The Republic

According to Socrates, the principal speaker in The Republic, an

ideal state would consist of three classes.
The philosopher-kings would exercise political power in the service of
justice and wisdom;
the soldiers would protect the state as a means of acquiring honor;
and the civilian or the labor class would provide for the material needs of
society.
A large part of The Republic is devoted to a detailed presentation of the
rigorous intellectual training of future rulers.
The government of the state acts to enforce the virtue, and consequently
the true happiness, of the individual citizen, and an orderly and
productive public life is the result
Plato reaffirmed his idealistic position and asserted his belief in the
moral government of the universe and the immortality of the soul.

The Republic

The Republic is divided in several topics according to Platos

concern of fundamental questions including:

the meaning of justice

the right kind of life
the makeup of the human personality
the purpose of the political association
the best type of political structure
the classification of constitution
the need for trained rulers
the meaning of knowledge

The Republic:
Justice as the Interest of the Stronger

According to Plato, just and right means nothing but

what is the interest of the stronger party.

In every case the rules of laws made by the ruling party is

according to its interest.

Which means they define right for their subject whatever

is for their own interest and call anyone who detests the
rule a wrongdoer.

So as a conclusion, right means the interest of stronger

party and making the weaker subject follow their interest.

The Republic: Ruling as an art

According to Plato, the elders should have the authority over the young, and that the rulers
must be the best.

the one should rule is called the Guardian.

Guardians must be naturally fitter to watch over the commonwealth. They must have the
sort if intelligence and ability; and they must have the special concern to the
commonwealth.
This concern that Plato is referring is the kind of concern that his interest is closely
bound or identical to the interest of the commonwealth.
Guardians must never go against the interest of the commonwealth. They must have a
memory that holds firm and who is against delusion.

Guardians living set up would be;

first, none of the must possess private property beyond their necessity.
Second, their dwelling place must be open to all.
Third, their food is in the quantities required for temperance.
They will receive a wage and are not allowed build their own houses.
They are not allowed to have luxuries in their life, only the necessities.

The Republic:
The Rudiments of Social Organization

In the Republic, it is said that the state come to existence

because no individual is self-sufficing.

No two people are born exactly.

There is innate difference that would fill for different

occupation.

Each individual will function according to their respective

occupation.

The Republic:
The Luxurious State

The luxury of the state may help us to discover how justice and injustice
take root in the society.

The country that once enough to support the needs of its inhabitants
will be too small once a state becomes luxurious.

There will not enough land for pasture and to plough.

Cut off a slice or take a piece of territory that belongs to somebody else.

War is the result of a luxurious state.

All wars are made for the sake of getting money (Phaedo,66).

Because of luxurious state, states must learn the art of war.

The Republic: The Guardians Temperament

The guardians trait must be of gentle to their own people

and dangerous only to enemies; otherwise they will destroy
themselves without waiting till others destroy them.

A guardian must possess a passion for knowledge and

understanding.

The natures of a noble guardian are swift and strong,

spirited and philosophic.

The Republic:
Primary Education of the Guardians

The training of the guardian will start with mind before the body.

Nurses or mother of the child will not only rub the limbs of the child to make them strong but also,
they will cultivate their young minds with stories.

Stories that would destroy the well being of the child must be destroyed.

.According to Plato, Homer must not be admitted in his structured state for he might destroy and
corrupt the mind of the children.

The first stories that the child would hear should be designed to produce the best possible effect
on his character.

A poet or a writer whether epic, poem, lyric or drama should represent the divine nature as it is
really good.

The moral of the literary work must emphasize that nothing that is good can be harmful; and if cannot do
harm, it can do no evil; and so it cannot be responsible for any evil.
Another is the law for religion, is that all must conform in speech or writing is that heaven is not responsible
for everything, but only for what is good.

The Republic: Selection of rulers- Guardians Manner of Living.

Guardians will be those who, at the whole course of their lives are found to
be zeal to do whatever they believe as good for the commonwealth and will
never go against the interest of the commonwealth.

Guardians treating the citizens in any harsh way because they are stronger
are turning into a savage tyrants instead of friendly allies will be punished.

The manner of living of their living will be, first, none of them will possess
private property beyond the necessities, their house will be open to all. Food
will be serve according to temperance and courage of a man in war and
they will receive an annual wage for guardianship. Guardians will leave in
common and have meals in common.

In simple terms, guardians will live a simple and not an extravagant life.

The Republic:
The Virtues in the State

The virtues of the state are wisdom, courage, temperance and

justice.

Wisdom, which is prudent in counsel so that good counsel will not be

from stupidity and ignorance, the kind of wisdom that will enable a ruler
to take the lead and govern the rest.
Courage, it means being brave and possess a power to preserve what is
just.
Temperance surely means a kind control to certain of pleasures appetite.
Justice means that a man should possess and concern himself with what
we properly belongs to him.
We can consider that the greatest wrong to commit is injustice to ones
community.

The Republic: The Composition of the Soul

The same three elements that exist in the state also exist in the
soul. If both the man and the society possess the same manner,
excellence follows.

The relationship between the three parts of man and the state:

A just man does not allow the several elements in his soul to
usurp one anothers function

The Republic:Equality of Women

Plato has a positive view for women.

For him, women should take their full share in building a just state.

According to Plato, we shall not have one education for men and
another for women.

It follows that one women will be fitted by nature to be a Guardian,

another will not.

So for the sake of keeping watch to the commonwealth, woman has

the same nature as man, save in so far she is weaker.

Guardians wife must have the same training as that of the men.

The Republic:The Paradox- Philosophers must be

Kings

In Platos ideal republic, an elite class of intellectuals, known as guardians or

philosopher-kings, would govern the state and moderate the greed of the
producing classes, such as craftsmen and farmers.

To cement their allegiance to the state instead of their own desires, the
guardians would own no private property and would live communally, residing
in barracks together and raising their children as a group instead of in small
families.

Philosopher kings must have an affection that is set for reality.

Their qualifications are experience and excellence of character. Another trait

is truthfulness, a love for truth and hatred for fallacy and will not tolerate any
form of untruth.

He is cool-headed and warm-hearted, gentle and sociable.

He must also possess a good memory.

The Republic: Democracy and the Democratic Man

The transition of oligarchy is democracy.

Democracy is establish when arrange himself in pursuit of his own pleasure.

Philosopher-king becomes useless when subordinates do not want to be ruled

and does not seek a man who can govern him.

Democratic mans life is subject to no order or restraint and has no wish to

change his existence which he calls pleasant, free and happy.

And that well describes the life of one whose motto is liberty and equality.

For Plato, the multitude can never be philosophical.

Democrats are bound to reject Platos solution on problems regarding ruling.

The Republic: Democracy and the Democratic Man

Today, we increasingly practice Platos teaching to attain a better

government.

There are several reasons why democrats reject Platos system of

education.
First, Plato reserved educational opportunities of prolonged duration and
intensity for future rulers whereas the democrats look on education as a means
of good life that should be available to all.
Second, Plato believed that the selection of rulers could best be made through
the prolonged training of men and women; generally those born from the ruling
class, on the other hand, democrats reject such scheme and insist that political
rulers be selected by popular voting.
This democratic theory is plausible as long as the voters have enough judgment .

The Republic: Democracy and the Democratic Man

For Plato, until a Philorsopher-king is not in power, state and

individual will not rest in trouble and commonwealth will
never be realized. The philosopher-king will make the society
clean by removing the flaws and polishing it. Therefore, for
Plato our society will at its best when we submit to the
authority of the philosopher-king.

The Republic: Law

Holds

that positive law cannot be perfect.

"To

go against the laws, which are based upon long experience, and the
wisdom of counsellors who have graciously recommended them and
persuaded the multitude to pass them, would be a far greater and more
ruinous error than any adherence to written law?

The

theory of legislation in the Republic is purely in practical terms.

The

gist of it is that the legislator's function is to educate the citizens by

persuading or coercing them to live a good life.
first,

to Understand the relevant empirical and moral knowledge.

Secondly, the legislator must look from the model to the clay
Finally, it should be added that the legislator is himself a member of the political
community

The Republic: Law

Legislation

is the heart of Plato's practical philosophy.

Legislation

disciplines human nature and habituates it to a rational

integration of the components of the soul the condition of justice.

Only

when the dominance of reason is upset by ignorance or passion

is recourse to the law-courts necessary.

The

principle for determination of the respective allocation of

functions between legislature and judiciary (i.e., rule and discretion) is
the competence of the courts (that of the legislator is assumed).

Plato

insists that the judges are bound to act within the law and
"samples of penalties should be set before the judges as a model to
keep them from an infringement of the bounds of right."

What is the Relevance of

The Republic to Philosophy of
law?

 Since

the Republic is an ideal state, all citizens are perfect. They

are at least the equals of those wise persons whom Plato often
characterizes as able to rule themselves.

For

these persons, positive laws are not only unnecessary, it would

be superfluous, indeed, indefensible, to attempt to subject them to
such laws.

Accordingly,

Plato's omission in the Republic to pay much attention

to positive laws is not the slightest evidence of the repudiation of
the sovereignty of law.

 Plato's

discussions of positive law are expressions of four perspectives-the

evaluative, ideological, practical, and scientific

Evaluative
Free of involvement in ideology, is clearest in critical analysis and in conversation
with friends who represent different points of view.
Ideological
prominent in sharp debates on political obligation, where one is apt to characterize
rules for the purpose of winning an argument, or in bitter opposition to a
government.
Practical
interested in the formal aspect of rules, in the commands of the state, in "lawyer's
law.
Scientific
evaluate the norms under inspection, but his purpose goes beyond that, extending to
considerations that are important in political-legal science, analytical and empirical.

End.
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