For episode 2 see here.
Theory of the City-State
III.Plato: The Republic
A. Elaborated from Socrates the belief that there is a discoverable, objective
good life for the individual and the polis
B. Political philosophy is the effort to discover this 'good life'
C. Plato's version primarily found in The Republic, Statesman and Laws (written
in that order)
D. The Republic concerns the good man and the good life and the means for
knowing what these are and how to attain them
1.Political theory of The Republic an over simplified version of the later
presentation. Plato's fundamental focus was the soul (psych, the inner polis]
2. The good is objectively real, will is secondary
3. Man with knowledge of the good ought to have decisive power in the polis
4. Association of man with man in society depends on reciprocal needs and
resulting exchange of goods and services.
5. Philosopher attends to his share of the work, three classes are all
necessary
6. Class-based specialization of function depends on natural aptitude and
training (whereby the given is made better)
7. Two parts of the theory:
i. government ought to be art (techne) depending on exact knowledge
ii. society is mutual satisfaction of needs by persons whose capacities
supplement each other
E. The public is the great sophist
1. Man has a split nature, higher and lower
2. Politicians, especially in a democracy, are ignorant and incompetent
3. The incompetence of popular opinion ought to be countered through
education -- the coupling of questioning and training
F. Factional conflict arises from class, property owners vs the poor
G. The Republic presented the 'ideal city' because it was important for the
statesman -- the 'physician' of the state -- to know the healthy city
1. Plato wanted to establish the art of politics
2. The ideal city modeled along the lines of geometry and ideal types
H. Conceived society as a system of services in which every member both gives
and receives
1. Men have many wants
2. No man is self-sufficient
3. The state seeks to arrange the most adequate satisfaction of needs and
most harmonious interchange of services
I. Man receives freedom not for exercise of free will as much as for the practice
of his calling (given by nature)
1. Exchange implies division of labor
2. Man has natural aptitudes which become skills when men apply them-
selves to what they are given, as they work at it.
3. Philosopher rules because his knowledge is at once his right and duty to
do so
4. Assumes that properly educated, man is not anti- or unsocial and can live
in harmony.
i. Man and the state have underlying structure
ii. These structures are parallel, what is good for one is prevented from
being different from what is good for the other (the polis is the individual
"writ large)
J. The division of labor necessitates division into three classes
1. Workers and Guardians (divided into soldiers and rulers)
2. Rulers were source of sound knowledge of the good leaving the others as
political onlookers
K. Justice is the bond holding society together
1. All should fill the station to which he is entitled
2. "giving to every man his due"
i. Man should be due treatment as what he is, in light of his capacity
and training
ii. Due from him is an honest performance of tasks which place accorded
him requires
3. What is due is based on services performed not power or "rights"
L. The task becomes reaching perfect balance between human beings and
possibilities of significant employment that the state affords
1. Achieved by removing hindrances to good citizenship; and
2. Creating positive conditions of good citizenship through education
M. Achieved for rulers through 'communism'
1. Prohibited from holding private property
2. Abolition of permanent monogamous sexual relations
3. Controlled breeding
4. Wealth equalized to remove disturbing influence on government, along
with abolition of family (affection)
N. Education is the positive means to direct human nature
1. Main reliance placed here
2. State would control compulsory education
3. Elementary till age 20, gymnastics and "music" as training, direct or
indirect, for the mind
O. The Republic has been eternally the voice of the scholar, as such overly
simplified, leaving out human dignity and the person
P. Omits law and influence of public opinion
Next week: Plato: The Statesman and The Laws
Theory of the City-State
III.Plato: The Republic
A. Elaborated from Socrates the belief that there is a discoverable, objective
good life for the individual and the polis
B. Political philosophy is the effort to discover this 'good life'
C. Plato's version primarily found in The Republic, Statesman and Laws (written
in that order)
D. The Republic concerns the good man and the good life and the means for
knowing what these are and how to attain them
1.Political theory of The Republic an over simplified version of the later
presentation. Plato's fundamental focus was the soul (psych, the inner polis]
2. The good is objectively real, will is secondary
3. Man with knowledge of the good ought to have decisive power in the polis
4. Association of man with man in society depends on reciprocal needs and
resulting exchange of goods and services.
5. Philosopher attends to his share of the work, three classes are all
necessary
6. Class-based specialization of function depends on natural aptitude and
training (whereby the given is made better)
7. Two parts of the theory:
i. government ought to be art (techne) depending on exact knowledge
ii. society is mutual satisfaction of needs by persons whose capacities
supplement each other
E. The public is the great sophist
1. Man has a split nature, higher and lower
2. Politicians, especially in a democracy, are ignorant and incompetent
3. The incompetence of popular opinion ought to be countered through
education -- the coupling of questioning and training
F. Factional conflict arises from class, property owners vs the poor
G. The Republic presented the 'ideal city' because it was important for the
statesman -- the 'physician' of the state -- to know the healthy city
1. Plato wanted to establish the art of politics
2. The ideal city modeled along the lines of geometry and ideal types
H. Conceived society as a system of services in which every member both gives
and receives
1. Men have many wants
2. No man is self-sufficient
3. The state seeks to arrange the most adequate satisfaction of needs and
most harmonious interchange of services
I. Man receives freedom not for exercise of free will as much as for the practice
of his calling (given by nature)
1. Exchange implies division of labor
2. Man has natural aptitudes which become skills when men apply them-
selves to what they are given, as they work at it.
3. Philosopher rules because his knowledge is at once his right and duty to
do so
4. Assumes that properly educated, man is not anti- or unsocial and can live
in harmony.
i. Man and the state have underlying structure
ii. These structures are parallel, what is good for one is prevented from
being different from what is good for the other (the polis is the individual
"writ large)
J. The division of labor necessitates division into three classes
1. Workers and Guardians (divided into soldiers and rulers)
2. Rulers were source of sound knowledge of the good leaving the others as
political onlookers
K. Justice is the bond holding society together
1. All should fill the station to which he is entitled
2. "giving to every man his due"
i. Man should be due treatment as what he is, in light of his capacity
and training
ii. Due from him is an honest performance of tasks which place accorded
him requires
3. What is due is based on services performed not power or "rights"
L. The task becomes reaching perfect balance between human beings and
possibilities of significant employment that the state affords
1. Achieved by removing hindrances to good citizenship; and
2. Creating positive conditions of good citizenship through education
M. Achieved for rulers through 'communism'
1. Prohibited from holding private property
2. Abolition of permanent monogamous sexual relations
3. Controlled breeding
4. Wealth equalized to remove disturbing influence on government, along
with abolition of family (affection)
N. Education is the positive means to direct human nature
1. Main reliance placed here
2. State would control compulsory education
3. Elementary till age 20, gymnastics and "music" as training, direct or
indirect, for the mind
O. The Republic has been eternally the voice of the scholar, as such overly
simplified, leaving out human dignity and the person
P. Omits law and influence of public opinion
Next week: Plato: The Statesman and The Laws
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