The Major Work of Plato on Governance - Case Study Example

Plato’s The Republic Part V and Portions of VI The Republic is one of Plato’s major works if not the major work of Plato on governance. It is knownthat Plato use the method known as Socratic method in which people are led to conclusions desired by a persuader through the use of leading questions. In Plato’s The Republic, Plato used the Socratic method by creating mimicking a running dialogue between Socrates, who is the narrator, and a group composed of Cephalus, Glacon, Thrasymachus, Adeimantus, Cleitophon, Polemarchus, and several others were mere “auditors” (Plato 1049). The Socratic Method may or may not be the actual method used by Socrates in teaching his students. However, the method used by Plato and his other works are usually described as “Socratic” in which dialogues or leading questions are used by a teacher or educator in order to teach or impart knowledge to his or her students. Based on my reading of the material, I have reached the conclusion that the perspective of the Plato is mainly articulated through the lips of Socrates who is the narrator in the The Republic. However, The Republic narrate a conversation between Socrates and his friends and many of the statements of Socrates’ friends were allowed by Socrates to pass uncontested or affirmed by either Socrates or Socrates’ other friends. Thus, it appears reasonable to assume that Plato also occasionally speaks through the lips of Socrates’ friends even if Socrates’ friends adhere to perspectives that are very much different from Socrates. It is, of course, well-known that Socrates was Plato’s teacher. The story may or may not be true or that Plato may have used his genuine dialogues with Socrates in writing The Republic but it appears undeniable that Plato may have derived inspiration and “wisdom” from Socrates, his teacher. The Republic opens with a description of the scene. The scene was in the house of Cephalus at the Piraeus or port (Plato 1050). However, the whole dialogue was narrated by Socrates the day after it actually took place to Timaeus, Hermocrates, Critias, and a nameless person, who were all introduced to Timaeus (Plato 1050). Socrates went down to the Piraeus with Glaucon, the son of Ariston, so that they may offer to the goddesses also because Socrates was interested “in what manner they would celebrate the festival, which was a new thing” (Plato 1050). In this discussion, we focus on the key discussions of Book V of Plato’s The Republic. In my view, the focus of the discussions in Book V that continued into some portions of Book VI is on the nature of women, equality between genders, hymeneal or marriage and having children, guardianship and kingship of philosopher kings, rigged lots and preparation of guardians and philosopher kings, and organization of the State. Nature of Women Plato pointed out that while many women are inferior to men in many ways, men are also inferior to women in many ways and, thus, the inferiorities cancel making men and women not inferior to each other (Plato 1191, 4th paragraph). Plato pointed out that “the gifts of nature are alike diffused in both; all the pursuits of men are the pursuits of women also” (Plato 1191, 5th paragraph). Women can also have the temper of guardians (Plato 1191 3rd to last paragraph). When confronted that the teaching on women appear to contradict his teachings, Plato said that the difference between them “consists only in women bearing and men begetting children, this does not amount to a proof that a woman differs from a man in respect of the sort of education she should receive” (Plato 1190, 5th paragraph). Further, Plato said that the guardian and their wives must pursue the said principle (Plato 1190, 5th paragraph). Women and Equality between Genders Women are to have the same duties as men as well as education (Plato 1187, 4th paragraph). They must also have the same nurture as the men (Plato 1187, 4th paragraph). Plato said, “Women be must taught music and gymnastics and also the art of war” and “they must practise like the men” (Plato 1187, 7th paragraph). Plato recognized that the view would be recognized as ridiculous according to current notions (Plato 1187, 12th paragraph). He was aware that people may also consider that the sigh of “women naked in the palaestra, exercising with the men, especially when they are no longer young; they certainly will not be a vision of beauty, any more than the enthusiastic old men who, in spite of wrinkles and ugliness, continue to frequent the gymnasia” (Plato 1187, 13th paragraph). Plato said that there will ridicule that will be directed against the idea of women’s attainments in music and gymnastics, and “above all about their wearing armour and riding upon horseback!” (Plato 1187 13th paragraph). Plato pointed out, “the Hellenes were of the opinion, which is still generally received among the barbarians, that the sigh of a naked man was ridiculous and improper; and when first the Cretans, and then the Lacedemonians, introduced the customs, the wits of that day might equally have ridiculed the innovation” (Plato 1187, 2nd to the last paragraph). For Plato, women like men can become officers (1197 first paragraph). Reproductive Age, Hymeneal or Marriage, Having Children, and Family A woman may begin to bear children at twenty years of age until she is forty while a man can begin at twenty-five until fifty-five (Plato 1197 last paragraph to 1198 1st paragraph). The said ages are “the prime of physical as well as of intellectual vigour” (1198, 2nd paragraph). A person who marries below or above the said ages will be considered to have done “an unholy and unrighteous thing” (Plato 1198, 2nd paragraph). The child conceived outside of the prescribed ages “will be the offspring of darkness and strange lust” (Plato 1198, 2nd paragraph). At the same time, anyone who connects with any women in the prime of life without the sanction of the rulers will also be considered to have done an unholy and unrighteous thing (Plato 1198, 6th paragraph). He shall also be considered to be raising a bastard to the State, uncertified and unconcentrated (Plato 1198, 6th paragraph). Plato also said, “a man may not marry his daughter or his daughter’s daughter, or his mother or his mother’s mother; and women, on the other hand, are prohibited from marrying their sons or fathers, or son’s son or father’s father, and son on in either direction” (1198, 8th paragraph). Agents of the state will have “strict order to prevent any embryo which may come into being from seeing the light; and if any force a way to the birth, the parents must understand that the offspring of such a union cannot be maintained” and that there will be arrangements to enforce this prohibition (Plato 1198, 8th paragraph). How will one know who are their fathers and daughters and so on? The answer of Plato is that one will never know. According to Plato, this is because a bridegroom “will call all the male children who are born in the seventh and tenth month afterward his sons, and the female children his daughters, and they will call him father, and he will call their children grandchildren, and they will call the elder generation grandfathers and grandmothers” (1198, last paragraph). Further, “all who were begotten at the time when their fathers and mothers came together will be called brothers and sisters” and will be forbidden to intermarry (Plato 1198, last paragraph). Nevertheless, Plato said the rule is not absolute because “if the lot favours them, and they receive the sanction of the Pythian oracle, the law will allow them” (1199, 1st paragraph). Guardian and Philosopher Kings For Plato, for rulers and auxiliaries to be worthy of the name must be willing to obey (1194, last paragraph). Further, “the guardians themselves must obey the laws, and they must also imitate the spirit of them in any details which entrusted to their care” (Plato 1194 last paragraph to 1195 first paragraph). Plato elaborated, “That the wives of our guardians must common, and their children are to be common, and no parent is to know his own child, nor child his parent” (1194, 1st paragraph). However, Plato conceded that possibility for this is quite another matter but the message is that society must try nevertheless (1194, 3rd paragraph). The wives of guardians must be virtuous (Plato 1193, 11th paragraph). They are expected to share in the toils of war and defence of their country (1193, 11th paragraph). This is not to say that guardians are only males because Plato clarifies on page 1193 that “guardians of either sex should have all their pursuits in common,” implying that husband and wives must have or share common aspirations. Guardians are to be given women who are select and found to have common nature with guardians (Plato 1195, 3rd paragraph). They are to live in common houses and meet at common meals (Plato 1195, 3rd paragraph). For guardians to be truly guardians, both the notions of community of property and community of families will prevent disunities among guardians because guardians can “tear the city” into pieces with differences on their notions on what is “mine” and “not mine” (Plato 1202, 11th paragraph). Both the community of families and community of property will promote guardian who uphold the common end (Plato 1202, 11th paragraph). When guardians “have nothing but their persons which they can call their own,” there will be no suits and complaints among them and they will avoid the quarrels of money, children, and relatives (Plato 1202, 13th paragraph). Is a community of guardians with a community of properties, wives, and families possible? Of course, community of properties, wives, families, and relatives can be found among animals, but is it possible to implement this among people (Plato 1205, 2nd paragraph)? Plato implied on pages 1205 and 1206 that there could be risks in establishing a community of guardians with community of properties, wives, families, and relatives but the risks must be confronted just the same (1205-1206). Children will inspire us to valour in creating the appropriate arrangements or confronting the risks (Plato 1205, 10th paragraph). Plato said that until philosopher are kings, or the kings and princes of the world have the spirit and power of philosophy, and political greatness and wisdom are embodied among leaders, cities will never be free from evil (Plato 1213, 3rd paragraph). The perfect guardian, therefore, must be a philosopher (Plato 1243, 2nd to last paragraph). In turn, Book VI of The Republic defines a philosopher as a lover of full wisdom (Plato 1214, 3rd to last paragraph). However, Plato pointed out that not all are meant to be philosophers but are meant to be followers rather than leaders instead (1213, 7th paragraph). For example, Plato said, one who dislikes learning especially in his youth should not be philosophers (1214, last paragraph). This implies that philosophers must lovers of learning. A philosopher is also a lover of knowledge (Plato 1214, last paragraph). A philosopher is also one who have a taste for every kind of knowledge and who is curious to learn and never satisfied (Plato 1215, 3rd paragraph). Curiosity marks a philosopher (Plato 1215, 4th paragraph). Philosophers are also “lovers of the vision of truth” (Plato 1215, 4th paragraph). Only philosophers are able to grasp the eternal and unchangeable (Plato 1223, 5th paragraph). Rigged Lots, Selection and Preparation of Guardians and Philosopher-Kings In Plato’s plan for choosing guardians and philosopher kings, certain festivals will bring together brides and bridegrooms and sacrifices will be offered (Plato 1196, last paragraph). The organizers of the hymeneal festival will have to invent ingenious lots that will pair the less worthy with each other and the better individuals with other better individuals (Plato 1197, 1st and 3rd paragraphs). According to Plato, proper officers will bring the offspring of good parents to be taken cared of in a separate quarter, separated from the offspring of the inferior (1197, 7th paragraph). The objective of the separation is to keep guardians poor (Plato 1197, 8th paragraph). The people who care for guardians will provide the guardian’s nurturance and will bring the mothers to the guardians “when they are full of milk, taking care that no mother recognizes her own child; and other wet-nurses may be engaged if more are required” (Plato 1197, 9th paragraph). Carers will ensure that the period of suckling will not be too long (Plato 1197, 9th paragraph). Organization of the State What should be the chief aim of the legislator in the organization of the State is to define what is good and the greatest evil (Plato 1199, 5th paragraph). Yet, at the same time, we are unable to define a common good when the state is disorganized (Plato 1199, 11th paragraph). Society’s unity is the greatest good, when there is a community of pleasures of pain and when citizens are glad or grieve on the same occasions (Plato 1199, 7th and 9th paragraphs). Private property is the usual origin of disagreements when there no disagreement between the use of the terms “mine” and “not mine”, “his” and “not his” (Plato 1199, 13th paragraph). The establishment of a state enables society to define the common good and common properties. At the same time, the role of the state is to secure the greatest happiness not of a particular class, but of the whole (Plato 1204, 2nd paragraph). Corruption of the majority is unavoidable and this provides one reason why governance should be entrusted to philosophers instead (Plato 1229, paragraphs 7-8). Philosophers hate lies, love or motivated by truth and one therefore “cannot suspect any evil of the band which he leads” (Plato 1230, 5th paragraph). Only when philosophers rule would the State have a rest from evil (Plato 1242, 9th paragraph). Philosophers are also associated with justice, health of mind, and temperance (Plato 1230, 7th paragraph). Yet, at the same time, not all men can be philosopher and philosophers are subject to the censure of the world (Plato 1234, 2nd to 5th paragraphs). Conclusion I am happily surprised to find out that Plato has pioneered on the equality of genders as an important theme in The Republic. The questions that Plato has raised during his time are as relevant as today. Many men today have answers to the questions similar to the answers given by Socrates and his friends. Many of the answers may not be attuned or appropriate to the times and problems of today but the Plato’s ideas remain useful nevertheless in providing the preliminary answers to the eternal questions. Plato’s answers to the questions, of course, are not the final answers but we are able to answer better to Plato’s questions precisely by deriving insights and knowledge from intellectuals who answered the same questions that Plato has posed in the name of Socrates and his friends. Work Cited Plato. The Republic. In Complete Plato. Adelaide, Australia: University of Adelaide Feedbooks, 2007: 1047-1372. Read More