Plato and Statesmanship


Plato (427 BC – 347) is probably the most famous of all philosophers. He is the author of many short dialogues which argue for positions we still take seriously today. He produced theories of reality, God, immortality, knowledge, the soul, virtue and happiness. His major achievement is the Theory of Ideas by which he sets the ‘treacherous’ physical world apart from the ‘real’ world of timeless entities.

In the Republic Plato argued against self-interest and political mediocrity and made many telling points about what is required for a just life & a just society. Justice is a sort of harmony, but one in which rational thought has the controlling voice. Thus Plato is for strong leadership, discipline and moral education. He is often criticised for the harshness of his vision; but it is an ideal, & we can separate its (sometimes regrettable) fine detail from the excellent principles which motivate it. The first Christian thinkers learned much from Plato’s views of existence, the human person and morality.