Plato: Life, Political Philosophy, and the Ideal State

Plato: Athenian Philosopher and Political Thinker

Biographical Journey

Descended from an aristocratic family, Plato was born in Athens in 427 BC. He began his philosophical journey influenced by Heraclitus, through Cratylus, but the defining event that marked his life and writing style was his encounter with Socrates.

After the death of his master, Socrates, Plato left Athens, traveling first to Megara and later, around 388 BC, to southern Italy. There, in Taranto, he met the Pythagorean Archytas, whose influence significantly shaped Plato's doctrine. Deeply affected by the unjust conviction and execution of Socrates, Plato decided to abandon practical politics.

Upon returning to Athens, Plato wished to repay Anniceris for ransom money (likely from a prior incident), but Anniceris refused it. With that money, Plato bought land near the shrine of the hero Academus, after whom he named the school he founded there: the Academy. The Academy can be considered the first European university, teaching not only philosophy but also other sciences. The Academy endured until 529 AD when Emperor Justinian ordered its closure.

He twice attempted to implement his political ideals in Syracuse: first with Dionysius II, and later at the request of Dion. Dion was eventually murdered, and Plato himself spent some time imprisoned. In his later years, he dedicated himself exclusively to philosophical work as a teacher at the Academy and to his writings. He died in 347 BC and was buried in the gardens of the Academy.

Plato's Political Philosophy

Plato identified the following classes or estates within the ideal state (polis):

• Producers: Responsible for producing necessary goods. They represent the lower class, dominated by the concupiscible (appetitive) part of the soul. Their characteristic virtue is temperance.
• Warriors (or Guardians): Tasked with defending the city from internal and external threats. They are dominated by the irascible (spirited) part of the soul. Their characteristic virtue is courage (strength). This class includes both men and women.
• Rulers (or Philosopher-Kings): Hold power over the other classes. Their mission is to legislate, manage, and ensure the education and organization of the city. The rational element of the soul predominates in them. Their proper virtue is wisdom (prudence), understood as the capacity to govern according to the Good and the Right.

Qualifications of Rulers

According to Plato, the rulers must be the best in three senses:

• Ethically superior: Lovers of truth and virtue.
• Intellectually superior: Wiser, better educated, possessing good memory, restraint, and grace.
• Most experienced: Having attained maturity through years of education and practical experience.

Therefore, Plato concluded, the rulers must be philosophers.