Plato’s Insane Political Philosophy | The Republic
Summary
TLDRВ этом видео скрипт размышляется о идеальном обществе, основанном на разделении граждан на три класса: бронза, серебро и золото. Автор обсуждает концепцию Платона о правлении философами, их обучении и роли в обществе. Также рассматриваются альтернативные формы правления, такие как тимократия, олигархия, демократия и тирания, и их недостатки. Платоновская республика предлагает идею общества, где каждый служит обществу, принося свой вклад, и правит философ-король, обладающий мудростью и справедливостью.
Takeaways
- 🧐 Платон задавал вопрос о том, какая идеальная страна и как выглядит справедливый человек.
- 🏛️ В 'Государстве' Платон предложил идеализированное государство, чтобы увидеть, как выглядит справедливость на более широкой шкале.
- 👑 Платон утверждал, что ученые, всеми людьми, должны править обществом, хотя и сам он был скептиком по этому поводу.
- 🏗️ Платон разделил своих граждан на три класса: бронзовый, серебряный и золотой, соответствующие разным типам металлов и ролям.
- 🛠️ Бронзовый класс представлял собой экономическую основу города, включая ремесленников, торговцев и служащих.
- 🛡️ Серебряный класс - это профессиональная армия, обученная искусству войны и поддерживающая порядок в городе.
- 👑 Золотой класс - это известные философы-короли, которые являются правителями города.
- 🚫 Платон запретил золотому и серебряному классам владеть частной собственностью, чтобы отделить богатство от власти.
- 📚 Платон предложил строгую систему образования для всех классов, чтобы промоуvoir virtue среди всех граждан города.
- 🤔 Платон считал, что истинный философ - это кто-то, кто любит мудрость, справедливость, красоту и истину, и имеет возможность изучать их в деталях.
- 🗽 Платон критиковал существующие в то время формы правления в Греции и представил четыре альтернативные общества, чтобы показать, где они пойдут не так.
Q & A
Что такое идеальная государственность по учению Платона?
-Идеальная государственность Платона - это государство, в котором философы правят и каждый гражданин выполняет те функции, для которых он наиболее подходит.
Какой класс в государстве Платона отвечает за экономику?
-Бронзовый класс, включающий ремесленников, торговцев и служащих, отвечает за экономику в государстве Платона.
Какой класс в системе Платона предназначен для защиты и обеспечения порядка?
-Серебряный класс, также известный как вспомогательный класс, предназначен для защиты и обеспечения порядка в государстве Платона.
Почему Платон считал, что философы должны править?
-Платон считал, что философы, стремящиеся к истине и мудрости, будут править государством более справедливо и безопасно, так как они не будут искать личную выгоду.
Какой класс в государстве Платона считается "философским королевством"?
-Золотой класс, включающий философов-королей, считается правящим классом в государстве Платона.
Как Платон думал, что образование должно быть организовано в его государстве?
-Образование в государстве Платона должно быть строго контролируемо и направлено на формирование морали и веры в справедливость среди всех классов.
Какие качества Платон приписывал философу-королю?
-Философ-король должен обладать мудростью, смелостью, умеренностью, любовью к истине и способностью к служению сообществу.
Чем, по мнению Платона, рушит политическая система?
-Политика, по мнению Платона, рушится из-за коррупции, стремления к власти и богатству, а также из-за неспособности править справедливо.
Какие альтернативные формы правления рассматривает Платон в "Государстве"?
-Платон рассматривает такие формы правления, как тимократия, олигархия, демократия и тирания, и анализирует их недостатки.
Какой вид правления Платон считает худшим?
-Платон считает тиранией худшим видом правления, так как в ней обе стороны — правитель и народ — живут в несчастье и страхе.
Outlines
🏛️ Основы идеального государства Платона
В этом параграфе рассматривается вопрос идеального общества и правительства философами, как это предложено Платоном в своей работе 'Государство'. Автор поднимает вопросы, такие как власть богатства, идеализированного социализма и либертарианства. Платон делит граждан на три класса: бронзовый, серебряный и золотой, каждый из которых имеет свои роли и ограничения. Бронзовый класс - это рабочий класс, включающий ремесленников и торговцев, у которого есть свобода и возможность накопления богатства, но с ограничениями. Серебряный класс - это военная часть, а золотой класс - правители, философы-короли. Платон считает, что власть и богатство должны быть разделены, чтобы избежать коррупции и деспотизма.
🛡️ Образование и война в государстве Платона
Второй параграф сосредотачивается на классе серебра - профессиональной армии, которая обучается искусству войны и поддерживает мир в городе. Платон предлагает строгую систему образования, которая включает в себя физические и интеллектуальные испытания. Он также предлагает идею классовой мобильности, где дети, проявляющие черты серебра или золота, будут обучены соответствующим классам. Образование философов-королей должно продолжаться до 50 лет и включать в себя математику, философию, естествознание и диалектику, чтобы подготовить их к управлению государством.
🧠 Философ-король и его образование
Третий параграф углубляется в идею философов-королей, которые должны быть честными, смелыми, любознательными и стремящимися к знанию. Образование философов должно сосредоточиться на изучении всех предметов, чтобы развивать их разум и уменьшать их собственные желания. Платон считает, что философы-короли должны быть не мотивированы деньгами или властью, а стремлением к знанию и искренней правде. Он подчеркивает, что философы-короли должны видеть себя как равных с серебряным и бронзовым классами и не считать себя выше других.
🌐 Критика современного политического строя Платона
В четвертом параграфе автор критикует современное для Платона политическое устройство и предлагает альтернативные формы правления, такие как тимократия, олигархия и демократия, каждая из которых, по мнению Платона, имеет свои недостатки. Он также предсказывает, что демократия с лишней свободой может привести к хаосу и появлению тирана. Платон считает, что идеальное государство требует от нас больших жертв, но обеспечивает справедливость и радость.
🏙️ Альтернативные виды правления и их неудачи
Пятый параграф продолжает критику альтернативных форм правления и их неудачи, включая олигархию, демократию и тиранию. Платон рассматривает эти системы как неудачные и предсказывает, что они приведут к войне, эксплуатации и смертям. Он сравнивает их с идеальным государством, которое, по его мнению, требует от нас многого, но обеспечивает справедливость и радость.
🤔 Заключение и вопросы к зрителям
В заключении автор обращается к зрителям с вопросом о том, какие идеи Платона могут быть применимы в современных обществах и какие - нет. Он также предлагает продолжить изучение древней философии, ссылаясь на теорию дружбы Аристотеля.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡философ
💡Платон
💡Республика
💡бронза
💡серебро
💡золото
💡специализация
💡образование
💡справедливость
💡демократия
Highlights
Plato's Republic proposes that philosophers should rule society.
Plato divides citizens into three classes: bronze, silver, and gold, each with distinct roles.
The bronze class, representing the economic backbone, is allowed private property and wealth accumulation within limits.
The silver class forms the military and receives a rigorous education to ensure harmony and practical wisdom.
The gold class, or philosopher kings, rules the city-state and undergoes the most extensive education.
Plato argues for a separation of power and wealth to prevent corruption.
Education is central to Plato's vision, with strict controls on art and literature to promote moral development.
Plato advocates for class mobility based on individual traits and abilities.
The philosopher kings are characterized by their love for wisdom, truth, and justice.
Plato criticizes the philosophers of his time for seeking riches and status over truth and wisdom.
The education system in Plato's Republic aims to produce rulers who are incorruptible and dedicated to the common good.
Plato outlines the faults of other governments in ancient Greece, such as timocracy, oligarchy, democracy, and tyranny.
In Plato's view, democracy can lead to anarchy and the rise of a tyrant.
Plato's Republic demands sacrifices from its citizens, emphasizing community over individual desires.
The ultimate goal of Plato's Republic is a just, fair, and joyful society.
Plato's ideas on politics remain relevant and thought-provoking even after 2,000 years.
Transcripts
there will be no end to the Troubles of
States till philosophers rule in this
world if you could design the perfect
Society what would it be would you craft
a wealthy abundant hedonistic Nation
where everyone had each of their wishes
granted in one Fell Swoop would it be a
form of idealized Socialism where all
was shared with everyone else would it
be a Libertarian fantasy with no
restrictions and little to no government
well over 2,000 years ago Plato asked
asked this exact question he wanted to
know what Justice is and what a just
person would be like and to answer this
he crafted an idealized city-state to
see what Justice would look like on an
even wider scale this project culminated
in his great work the Republic where he
famously argued that philosophers of all
people should rule Society this may
sound like a ridiculous proposition and
even though I technically do Philosophy
for a living I am personally pretty
skeptical both myself and a lot of
philosophers I know would be pretty ill
suited to running a country philosophers
are normally conceived of as bookish and
out of touch spending their time in
Ivory Towers thinking about the
so-called higher Mysteries what possible
business could they have running a state
well let's find out shall we get ready
to learn why money ruins politics how
education is the most powerful weapon in
government and so much more as always
please bear in mind this is just my
incomplete interpretation of Plato's
ideas and I'll be skimming over some of
the details for easy of presentation and
also that just because Plato said
something doesn't mean that it's true
it's worth engaging with these ideas
critically but with that out of the way
let's begin by looking at the
foundations of the platonic city state
and Plato's first unintuitive
proposition one the new metallic order
the first step to getting inside Plato's
head with his governmental strategy is
to realize that ancient Greece had very
different priorities to the modern day
whereas many of us are lucky enough to
live in Nations without the immediate
threat of foreign Invasion and ones that
tend to favor the freedom and
Independence of their individual
citizens Plato instead focuses much more
on internal unity and efficiency part of
the reason this is such a priority is
because Plato wants his ideal citystate
to be secure and to a certain extent
unchanging he is writing not that long
after the pelian war the great conflict
that engulfed the whole of Greece and
the concerns of Interstate competition
would never be far from his mind to this
end Plato wants his city states to be as
cohesive and efficient as possible with
everyone doing what they are best suited
to do and so he divides his citizens
into three classes corresponding to
three different types of metal there is
the bronze class the silver class and
the gold class and each of these classes
has very different roles advantages and
most importantly drawbacks the bronze
class is meant to be the economic
Powerhouse of the city these are the
Craftsmen the trades people and the
servicemen of pl's Republic they are
also entitled to the most normal and
free life of anyone in Plato City city
state they work a lot like any other
Greek they are broadly allowed to
associate with whomever they want given
certain restrictions they have the
freedom to own private property and are
allowed to apply themselves to the
accumulation of money again within
certain parameters they have a vital
place in the city because without them
the state would have no food no economy
and would undoubtedly be outclassed and
overtaken by a superior power Plato is
not such an idealist as to think that he
can get by without any sort of trade as
much as he admires aspects of the
Spartans brutal lifestyle he does not
think that permanent austerity is a
recipe for long-term success even though
he also makes it clear that there will
be limits in the amount of wealth
inequality that is allowed to exist
between people in his State as without
this he imagines resentment and anger
building amongst the populace the main
restriction the bronze class face is
that they are forced to stick to one
profession for their entire lives so if
you are a blacksmith then you remain One
Forever the thinking behind this
decision is actually pretty
straightforward if someone sticks to one
job the job they are best suited for
then they will be able to sink much more
time into it accumulating more expertise
as a result this means that Plato's
Republic will have not just Craftsman
but the best Craftsmen not just Farmers
but the best Farmers this specialization
is also meant to promote peace within
the state according to Plato internal
Harmony in a society is partly brought
about by a lack of competition within
the city a sense that everyone is on the
same team if there were too many
Builders and blacksmiths all competing
for the same business then it would
promote resent M since the less
successful Craftsmen would envy the more
successful ones and they may decide to
work to bring about their downfall thus
each person will probably inherit their
profession from their parents unless
they have a special skill that means
they should be moved to another job this
might seem confusing in a modern context
because we tend to want people to be
free to pursue whatever they care about
and Plato does recognize that not
everyone will be happy with this but he
thinks that the health of our community
is far more important this is just the
beginning of a key theme in the Republic
everyone sacrificing for the general
good of society but this paying extreme
dividends when that Society is strong
enough to support them and keep them
safe and happy next up is the silver
class this is effectively the nation's
military and here PL takes a leaf out of
the Spartans book and argues for a
professional Army this is in contrast to
many of the other city states in Greece
at this time who would repurpose their
civilian citizens as a fighting force in
times of War however in keeping with his
theme of specialization Plato thought
that a professional military would be
much more effective he calls this the
auxiliary class and their sole job is to
train in The Art of War and keep the
peace within the city they would also
receive a rigorous training and a strict
education system which we're going to
revisit in the next section finally we
have the Gold Class these are Plato's
Infamous philosopher Kings this group
forms the rulers of the city and it is
perhaps the hardest part of Plato's
political pill to swallow I'm going to
devote an entire section to them later
in the video so I'm I'm not going to go
into too much detail here but rest
assured they will be back the important
thing to note for now is just that
they're in charge these groups were also
meant to correspond to the three parts
of Plato's human soul the rational or
wise part for the rulers the energetic
or spirited part for the soldiers and
the desirous or appetitive part for the
bronze class now the immediate issue
that leaps out when reading this is that
we have a class system where two groups
of people have all of the military power
and the others are effectively powerless
subjects there is every chance this
could lead to severe corruption within
the state and for the whole thing to
dissolve into a tyranny however Plato
has a pretty clever solution to this he
bans the auxiliary and the ruling class
from owning private property each silver
and gold person will be provided with
their lodgings food and other
necessities by the state but this does
not mean that they will live in luxury
on the contrary they will be in very
sparse communal lodgings and would be
completely barred from owning anything
for themselves in other words wants to
keep power and wealth or Comfort
completely separate he says that ruling
or soldiering will be a great honor but
it'll also be no easy ride indeed he
insinuates that most people would
actually prefer to belong to the bronze
class so that they could enjoy material
Comfort but also that this is a good
thing because it means the only people
who end up in power are those with the
Constitution to use this position to
serve their fellow citizens rather than
enrich themselves for worldly luxuries
and status in a rather preent passage
Plato describes how the ability of
rulers to enrich themselves through
their offices has the power to transform
them from Servants of the people to
selfish avaricious tyrants leading to
societal resentment as a result but this
is only the beginning of the lengths
that PLO will go to to ensure there is
good rulership in his City because next
we're going to look at a very exciting
subject the proper education of a
politician if you want to help me make
more videos like this then please
consider subscribing to my Channel or my
P the links are in the description two
educating a state have you ever stopped
to think about how strange it is that
the people that run most countries
receive little to no training for this
job this is despite the fact it's one of
the most important positions someone can
have in a state we wouldn't allow a
doctor to operate on a patient without a
single day's medical training so how
come we end up offering no such
specialized educational provision to the
people that end up running our country
again Plato is drawing from his own
experience here in his lifetime pure
Democratic rule granted Athens
incompetent rulers and rash decisions
after all the Athenian States had
executed Plato's great teacher Socrates
and led the country to disaster in the
pelian war and Plato has a plan to make
sure that his soldiers and rulers are as
effective and selfless as possible it
comes in the form of a rigorous
education system designed to promote
virtue amongst all the classes in the
city first of all there are Plato's
Infamous and strict controls on the art
and literature that any citizen in his
State can consume Plato says if we are
to have a society as full of just people
as possible we have to pay very careful
attention to the messages we are sending
them especially as they're growing up he
even criticizes the great poet Homer for
filling people's heads with the idea
that Gods could be cruel or capricious
or that Heroes could be wrathful lustful
and belligerent for Plato the purpose of
Art in his City will be to Aid in the
moral development of its citizenry and
to that end everything must be carefully
Cur ated this probably strikes us today
as unacceptably censorious and Plato
freely admits that this will limit the
pleasure the Republic citizens will take
in the Arts but he thinks this is a
small price to pay to promote social
cohesion and good moral character I'll
leave it up to you whether you agree
with him here it's also worth bearing in
mind that Plato himself does not think
he's doing a cruel thing he is
essentially worried that if people are
exposed to the wrong Role Models through
myth or theater then they will be led
down unhappy paths in their life and
also neglect their duties to their
fellow citizens it's all meant to be in
service to The Wider Community the uh
greater good of course today we consider
free creative expression a much more
significant part of what makes a happy
life so many of us would probably
disagree with the great Greeks policies
here nonetheless Plato is not being
deliberately dictatorial but is
genuinely trying to safeguard the
citizens of his imaginary Republic much
like a father wouldn't allow a
5-year-old to watch The Texas Chainsaw
Massacre however Beyond this not an
awful lot is said about what the
education of the bronze class should
consist in at points Plato hints that
there'll be a kind of apprenticeship
model where they are taught their
destined trades so that they can achieve
Excellence much faster at other points
he alludes to more formal educational
Provisions being made Plato probably
doesn't expand on this too much because
the bronze class are treated the most
normally of all of Plato citizens at
least by the standards of much of
ancient Greek culture when we get to the
auxiliaries this is when things start to
get interesting at the early stages the
auxiliaries and rulers or Guardians are
educated together and are put through
numerous physical and intellectual
trials for the soldiers Plato has two
distinct aims to cultivate their
physical prowess but also their sense of
Harmony and practical wisdom to that end
he actually Advocates teaching them
music and the theory behind music they
will be taught how Harmony works shown
examples of Music in its proper fashion
and it will be emphasized over and over
again that Harmony is a supreme virtue
and that their job is to devote their
lives to the harmony of the community
Plato also broke with Athenian tradition
here and argued that men and women
should be given exactly the same
education because why should the
Republic miss out on the service of an
excellent Soldier or a supremely
skillful Guardian just because they're a
woman the ideal for Plato's auxiliaries
is to be strong enough to master the
battlefields but also subtle enough to
keep the peace in the city without
abusing their power or upsetting the
general populace it is also here that
Plato proposes a version of class
Mobility any child born to bronze
parents that displays Sil silver or gold
traits will be educated in the manner of
that class sometimes Plato has been
called a tyrant for his political
theories but I believe it's almost more
accurate to call him a believer in
involuntary meritocracy he believed in
picking the best person for the job but
also thought that that person was Duty
bound to carry out that job whether they
wanted to or not again everyone is
sublimating their individual desires for
the good of the whole once the soldiers
had completed this schooling they were
guaranteed to be both capable Fighters
and fiercely loyal to the citystate
without a drop of corruption in their
body at least that's the theory when
this is complete the rulers are
separated into their own group for the
next stage of their education this will
ultimately last until they are 50 years
old and includes studies in various
fields of mathematics philosophy
physical training Natural Science
dialectic and years of field and
Military Work all of which is aimed to
prepare them for the meticulous job of
running the Republic now you may have
heard the word dialectic used in the
context of certain 19th century
philosophers like Hegel but Plato means
it in a somewhat different sense for him
dialectic is the practice of using
precise philosophical analysis and
discussion to find the truth of an issue
and to establish the first principles of
wisdom and governance it's easy to see
how this skill might come in hand for a
ruler but Plato does not just want these
analytic and discussion skills to be
used in the straightforwardly Practical
domain of stagecraft he also wants the
rulers to turn their attention to more
abstract ideas alongside the day-to-day
business of running the city these
philosopher Kings will conduct inquiries
into what genuinely constitutes goodness
Justice right wrong truth and Beauty so
that they can use these discoveries for
the good of all of course the job of
being an Incorruptible ruler of a city
clearly requires a particular kind of
person so it is high time we looked at
this idea of a philosopher king in more
detail three the ruler of wisdom in our
heads we all have an image of what a
philosopher looks like it is probably
some old-looking bloke or serious
looking woman hunched over a desk with a
pen in their hand scribbling down some
musings on the meaning of life or
attending to some minor issue of
analytic logic I don't mean this as an
insult I love these people I want to
become one but it does make sense that
people would question why this group in
particular has the right to rule over
the rest of us however we must bear in
mind that when Plato says philosopher he
means something very different to this
academic world of Tweed jackets and
mahogany desks he is talking more
broadly but also perhaps more strictly
about those that love wisdom or perhaps
more importantly love truth let's think
about what makes an incompetent ruler
they might be forgetful careless
thoughtless easily tricked and
indecisive above all they carry little
to no commitment to what is actually the
case they will lie so much that they
will forget what was the truth and what
was a figment of their ever inventive
imagination they would lose touch with
reality to such an extent that they
could not become good Governors if they
tried for Plato this is a doomsday
scenario and should be avoided at all
costs considering that one of the most
common complaints about politicians
today is still their perceived
dishonesty perhaps we would do well to
listen to what Plato has to say next for
Plato a true philosopher is someone who
loves wisdom Justice Beauty and truth
and moreover has the capability to
examine these in detail they are meant
to be honest to a fault courageous
intellectually and physically curious
love learning and are eager to serve
their Community they demonstrate the
platonic virtues of wisdom courage and
moderation it's fair to say this is
somewhat of a departure from our
ordinary usage of philosopher and this
has caused a lot of confusion when
people read Plato Plato is not saying
that academics should rule over us all
but rather that a ruler should have
certain qualities if they are to wield
their power responsibly and effectively
he just considered these as also the
qualities a good philosopher would have
he also thought the state should grow
and nurture these virtues if we are to
have a truly peaceful and just Society
additionally a platonic philosopher is
someone not motivated by money or power
but instead learning and the discovery
of the so-called highest truths they
must not only be extremely studious but
also moderate in their bodily tastes he
ideally says that a philosopher king
would be so single-minded that nothing
would tear them away from their learning
and their governance they would not want
to accumulate wealth or status or have a
harem of extremely attractive lovers
because their whole mind is devoted to
studying and just Administration and the
entire education system of the rulers is
meant to encourage this as I said before
Plato wants to school his philosopher
Kings in all manner of subjects this is
important for practical reasons this way
a ruler can be an engineer a navigator
and a general allinone but it is also
meant to hone their minds and encourage
them to take all of their pleasure from
this studying and learning decreasing
their potential for corruption anyone
who was sluggish in their work or
distracted from other things would be
removed and not permitted to become a
ruler of the city this might seem really
harsh but for Plato it is absolutely
necessary to ensure that our rulers have
our best interests at heart and will not
be led astray by selfish desires at
points Plato even says that these rulers
should not want to have power at all
they should take no particular joy in
this privileged position but again see
it as a sacrifice they are making to
everyone else this completes that theme
we were talking about that runs through
the entirety of the Republic rather than
a society full of individuals taking for
themselves this is a city where everyone
offers all of their work skill and
energy to the community safe in the
knowledge that everyone else is doing
the same it is a bit like how work might
be divided amongst a group of firm
friends or a close family people
wouldn't worry about how much effort and
sacrifice they are giving because they
are 100% confident that everyone else is
going to do the same thus in theory
everybody wins Plato also takes pains to
emphasize that the rulers don't see
themselves as better than the silver or
bronze class this is why he refers to
them as fellow ruler and fellow ruled
rather than as slaves and master
of course Plato knows that this idea of
philosophers ruling will seem totally
ridiculous but this is where he takes a
moment to criticize what he saw the
so-called philosophers and intellectuals
of his time doing for Plato almost all
people who present themselves as wise or
just or philosophical are either
insufficiently trained or have had their
Natures corrupted by their society so at
some point instead of pursuing truth
wisdom and Beauty directly they have
veered off course and sought riches or
status instead alternatively anyone with
the right temperate to remain moderate
in the face of this worldly Temptation
has withdrawn from public life
disdainful of the corruption that they
find in the political sphere basically
for Plato most societies set themselves
up specifically to discourage the best
people to rule from ruling and to
encourage the more selfish power hungry
types to seize the Reigns of State
instead I will leave it to you to decide
how relevant this Insight is for the
present day so that is the broad outline
of Plato's state if it all goes well
then every one is in a position where
they can contribute the most to society
you can have wealth or power but not
both and the rulers are highly trained
to be learned just and self-sacrificial
but interestingly Plato ends the
Republic not by arguing directly for his
system but by outlining The Faults of
all of the other governments he found in
ancient Greece and his analyses remains
surprisingly and startlingly relevant
even to this day so for our final point
we're going to examine Plato's extended
rant against his own Society for four
the failed States running through the
whole of the Republic it is clear that
Plato is deeply dissatisfied with
politics as it existed in Greece at his
time and to be fair who can blame him
the state of Athens killed his teacher
and his friend and there were numerous
people who argued that the strong had
the right to dominate the weak and that
Justice was whatever they decided there
were demagogues who had led his City
into disaster and he had grown up in the
shadow of an ancient world war though
its Fame persists to this St in some
ways the Republic is a direct response
to the problem of Plato's time amongst
all of this Injustice and savagery how
do we create a good people and a just
society and to hammer this point home
Plato outlines four alternative
societies and lets us know where they go
wrong first we have the timocracy
meaning ruling by Honor Plato Compares
this situation to one like Sparta there
is still a ruling class but they are not
as selfless and just as the philosopher
Kings instead they prioritize other
matters like military honor and
competition amongst one another they may
even begin to worship money and from
here it is a short step to Plato's
second form of government next we have
oligarchy we still use this term in
roughly the same way that Plato did in
this state the ruling class are
determined by personal wealth only those
with money can have power and everyone
else is essentially under their thumb it
is the direct opposite of Plato's core
idea that power and wealth should be
kept as far away from one another as
possible and and according to Plato an
oligarchy is guaranteed to undermine the
unity that he thought was so important
for justice in a community he
essentially says an oligarchy is not one
state but two states that run parallel
to one another there is one rich ruling
Society who is only out for themselves
and the poor who dwell in understandable
anger at their selfish Masters predating
modern theories of class conflicts by
2,000 years Plato predicts that the
underclass will eventually rise up and
attempt to overthrow their Rich Overlord
either this Rebellion will be put down
pretty swiftly or they will succeed and
then we move to the next stage next on
the table there is good old-fashioned
Athenian style democracy these are not
quite like our modern representative
democracies but instead every citizen
has the right to vote on every major
decision that is the democracy is direct
and Plato's criticism of direct
democracy is really interesting because
he thinks that it will lead to an excess
of Freedom a lot of us are now used to
the idea that freedom is fundamentally a
good thing and that the more of it we
can get our hands on the better but
Plato thought that freedom itself
actually meant very little if we didn't
know how to use it in an unjust State he
thought that being free simply amounted
to the ability to follow our appetites
wherever they took us thus he thinks we
would pursue our own selfish ends
splitting the state into more and more
pieces until there was just crude
individualist Anarchy Not only would
this leave us open to outside aggression
but we would also yearn for more order
and structure and community and this
would let the following nefarious
character take control Plato thinks that
out of this anarchic state will emerge
someone powerful and popular enough to
Rally significant support which they
will then use to seize militaristic
power over their City then since there
is no guarantee they will have the right
temperaments to rule they may slowly
become a tyrant over time in fact Plato
thinks they are almost guaranteed to he
says this person may begin as a
demagogue someone who promises to give
us all we want but as soon as they are
in power they will instead prioritize
their own individual instinctive desires
terrorizing the citizenry in the process
he thinks this is the worst form of
government because both the public and
the ruler are completely miserable while
the ordinary people are undoubtedly
oppressed the ruler also lives in
constant fear of someone overthrowing
him and almost certainly killing him he
sees enemies around every corner and
ends up taking no pleasure in his rule
all the while being unable to give it up
without facing certain death and if he
is killed then the state will just be in
chaos again Plato points to all of these
states with their inevitable instability
War exploitation and death and he
contrasts them with his own projects He
knows that this ideal Republic will
demand a lot from us we will have to
change our entire way of living we will
have to make endless sacrifices to one
another give up a lot of freedoms
especially if we're a ruler and accept
that for all of us the community comes
first but according to Plato if all goes
smoothly we will reap the rewards of a
society that is just fair and joyous and
he thinks that makes it all worthwhile
of course we now have over 2,000 years
of political thinking since Plato So we
would almost certainly disagree with a
great many of his points famously car
POA thought Plato's Republic would be an
absurd dystopia but I'm really
interested to know what you think which
of Plato's ideas do you think are worth
taking on board and incorporating into
our own societies and which are no
longer applicable or relevant should we
demand that our politicians be much more
like Plato's philosopher Kings with the
emphasis on learning and moderation
should we separate wealth and power
entirely making it clear that our rulers
are Servants of the community and not
the other way around I am certainly no
political thinker so I'm just curious to
know what you think we can learn from
Plato here and what we can safely
disregard because the problems of how to
craft a just and Fair Community aren't
going to go away and perhaps we can find
an understanding ear or a potential ally
in this ancient Greek genius and if you
want to explore more of this type of
ancient philosophy further then click
here to learn about Aristotle's famous
theory of friendship and how it might
form part of the solution to our modern
struggles of loneliness and stick around
for more on thinking to improve your
life
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