Plato the Republic

Question 1

Socrates philosophical thinking

Answer 1

Two spheres. One sphere for the public (us) and one sphere for the meaning of things. Philosophers was the only one to pass between the spheres.

Relationship between knowledge and behaviour.

Ethics - To be good, you need to practice virtues to avoid evil. Then you´re a good human in the public sphere.

Question 2

Who was Plato

Answer 2

Diciple of Socrates and teacher of Aristotle.

He used the dialectic method to establish the truth through reasoning argumentation.

Influenced western Christian philosophers like Saint Augustine.

Question 3

How can we get to know the truth, by Plato?

Answer 3

The world is diveded in two spheres.

The sphere of the ideas and the sphere of the physical world.

Two know the truth, you have to understand the sphere of ideas, not only what you see, hear, touch, taste and smell.

You can start reasoning through argumentation about the truth when you reach the stage of dialectical reason.

To reach this level of knowledge you have to pass through different stages of knowledge.

Question 4

Stages of knowledge

Answer 4

We can think of it as a staircase or the myth about the cave.

The first two steps are in the physical realm (opinion) and the two next is in the ideal realm (knowledge).

1. step - Imagination or fantasy (everybody). Cave position 1. - The people are locked into a position where they only see the shadows of the “real world”, which is constructed by someone else.
2. step - Rhetorical belief or conviction (some people) Cave position 2. - The people are now faced towards the fire there creates the shadows. They can now make their own thoughts of what they think it is.

We now enter the realm of ideas.

3. step. - mathematical understanding (the politicians and kings) Cave position 3. - The people now escaped the cave, dazzled by sunlight, but they only see shadows. They can understand physical things, but they can´t explain their meaning.
4. step - Dialectical reason (philosophers). Cave position 4 - Now adjusted to sunlight people can perceive visible objects which are created by the sun. So the sun is the truth, which later on Christianity will use for GOD and the “old west” will use for liberal democratizing.

Question 5

Ideal government

Answer 5

IT DOESN´T EXIST, argues Plato.

But the best type would be the aristocracy whit philosophers because they speak the dialectical reason. The state should be partly reason, spirit and desire. When we have that, we have unity, argues Plato.

There are only corrupt governments in the real world.

Question 6

Purpose of the state

Answer 6

To create unity in the universe.

This means that the state should be able to ensure that people live a good life and everybody is following this idea of goodness.

Good - Is discussed, what is complete, what is divine. Through knowledge, philosophers can decide, what is good and what is bad.

Question 7

What makes governments corrupted

Answer 7

Pure types of governments
- Politeia
- Aristocracy
- Monarchy

Corrupted types of governments.
- Democracy corrupted by freedom
- Oligarchy corrupted by wealth
- Tyranny is corrupted by violence

Question 8

Plato´s theory - The organic theory 4 pillars.

Answer 8

Dialectics - Dialogues, where philosophers establish the truth through reasoning argumentation.

Human nature - 3 virtues, unity
1. Reason - reason, through knowledge
2. Spirit - Courage and justice
3. Desire - pleasure and satisfaction

Stages of knowledge …

Justice
- Justice is inside men (think here about the evil inside men in Christian belief). A just society is a reflection of just men.
- “If we know what is fair, we can organize our coexistence based on how it is supposed to be, not how it is”.