Kings as Philosophers and Philosophers as Kings

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6 word format

document in English

literature

research papers

published 16/04/2008

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Summary

In books 5 and 6 of Plato’s Republic, the issue of who should rule society is addressed. Through out the dialogue, the character Socrates makes several arguments for the intelligence, virtue and worth of philosophers as people and as potential rulers. In this paper I will examine his arguments for granting “philosopher kings” ruler ship of society. I will provide criticisms for these arguments and examine those criticisms by reapplying the ideas of Plato. I will conclude with my arguments for and against the theory of kings as philosophers and philosophers as kings.

Keywords: Glaucon, guardians of the city

Socrates states that in order to understand justice, it is first necessary to see it at work in the city.
Glaucon asks Socrates to defend this argument.
Socrates explains that the true philosophers are indeed the epitome of virtue as well as knowledge.
Socrates goes state that there are so few people who actually 'consort with philosophy in a way that is worthy of her.?
Socrates returns to the idea of the guardians of the city.
Socrates goes to great lengths to explain the supreme value of the philosophic nature, or the philosophic soul.
Socrates states that philosophers do not opine, they know.
The conditioning of the citizens from birth would also play a role in preventing corruption.
The issue of whether or not philosophers are more easily corrupted than most people can only be evaluated under hypothetical circumstances.