ABSTRACT
Plato introduced his ideal state to salvage bad
governance that could spring up from bad leaders. He classified the citizens of
his Republic into three categories; Guardian (Rulers), Auxiliaries (Military)
and the Artisans (Farmers). He apportioned duties for each of the three classes
and conditions that make one a member of either of the classes. He defined
duties for both the sate and individuals that make up the state and introduced
Justice as a means of assuring peace in the state, which is by the principle of
one minding his duties without interfering with others. The individuals owe the
state a duty of obedience, while the state on the other hand owes the
individuals a duty of security and provisions of other amenities. Finally,
Plato’s ideal state is a pace setter for all generations and has made a whole
lot of positive impact which prevails over his mistakes throughout the history
of political Philosophy.
CHAPTER ONE
1.1 BACKGROUND OF
THE STUDY
Plato was born in 427B.C. at Athens; he was born into a
distinguished and wealthy family; his birth, took place some few years after
the out break of the Peloponnesian war. This war lasted until he was twenty
three years old. This is to say that his experience with this war, made impact
toward his ability to sharpen his thought on the relationship between the
individuals and the state.
More so, Plato’s analysis on the relationship between the
individuals and the state was also influenced and sharpened through the
political connection of Plato’s family. He had a link with Pericle whose
political influence, dominated Athens for a period of about thirty years.
Pericle was a democrat to the core and he died at the early state of the war in
427BC. After the death of Pericle, some radical democrats came up and used more
ruthlessly, the element of force in the Athenian confederation. According to
Plato, “they were ready to act on the belief which Thracymachus expresses that
it is natural and sensible to exploit the weak”! This
was an ugly experience for Plato, between the agency of the state and the
individuals. These radical democrats had all their powers depended on their
ability to sway and win the popular support through rhetoric. Their policies
depend on popular acclamation rather than what the situation demanded. It was
in their hand that Athenian state got humiliated and defeated, due to their
inability to do what the mind of the individuals.
After the final fall of Athens, then came on Oligarchic
revolution and commission of thirty was set up. Though, they started on a good
note, purging the city of perpetuators of evil and later the resorted to savage
tyranny. Their tyranny lasted for only eight months and they were divided out
and subsequently killed. So the ugly democratic but tyrannical political
dispensation and the outbreak in the political scene of Athens contributed in
no small measure, to the Platonic idea of what the relationship between the
state and the individuals ought to be, the measure to ensure peace and avoid
tyrannical leaders.
Right from the ancient days, philosophers are faced with the
problem of what the relationship between the individual and the state would be
and the structure of the society where the individuals live. On this quest,
Aristotle voted earlier that “man is by nature a political animal and thereby
needs the existence
of others in the society (state) for his survival”2 Most is
political scholars till date are still faced with this unique problem of what
nature, form or kind of state that will be the best organization to enable man
to live a good life, which is what man cherishes best. The kind of principle,
which will best guide the relationship that exists between the individuals, is
part of the existing problem facing political philosophers.
Since the individuals according to John Locke, Jean Jacques
Rousseau and Thomas Hobbes gave up their right of self and independence
governing of them selves to the sovereign state, which gave rise to the civil
society. What then are the expectations of the individuals from this civil
state that they have formed, by given up their rights of self and independence governance, which is the political
obligation of the sovereign state? What also is expected from these individuals
in a civil society, so as to sustain peace and harmony and to make this state,
what they want of it is also another basic problem facing all political
scholars.
1.3 SCOPE OF STUDY
Plato dealt with numerous topics in his various works. But
this research work is narrowed down to his conception of the motion of the
state and notion of the individuals: What the relationship between the
individuals and the state is in the Plato’s ideal state. Plato’s three
categories of the individuals and the principle that shall be applied in his
ideal state so as to maintain peace and harmony among the individuals and
classes that make up the state. Also are the respective political obligations
of the individuals for the sovereign state and political obligations of the
sovereign state for the individuals that formed the sovereign state.
Politics has been denoted as one of the most interesting
endeavors through all the epoch. The reason for this, been that it concerns man
and how he relates with his follow man in a community or groups. This derives
from the fact that man as a person is dignified and ennobles as a being and as
a result must be treated as such.
However, the purpose of this work; about the ideal state in
the political philosophy of Plato, is to view the Platonic conception as it
presents enough materials for learned research into the ways of improving man’s life in the society.2 Plato conceived
government in general to be fundamentally based on competence, that is why he
tried to introduce hiss ideal state so as to replace the general conception of
governance that involves ruling the people through a democratically elected
leaders and which he called the rule of the mob. He went as far as suggesting
his ideal state as a veritable replacement for democratic society. This is
where the philosopher king will always be at the realm of affairs.
Furthermore, the general purpose of this work is to explore
the element of Platonic conception of his ideal state and how it poised to be
credible alternative to any system of government and equally on how the
Platonic conception of ideal state can be relevant to the improvement of lives.
Moreover, this ideal state contains some comprehensive
department of Philosophy very relevant to the improvement of life in society,
such as Ethics, Philosophical Theology and Psychology. For Plato, ethics,
politics and education are all one and constitute a positive branch of
knowledge. Plato believed that the peace of a society depends on the good
character of its citizens. This research for the ideal state, lays much
emphasis on the righteousness of the individuals, this is why the philosophical
logics of the republic might as well be the Socratic used dictum that an
unexamined life is not worth living3. this introduces a notable point that even though the
ideal state is an aspect of Plato’s philosophy, it is remarkable to bear in
mind that for him the ideal state is not so much a form of government in the political sense;
rather it is the form of the character of the people who live in it.
More so, for Plato, there is no distinction between knowledge
and practice, between right conduct and self-fulfillment, between the needs of
the individual and that of the society. Even though Plato knew that in human
affair, the idea is not practicable, but he hoped that societies could come
very near to this form of community; the ideal type that he referred to in the
dialogue.
1.5 SIGNIFICANCE
OF THE STUDY
The significance of this research stems from the fact that
not only does the work give a substantive and uncomplicated treatment of the
major political ideas of a substantive of Plato as they concern the ideal
state, but also, more importantly; it provides an application of the relevant
themes and perspectives of these theories to the specific situation in the
third word.
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