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Plato's Ideal State: Self-Enclosed and Unstable Essay

1. introduction.

The following essay has been written for the reader who is interested in a philosophical approach to the ideal state envisioned by Plato. This essay, in discussing the theme of the ideal state, will pay particular attention to Plato's political philosophy and theory of the state. In order to see how Plato's ideal state is self-enclosed and unstable, it is necessary to explore the internal tensions and failures of the various regimes of the imperfect state which Plato outlines in the Republic. It is also necessary to grasp the nature and the discrepancy of the two principles at work in every state. By applying these principles to Plato's ideal state which is outlined in the Republic, we can gain an understanding of the forces at work within the ideal state and the manner in which it is a synthesis of the two principles and therefore self-enclosed and subject to change. An understanding of this will provide the backdrop to a discussion on how the ideal state is subject to influences from outside itself which work to destroy the inner harmony and cause it to become like other states. This is an important feature in understanding the nature of the ideal state as it is only when penetrated by outside influences that Plato's ideal state becomes comparable to the other states and changes from one governed by the philosopher-kings to an aristocracy and timocracy and finally into a state governed by the masses, thus mirroring the degeneration of the Spartan regime which Plato so despised in his time. This is a scenario of internal degeneration that Plato seeks to avoid but in showing how it occurs, he highlights again how the ideal state maintains a connection with other states and is thus not self-enclosed. Of all these points, the most important in demonstrating the ideal state's lack of self-enclosure are the numerous methods and systems outlined by Plato that the ideal state might implement in order to ensure that it does not get attacked from outside itself.

1.1 Background of Plato's Ideal State

The entity of Plato's caves is a representation symbol expansion from infancy to adulthood. The representation is of the time which Plato spent in the house of the rationalist. This era in Plato's life enhances the dominion of the theory that Plato held in the cave. During his visit, the era coincided with the civil war between the Athenians and the takeovers set by the Spartan invaders. The invasions and the societal state of Athens were not something that Plato could modify. We therefore see the phase of what is deemed the "unjust society". An incident in Diogenes Laertius, which speaks of a band of armed rogues breaking up Plato's attempts to bring about political change, arguing it was their own turn to seize power, seems to perfectly describe the situation in the story of the cave. This led to the exile and eventual death of Socrates. This period of time was very much a devastation for Plato and one from which his heart never recovered, despite offers from the new rulers to employ his influence and knowledge to their advantage. In light of these aspects of Plato's life, we see some clear underlying themes which would cause him to produce his philosophies on the ideal state.

1.2 Purpose of the Essay

To justify the purpose of the essay, it is necessary to define the nature of an ideal state. It is not simply a state which seems good to the speaker or writer, but a state which is best, all things considered; and this test can only be applied by a comparison of the ideal state with the ideal man. The state is the amplified individual; and the whole is to the whole as the part is to the part. If the state is to be well-ordered, and the individual is to be well-ordered, the same degree of justice must prevail in both. The fully developed state is to the fully developed individual, as the fully developed individual is to the germ, or forefather of the individual. By the ideal state Plato means a state which has relations, both internal and external, in accordance with the principle of its own structure - a principle of measure, and in which any deviation from the best rule is only recognised as disease and not as the natural state of man. A good state is one which has a high degree of moral and intellectual excellence, and a bad state is one which has moral and intellectual excellence only to a low degree. Expressed in the language of Plato, vice is the discord of the soul with itself, and the individuals who constitute the state being severally souls, the same definition is applicable to the state.

2. Plato's Concept of an Ideal State

The key to understanding Plato's ideal state lies in the two principles which underlie its structure. Firstly, that the state should be as self-sufficient as possible, and secondly, that the state is to be a manifestation of the soul of its citizenry. This allows Plato to structure his ideal state onto the tripartite theory of the soul, and demonstrates a certain division in the classes of the state. The ideal state is designed to function like a healthy human being, and an individual's duty is to find its place in this society and to serve the interests of the state. This is an important contrast to the popular theory of democracy at the time, as Plato states that an individual's life is not his property, and that an excessively individualistic pursuit of liberty can only lead to the alienation of the self from the state. Like all things that exist, Plato believes in a teleological structure of development from a state of potentiality to one of actuality or perfection, and Plato's ideal state is no different. This progression is to occur in three stages, corresponding to the soul of the individual and the structure of the state. The first principle casts the ideal state as being as self-sufficient as possible. This comes from the principle that to have the best of a given thing is to have that thing in its own state of actuality (i.e. a doctor is at his best when he is actively being a doctor). From this, the ideal state should have all things at their best, which is most possible if it has everything under the same one ruler and in its most actual state, even if this might not be best for neighboring states. Self-sufficiency is important in that a state dependent on others is in a position of subservience, and is not in the position of potentiality to actualize its own interests. This would damage the pride of such a state and its citizens, and would also reduce the security of the state and even the freedom of the individual as outside influence may undermine its interests.

2.1 Characteristics of a Self-Enclosed State

A self-enclosed society maintains a fixed and static population. New members may only join if old members die or are expelled. Plato suggests that his ideal state will be self-enclosed, but without providing a rigorous argument for this. Plato's explanation of change and stability in the ideal state is socially comprehensive. History, in terms of the change of social and political institutions, is interpreted as an intelligible process, ultimately governed by timeless forms. Change which does not reflect knowledge of the forms occurs because the producers and guardians of the state fail to attend to the duties to which their natures best suit them. The cause of revolution is that guardians will govern and produce will take up arms. The initial source of deviation from the ideal form is that each class fails to observe the principle that it should only engage in the activity which is most beneficial to the state as a whole. An in-depth explanation of Plato's concept of historical change, this presents a clear picture of Plato's ideal state as a fixed and stable society. Plato provides a fourfold definition of justice in the Republic at 428b-e, which is not comprehensive enough to do justice to his multi-faceted and complex concept of the ideal state. Nevertheless, it does epitomize the state's condition. Justice is defined as each class performing its distinctive function (429a), and when each class minds its own business (433a). The state compared to a craft is just if each class performs its own role and does not meddle with what it does not know (430e). The state is to be only as should be just in comparison to health and physical condition, where the body is just if each part performs its own task and is not meddled with the parts do not concern themselves (433c). This tells us that justice is essentially the same for the ideal state and individual. Overall justice is a condition of the soul, which is rendered by each part of the soul performing its specific and proper function (443c), and it is the harmony between the three parts of the just soul which provides a model for social justice.

2.2 The Role of Guardians in the Ideal State

The Guardians are a key element of the ideal state. Their status can be likened to that of a watchdog. The dog is a useful tool, and so too is the Guardian, fulfilling his function. By no means does the dog hold authority over the master, and the same relationship is manifest between the Guardian and the ruler of the state. The status of the Guardian is a stationary one, the ideal being that they remain within the class that they are born into, based on the possession of the spirited element of the soul. This in itself is reflective of the volatile nature of the ideal state, as it is the spiritedness of the Guardians which act as an intermediary in disputes between the rulers and the subjects, thus leading to violent conflict between the different classes. Evidently it is due to the failure of the class division, succumbing into a class of its own by the Guardians, which leads to the occupation of the ruling class by the philosopher king and the eventual transition to timocracy, oligarchy, democracy until it implodes back into tyranny. This however is another topic that requires its own discussion. The role of the Guardian is to implement and enforce the instruction of the rulers, preserving the laws and customs and protecting the state from internal and external threats. This is because the reasoning of the philosopher is often impractical, and requires an 'auxiliary' to check that the philosopher does not try and force upon the state ideals which would be detrimental to the citizens. The guardians seek only to serve the state, living ascetically with provision of only the necessary and receiving only the necessary in wages, doing their duty to the best of their ability until age 50 at which point they hand over their responsibilities and live out their lives until 60 in the rulership of others.

2.3 The Functioning of the Ideal State

Plato's ideal state was designed to be self-contained and self-sufficient. To achieve this, the guardians had to take the role of the ruling class, and the other classes of society had to be prevented from having any share in ruling. The guardian class, he believed, was the most suited to steering the ship of state. They had displayed the most intelligence and discipline, and so would be the best equipped to make decisions that would benefit the state as a whole. The first task of the rulers was to preserve the unity of the state. This would have to be done by seeing to it that each individual citizen only engages in the occupation allotted to him by his nature. If the classes begin to mix and the guardians start to involve themselves in agriculture or trade, the state will begin to lose its distinct class divisions, and conflict will arise between individuals seeking to increase their power and wealth. The guardians were not an economic class, and so they were to be denied private property and the acquisition of wealth. They would be provided with the basic necessities by the other classes and would devote themselves entirely to ruling and defense. If this system is maintained, then the most stable part of the state - that is, its guardians - will be doing the ruling, rather than letting the power slip into the hands of the wealth-producing classes.

3. Criticism of Plato's Ideal State

In this section, we move beyond the positive account of what Plato envisaged the state could achieve and look at some of the criticisms that he himself outlined. Firstly, Socrates raises the issue that the state can only be held together by lies. He feels that the stratified society will lead to resentment and, as such, three classes divided by natures is not a harmonious idea. He expects that the citizens will not be content with the role appointed to them, especially those of the auxiliaries and the rulers. "The auxiliaries are those who are to guard the city against internal and external foes. They are to be the guardians, skilled warriors" (aux, 374c). Here, Glaucon states that they are rather like mercenaries, and it is expected that today's soldiers would consider themselves to belong to the second class mentioned. Socrates says this is untrue, and yet there is no possible way to ensure this is not what happens. He also expects that the class of rulers will not be content with having no personal possessions and will desire more, leading to schism and infighting which will ultimately dissolve the state and send it back to a more simple form of state. Finally, it is suggested that in order to prevent the "rulers" from being overthrown by people desiring greater power, their nature will have to be disguised from the rest of the populace. Socrates replies, "You say their will an be to form their state like a tyrannical one in some security against the very thing they themselves are most dear?" (412b). The drawn parallel to tyranny is how the rulers would be most able to uniformly and effectively form the guardians into a fighting force. This would leave the rulers in constant fear and is at odds with the way of life for the happiest individuals. Socrates was forced to agree that this was possible but did not consider it a likely scenario. There is also criticism when Socrates admits that the state is imperfect due to the fact that it is an imitation of the form. This is because no human can, with full justice, lead a completely good and pious life. He feels that the issue of leading the perfect life in order to get the maximum rewards in the afterlife is off-putting for many and is unfitting for the nature of a harmonious state. "We shall be most likely to have spirited sounding enmities both private and public. We said that is most likely war, and war enmity, would arise between our state and others in our avowed cause" (419e). Glaucon and Adeimantus also force an uncharacteristically swift conclusion to the book by way of an appeal to the Gods but stating that this topic will be persuasion for another day.

3.1 Challenges to the Self-Enclosed Nature of the State

His thesis of an ideal state is contradictory, seeking to emphasize for it to be self-enclosed and the requirement of the necessary evil. Firstly, Plato highlights the strict need for the state not to be autarkic by implementing the division of labor and trade with the outside world so that the cooperation with other states can be used as a punishing tool. It would appear that Robinson is highlighting that war, in its concept, can never be just. Conflicts between states will always result in an ultimate end, which implies that one party has not been cooperating. The concept of unrelenting war can be taken to critique the self-enclosed nature of the state in that it assumes an autarkic stance within the international world. Thus, this suggests that legislation in Athens at the time of the Laws was not promoting a just cause as it was no less than trying to acquire the leadership of Greece for a third time, and the law itself was never implemented. In the later stages of the Republic, the various theories of justice and the forms of government are all no more than a theoretical construct as an attempt to explain events that have led up to the current circumstance, with a view to sway decisions to Plato's ideal state, although it is evident that such past, present, and future scenarios do not coincide with the self-enclosed ideal.

3.2 Instability and Potential Flaws in the Ideal State

Plato says that the ideal city is like a healthy living organism with a division of labor and resources into specific classes/human beings. The hope was to unite the city under one aim; an ideal city would find its happiness and justice from one shared goal creating a society interlinked with common beliefs and ideals. In Plato's ideal state, a guardian class, not self-seeking and with the interests of the society's survival and well-being welded into the core of their being, would rule. However, this creates a paradox concerning what happens when a society does unite under one purpose and is successful in achieving their goal. The more unified the city becomes in purpose, the more it resembles a community of similar beings joining closer to one within the same class. The state becomes more compact; guardians are no longer required as defenses against internal and external foes. The natural progression of the class divisions blur and the once society of specific classes of producers, guardians or auxiliaries becomes a society of one class featuring beings. Tending to facilitate their own desires and needs becoming a sedentary society interested in the perpetuation of their own happiness, hence resembling the luxurious city. The guardian class becoming redundant will seek to reassert its existence and we are faced with internal discord in what was a self-contained and harmonious society. A successful state appears to contain within it the seeds of its own downfall and is inherently unstable due to the flux of human affairs. The self-contained and harmonious society is built with justice so there is no need for laws and leads to living knowledge of the ruler. This may result in the perfect state ceasing to act when it is sure of its knowledge and falling into an inactive state, also the society of the ruler and the ruled may come to abolish the laws which defined their class relations so justice and specific class divisions disappear. The rulers who were supposed to be selfless, not desiring treasures, or disputes/controversy among citizens may begin to desire a standard of living that is no different from another ruler. This will lead to competition and strife resulting in part two of the guardians. The unity and simple spirit of the guardians will thus be impossible to maintain. This will all culminate in the disintegration of the state returning to an all too familiar state of nature with one continuous war between all beings.

4. Conclusion

Essentially, Plato believed that political life could only be led well and political stability could only be achieved when we were ruled by the wisest, the best educated, and the most intelligent people - people well-suited to creating laws and running the state. The main purpose of Plato's state is to outline a good life for its citizens. Everything is to be geared toward the good of the state, and many sacrifices need to be made by the ruling class for the lower class. The state must be self-enclosed and have no need to interact with other states in terms of trade or military action, and the only role for the state would be war - to prevent the citizens from idleness and to defend against any attack on the state. Although the economic class structure that he proposed is well-reasoned and could work in theory, it is not practically possible because there are not enough people in the world like Plato to be totally successful without undermining any of the key points outlined in creating the state. In addition, even Plato's ideal state is unstable. Plato claimed that households and families cause people to care for their own needs rather than the common good and would undermine the unity of the state. No provisions have been made to prevent this class from developing either into an economic or political class that will eventually undermine the ruling class. His theory on war is also paradoxical because he does not consider that there is pain and sorrow in the human condition, let alone how a state can avoid the circumstance of losing a war. The nature of the combination of the three ruling classes, considering the polar opposites of character traits, and the lack of provisions made to ensure loyalty in the state solely point to civil war.

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Plato’s Ideal State: Self-Enclosed and Unstable Essay

Plato was not only a great philosopher but also one of the first political theorists in written history, applying his philosophical outlook to the problems of state and society. One of his most famous works, Republic , outlines the author’s approach to the organization of government. While developing the model of a perfect ruler and an ideal state, the philosopher finds faults with all types of government present in Ancient Greece, be they timocracies, oligarchies, democracies, or tyrannies (Plato VIII).

In particular, he criticizes democracy for threatening hierarchical power structures and promoting anarchy. Plato’s proposed alternative is the rule of a philosopher-king – a wise person able to see the essence of justice and, consequently, have the precise knowledge rather than a mere opinion of what is right. However, the perfect state he envisages is not fault-free either and demonstrates notable philosophical downsides. Plato’s idea of wise rulers who can discern justice proves unconvincing, because his definition of justice is self-enclosed, and the philosopher-king’s rule is ultimately as unstable as he democratic one.

Before pointing out the shortcomings of Plato’s ideal state as a preferable alternative to democracy, it is necessary to cover, however briefly, the philosopher’s criticism of the latter. According to Plato, the main downside of a democratic rule is that it promotes anarchy by gradually undermining any authority and hierarchy. As he puts it, democracy breeds “subjects who are like rulers and rulers who are like subjects” (Plato VIII).

This adverse impact on the existing power structures not only manifests in public politics but in every aspect of social life, including private households, According to the philosopher, in a democratic society, fathers lose their parental authority over their offspring ,and children “have no respect or reference” for their parents (Plato VIII). One step at a time, anarchy finds its way into every social group, every family, and every household, until the denial of authority poisons the society as a whole. This gradual destruction of established power structures and hierarchical relationships is one of the critical arguments against democracy as a form of political organization offered by Plato.

Yet one should be aware that Plato’s vision of a perfect state and society is just as prone to destroy the power structures already in existence in his contemporary society. It is not even necessary to interpret the Republic for a historical perspective and utilize the millennia of accumulated philosophical knowledge to note this fact. Even Socrates’ own companions in the treatise point out that his ideas directly threaten the existing social order. One of them comments that, upon hearing of Socrates’ radical ideas, “numerous persons, and very respectable persons too,” would grab any weapon that happens to be nearby and attack him on sight (Plato V).

The implications of this observation are clear: the numerous and respectable people in question would fear that Socrates’ political ideas undermine their power. Therefore, Plato’s idea of a perfect state as narrated by Socrates in the Republic threatens hierarchies and power structures to a no lesser degree than democracy.

Consequently, the only reason to prefer a philosopher-king’s rule to democracy is that the former destroys unjust hierarchies to promote the just ones, while the latter does not. Yet Plato’s treatment of justice as a concept deserves due criticism because his portrayal of those who can and cannot see it creates a potential for logical blunders. According to the philosopher, the ability to see “the absolute and eternal,” including justice, only manifests in a limited number of wise persons (Plato V).

Those who see the mere impressions of things rather than their true forms and operate personal opinions rather than infallible knowledge are “simply blind” when compared to those who have mastered philosophy (Plato VI). Only a philosopher may discern true justice, and others, as exemplified by Socrates’ remark to Glaucon, are “not… able to follow” this superior understanding (Plato VII). While this distinction is entirely in line with Plato’s approach to ontology, its implementation in practice undermines the argument in favor of the wise philosopher-kings.

Separation of people into two categories – philosophers who can see the actual forms of things, including that of justice, and common folk who lack this ability – seems to create a logical fallacy. While this distinction supposedly gives philosophers a claim to power, it also undermines Plato’s argument if one takes a closer look at it. If no ordinary person may comprehend true justice – as mentioned above, ordinary people are “not… able to follow” philosopher’s reasoning even if they try – a philosopher’s opinion becomes the only point of reference for them (Plato VII). While Plato himself would claim that forms exist objectively, it makes no difference for those who cannot see them anyway.

If they adopt his reasoning, then, from their perspective, justice is what a philosopher defines as such. Yet, on the other hand, Plato has already defined a philosopher as a person who understands justice. This creates a self-enclosed definition: justice is what a philosopher declares just, and a philosopher is a person able to see justice. Hence, Plato’s case for philosopher-kings is based on a logical fallacy and, as such, is not an example of persuasive philosophical reasoning.

One may object that, even though Plato’s case for the rule of philosopher-kings rests on a faulty logical premise, his imagined ideal state has other comparative advantages, such as stability. Indeed, maintaining balance and preventing unrest is the utmost concern in Plato’s political philosophy and likely the main function of the guardians of the state as he portrays them. In one instance, he notes that the rulers should be “true saviors and not the destroyers of the state” (Plato IV).

Saving rather than destroying the state implies maintaining its stable continued existence and, according to Plato, a wise philosopher-king who values “knowledge more than power” would create a perfectly stable society (Prior 125). Thus, one may argue that, while Plato’s ideal state is not superior to other forms of political organization from a strictly logical perspective, it still has comparative advantages in purely practical terms. Even if the argument for philosopher-kings is logically unsatisfactory, their rule would still be a preferable alternative if it could offer stability unachievable in democracies.

However, Plato undermines this potential objection himself in his discussion of the different types of government. He does that when discussing how a timocracy – a type of state guided by honor and governed by military leaders – arises from an aristocracy, of the imaginary government of the best and wisest. He states outright that even the perfect constitution as envisaged in the Republic “will not last forever, but will in time be dissolved” (Plato VIII). According to him, it would happen when the ruling philosopher-king proves unable to raise decent successor due to a “miscalculation of the proper time for breeding the guardians” Arruzza 115)

. Thus, even the idealized wise ruler, as represented in Plato’s treatise, is not immune to mistakes, and, more importantly, these mistakes inevitably bring the end of Plato’s perfect government. As a result, the rule of the wise comes to an inglorious end with the same assuredness as the very democracy Plato criticizes for its instability and propensity for civil unrest. Considering this, one may hardly agree that it offers greater stability to the citizens of the state.

As one can see, Plato’s case for the rule of philosopher-kings as a preferable alternative to democracy is mostly unconvincing. The Greek philosopher identifies the main fault of democracy as undermining power structures, but his companions quickly note that the impact of his ideas is precisely the same. To explain the difference, Plato points out that a philosopher-king would destroy unjust hierarchies and promote the just ones, unlike the democratic leaders who lack the knowledge of true justice. Yet this strict separation of people into two categories based on their supposed ability to see forms eventually leads Plato to craft a self-enclosed definition of justice.

Since self-enclosed definitions are logically wrong, Plato’s argument for the rule of philosopher-kings appears unconvincing. One can still argue for the reign of philosopher-kings based on stability it is supposed to provide, but Plato undermines this counter-argument himself by noting that his imagined government is also prone to decay. Thus, the Republic offers no decisive argument in favor of Plato’s ideal political order.

Works Cited

Arruzza, Cinzia. A Wolf in the City: Tyranny and the Tyrant in Plato’s Republic . Oxford UP, 2019.

Plato. “The Republic.” Translated by Benjamin Jovett. Project Gutenberg . Web.

Prior, William J. Virtue and Knowledge: An Introduction to Ancient Greek Ethics . Routledge, 2017.

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Socrates’ Ideal State: an Analysis

How it works

• 1 Introduction
• 2 Foundational Principles: Justice and the Common Good
• 3 The Tripartite Class Structure
• 4 The Role of the Philosopher-King
• 5 Conclusion

Introduction

You know, Socrates, that famous Greek philosopher, is pretty well-known for his thoughts on ethics and politics. He talked a lot about what an ideal state should look like, especially in Plato's "The Republic." People still chat about his ideas today. Socrates imagined a place where justice, wisdom, and the common good were more important than what any one person wanted. In this essay, we’ll dive into his thoughts on the perfect state. We'll look at the main ideas, the three-class system he suggested, and what he thought about philosopher-kings. Need a custom essay on the same topic? Give us your paper requirements, choose a writer and we’ll deliver the highest-quality essay! Order now

Foundational Principles: Justice and the Common Good

The tripartite class structure, the role of the philosopher-king.

Socrates' idea of the perfect state, as he talks about in Plato's "The Republic," shows a detailed model of governance based on justice, wisdom, and the common good. His three-class system, with its focus on the different roles and virtues of rulers, warriors, and producers, aims for a balanced and stable society. The philosopher-king, with their wisdom and virtue, is key to this ideal state, ensuring that leadership is based on philosophical insight and moral integrity. Even though Socrates' ideas might seem like a dream, they give us useful thoughts on justice, education, and good leadership. In today’s discussions about politics and governance, Socrates' ideal state helps us judge the ethical bases and practical effects of different political systems. By looking into Socrates' vision of the perfect state, we get a better understanding of the lasting importance of his ideas in our search for a just and fair society.

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Home — Essay Samples — Philosophy — The Republic — The Republic by Plato: the Role of Property in the Ideal State

The Republic by Plato: The Role of Property in The Ideal State

• Categories: The Republic

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Words: 909 |

Published: Jun 29, 2018

Words: 909 | Pages: 2 | 5 min read

Is there any greater evil we can mention for a city than that which tears it apart and makes it many instead of one? Or any greater good than that which binds it together and makes it one? There isn't (Republic, 462a-b).

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