Plato’s Philosophy: Ethics, Politics, and Ideas
Plato’s Ethics and Politics
Meaning and Forms of Virtue
Plato’s work centers on justice as the principal political virtue. A key question is whether justice can be taught. While opinions on fairness exist, Plato sought a precise definition of virtue, connecting it to wisdom as the greatest virtue.
Virtue and Harmony of the Soul
Plato believed that justice, a general virtue, is achieved when all parts of the soul reach perfection. He identified four cardinal virtues:
- Prudence: The virtue of making wise choices.
- Courage (or Strength): The virtue enabling difficult actions and endurance.
- Temperance (or Moderation): The virtue regulating desires for sensual pleasure.
- Justice: The harmony of the soul.
Principles of Plato’s Political Theory
Justice, as a virtue, is the harmony achieved by ordering the components of the individual and the state. Plato identified three needs within a state:
- Economic: Met by producers like weavers, blacksmiths, and navigators.
- Defense: Provided by guardians who defend the state.
- Government: Led by rulers chosen from the best guardians.
Two key principles guide Plato’s political thought:
- Correspondence between Soul and State: A mutual influence exists between individual souls and the state.
- Functional Specialization: Each individual and social group should perform the function they are best suited for.
Education and Life in the Ideal City
Plato believed that a just state requires identifying individuals’ natural abilities and assigning roles accordingly. Education, controlled by the state, should develop these abilities. He advocated for a system of absolute monarchy or aristocracy, and a form of communism for guardians and rulers regarding family and property. Plato considered women inferior.
Plato’s Theory of Ideas
The Mature Theory
- Objects are intelligible essences defining their nature.
- Essences exist independently of particular things.
- Ideas are the true objects of thought.
- This creates a dual world: the visible world of change and the intelligible world of eternal ideas.
- Ideas are eternal and unchanging models for sensible things.
- This theory served political and scientific purposes, guiding rulers and defining the purpose of science.
Critical Review
The theory’s dualism and pluralism pose challenges:
- What types of ideas exist?
- How do ideas relate to things?
- Is there a hierarchy of ideas?
- How does the world of ideas relate to the world of sense?
Plato argues that the world of ideas is the foundation of the sensible world, explaining the limitations of sensible properties and the focus of science on the immutable and universal.
Theory of Knowledge
Knowledge of ideas depends on:
- Things imitating or participating in ideas.
- The soul existing between sensible beings and ideas.
- Ideas communicating with each other.
Plato’s concept of reminiscence suggests that knowing is remembering. He uses dialectic to describe the Socratic method, which explores different levels of knowledge and being.
Levels of Knowledge
- Opinion (doxa): Deals with images and beliefs about sensible beings.
- Science (episteme): Includes dianoia (discursive reasoning) and noesis (intelligence leading to understanding of ideas).