In all his works on political theory, there is a strong case, which Plato builds in favor of an Omni -
competent state. Living is one thing but living well is another and perhaps a different thing altogether.
According to Plato, it is the duty of the state or govt. to help people live a complete life. The problem
which Plato addressed was not having best a govt. could be created but how best a govt. could be
installed. His model state is an Ideal state ruled by an ideal ruler known as Philosopher King.
In his masterpiece, namely the Republic, Plato constructs his ideal state on the analogy between the
individual and the state. According to Plato, human soul consists of three elements of reason, spirit
and appetite, functioning within proper bounds. The state must reflect such a constitution, for the
state was a magnified individual, the virtues and the constitution of the two being the same. This
identification for the state with the individual makes Plato present a number of false analogies between the two.
Plato's Ideal state comprises or three classes, namely the ruling class, the warriors and the
producing class. The main objective of his ideal state is good life and Plato let his imagination pursue
this good which results in the portrayal of a utopia. Plato's portrayal of an ideal state may be
compared to an artist’s portrayal of an ideal landscape. His ideal state is an ideal in the sense that it
is an exhibition of what a state ought to be. The ideal state was a reflection of man's best and
noblest self and provided the medium in which a man found his best self. Plato believed that man
found his perfection only in the ideal state.
Plato builds his ideal state in three successive stages. In the first stage, Plato believes that men and
women are different in degree only and not in kind. Hence they should be given same educational
facilities and should partake in the same public functions. In the second stage Plato advocates the
abolition of the family on the basis of communism of property and wives among the two upper
classes. In the third stage he introduced the rule of philosophy.
Plato’s ideal state is hierarchical in composition and functions. At the head of the ideal state is a
philosopher ruler highly qualified people capable of ruling the country either fear or favour. In order to
ensure a steady supply of philosopher rulers, Plato advocated a state controlled compulsory scheme
of education meant for the children belonging to all the three classes of people. The communism of
family and property among the two upper classes was meant to keep them out of economic and
world temptations and ambitions so that they could concentrate on their duty to the state. The other
features of the ideal state were functional specialization, equality of men and women and censorship of art.
Having outlined the details of an ideal state, Plato examined other types of regimes, accounting for
their decline and decay. He listed four types of governments namely timocracy, oligarchy, democracy and despotism or tyranny. The first of these forms of state is timocracy "based on
ambition and love of honor and war as represented by Crete and Sparta "so commonly admired".
The second is oligarchy or Plutocracy the rule of the wealthy, the third is democracy, the rule of the
people, the fourth, and most important imperfect is despotism or tyranny, which develops inevitably
out of the anarchy of the democratic state. In each instance, Plato correlates a type of human
character with the form of govt. in which it is most reflected:" Constitutions cannot come out of sticks
and stones, they must result from the preponderance of certain characters which draw the rest of the
community in their wake".
In his classification of forms of state, Plato considered democracy the second worst type of
government. His description of life in a democratic society may be overdrawn, but remains to this
day the most incisive critique of democracy.
Democracy was characterized by license, wastefulness, insolence, anarchy and democratic man
gave more importance to his desire and appetites. Quantity rather than quality was the main
criterion honoring all values on an equal basis.
In the Statesman, Plato divided the states into lawful and unlawful states, a classification that
Aristotle adopted when he spoke of good and perverted forms of government in his Politics. For
Plato, there were three law abiding states, and their corresponding corrupt and lawless states. The
rule of one yielding monarchy and tyranny, the rule of a few, aristocracy and oligarchy, and the rule
of many included moderate and extreme democracy. For the first time, Plato conceded two kinds of
democracy, and made it the best of the lawless states, though the west of law - abiding states.
Both forms of democracy were better than oligarchy and even monarchy, tacitly admitting the importance of popular participation and consent in the polity.
So friend this is all about the State and government in politics.
competent state. Living is one thing but living well is another and perhaps a different thing altogether.
According to Plato, it is the duty of the state or govt. to help people live a complete life. The problem
which Plato addressed was not having best a govt. could be created but how best a govt. could be
installed. His model state is an Ideal state ruled by an ideal ruler known as Philosopher King.
In his masterpiece, namely the Republic, Plato constructs his ideal state on the analogy between the
individual and the state. According to Plato, human soul consists of three elements of reason, spirit
and appetite, functioning within proper bounds. The state must reflect such a constitution, for the
state was a magnified individual, the virtues and the constitution of the two being the same. This
identification for the state with the individual makes Plato present a number of false analogies between the two.
Plato's Ideal state comprises or three classes, namely the ruling class, the warriors and the
producing class. The main objective of his ideal state is good life and Plato let his imagination pursue
this good which results in the portrayal of a utopia. Plato's portrayal of an ideal state may be
compared to an artist’s portrayal of an ideal landscape. His ideal state is an ideal in the sense that it
is an exhibition of what a state ought to be. The ideal state was a reflection of man's best and
noblest self and provided the medium in which a man found his best self. Plato believed that man
found his perfection only in the ideal state.
Plato builds his ideal state in three successive stages. In the first stage, Plato believes that men and
women are different in degree only and not in kind. Hence they should be given same educational
facilities and should partake in the same public functions. In the second stage Plato advocates the
abolition of the family on the basis of communism of property and wives among the two upper
classes. In the third stage he introduced the rule of philosophy.
Plato’s ideal state is hierarchical in composition and functions. At the head of the ideal state is a
philosopher ruler highly qualified people capable of ruling the country either fear or favour. In order to
ensure a steady supply of philosopher rulers, Plato advocated a state controlled compulsory scheme
of education meant for the children belonging to all the three classes of people. The communism of
family and property among the two upper classes was meant to keep them out of economic and
world temptations and ambitions so that they could concentrate on their duty to the state. The other
features of the ideal state were functional specialization, equality of men and women and censorship of art.
Having outlined the details of an ideal state, Plato examined other types of regimes, accounting for
their decline and decay. He listed four types of governments namely timocracy, oligarchy, democracy and despotism or tyranny. The first of these forms of state is timocracy "based on
ambition and love of honor and war as represented by Crete and Sparta "so commonly admired".
The second is oligarchy or Plutocracy the rule of the wealthy, the third is democracy, the rule of the
people, the fourth, and most important imperfect is despotism or tyranny, which develops inevitably
out of the anarchy of the democratic state. In each instance, Plato correlates a type of human
character with the form of govt. in which it is most reflected:" Constitutions cannot come out of sticks
and stones, they must result from the preponderance of certain characters which draw the rest of the
community in their wake".
In his classification of forms of state, Plato considered democracy the second worst type of
government. His description of life in a democratic society may be overdrawn, but remains to this
day the most incisive critique of democracy.
Democracy was characterized by license, wastefulness, insolence, anarchy and democratic man
gave more importance to his desire and appetites. Quantity rather than quality was the main
criterion honoring all values on an equal basis.
In the Statesman, Plato divided the states into lawful and unlawful states, a classification that
Aristotle adopted when he spoke of good and perverted forms of government in his Politics. For
Plato, there were three law abiding states, and their corresponding corrupt and lawless states. The
rule of one yielding monarchy and tyranny, the rule of a few, aristocracy and oligarchy, and the rule
of many included moderate and extreme democracy. For the first time, Plato conceded two kinds of
democracy, and made it the best of the lawless states, though the west of law - abiding states.
Both forms of democracy were better than oligarchy and even monarchy, tacitly admitting the importance of popular participation and consent in the polity.
So friend this is all about the State and government in politics.
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