As said above, today we may think of an aristocracy of being somewhat oligarchical or hereditary, where an aristocrat is posh, has a rich dad, got a small loan, has a really well-managed portfolio, and even got a job on special orders from the King… but that style of hereditary wealth-based aristocracy is all more like Oligarchy (a lower-form). After all, that is literally the point of Plato’s book). Photo: Getty Images. Plato. But that aside, great care should be given (in creating the laws) to let oligarchy and democracy flourish “within their own spheres“. NOTE: In his theory Plato says each form degrades into the next, but I’m fairly certain that each form can itself become tyrannical (i.e. TIP: The only thing worse than a tyrannical man? … because the three above forms had a sense of order and a tolerance for inequality, but democracy will lift up an oligarch as a philosopher king and will see themselves the equal of James VI or Plato. A Despotic Republic (a Mixed Republic that is not balanced enough to protect against tyranny). Timarchy, Oligarchy, Democracy, and Tryranny. One can see how this being the highest form would be misunderstood, but remember, we are saying “a government of virtuous philosopher kings” not “a government of hereditary oligarchs”. [1][2] TIP: To reaffirm the above, and to spoil the ending, pure governments aren’t very useful. American businessmen love this line; so do American politicians. We elected Presidents, not Kings. And here I’ll note vitally, each sphere is its own pyramid, aristocracy only peaks out of the top, it isn’t like any class (any aspect of the soul, any form) is fully below the others. Plato uses three Greek states to illustrate his government types. in the chart below, a form can degrade “sideways” and become its deviant equivalent). The above forms can be understood in more detail as: Aristocracy generally speaking just means a state run by the best and brightest. But the hardest and bitterest part of the constitution in the eyes of the masses was their state of serfdom. In it he describes human nature and uses human nature (as he described it) as a metaphor and template for a reasonable government. When we say philosopher king, we mean the ideally best for the job of leading the state, soul, etc. The tyrant is going to be a timocrat or oligarch, because those are the only two types who know how to get and hold power. So, could we today here in 2017 elect an oligarch? Obviously some positions are at the top of this pyramid. The Republic only touches on Athens, Sparta, and Crete, Laws is a tome that examines each in detail. Sometimes smart people bury points to avoid crucifixion, they crucified Plato’s Socrates after-all. 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The four governments of which I spoke, so far as they have distinct names, are, first, those of Crete [monarchy] and Sparta [timocracy], which are generally applauded; what is termed oligarchy comes next; this is not equally approved, and is a form of government which teems with evils: thirdly, democracy, which naturally follows oligarchy, although very different: and lastly comes tyranny, great and famous, which differs from them all, and is the fourth and worst disorder of a State. If we limit liberty too much, or strive too much toward equality, if we dip our toes into the extremes of democracy without keeping it reigned in like the wild horses driven by a charioteer, it is at that point that we might start to see tyranny in action. A calamity at the very heart of democracy, it would lead only to tyranny and subjugation. What are your thoughts on Plato's Republic?What are your thoughts on Plato's Republic? where it becomes anarchy and then tyranny, thus going from the tyrannical many to the one again. article continues after advertisement In a later book, the Statesman, Plato contends that there are three forms of government other than true government: monarchy, oligarchy, and democracy. If not, describe the type of government he believed in, and why he thought that this was the superior form of government. I only add the idea in my view. Like Machiavelli’s Prince, if you try to read Plato to literally, then you might miss the message. Also note, this is metaphor. TIP: Classically the male and female are used metaphorically, so it is with Plato. That really more-so describes a James VI, Alexander the Great, or George Washington, one who is more Commander-in-Chief or General than philosopher King. What is that you say? TIP: One of Plato’s main points here is to illustrate the descent from democracy to anarchy, to do this he doesn’t consider democracy and anarchy separately (but like with monarchy and aristocracy, he does denote that these things aren’t “exactly the same”). Plato said that no philosopher king actually existed in his time, it would be a little silly to place anyone in the top tier without much debate as it leaves too much room to place despots here (tyrants love to imagine they are philosopher kings; so let us clearly state, none have ever been such a thing). The ideal of a philosopher king was born in Plato ’s dialogue Republic as part of the vision of a just city. Each form, tyranny aside, becomes less “conservative” and more “democratic” (or “liberal”) as each form dissolves into the next. He ends up in the middle, becoming a proud and honor-loving man, a timocratic man. Two ways we can awaken out of ignorance into knowledge. It is the highest form of government that isn’t aristocracy. An extreme reaction meets an extreme reaction, and this is anarchy. This regime is ruled by a philosopher king, and thus is grounded on wisdom and reason. Money, liberty, and equality are not the virtues of timocracy (to the extent that Plato’s timocratic class doesn’t use money, like the Spartans), and fear and disorder are in many ways its opposites. Did Plato believe in the form of government that Athens was using when he was alive? With that said, Montesquieu would argues the difference is not opinion, but instead their adherence to just law, and Rousseau would add that it is the adherence to the General Will inherent in a just Social Contract that separates the tyrannical forms from the non-tyrannical ones. eNotes.com will help you with any book or any question. So what do we do about it? c) He believed that art, if done well, could be a form of philosophy. 8) Match each type of triangle to the correct level of knowledge in Plato’s system Thus, it is also dependent upon its ruler's love for wisdom above all else. There were some parts of Plato’s theories and beliefs that, although may be seen in other people’s ideas, never made it to the general consensus of how education should be upheld. That viewpoint of aristocrats as snooty upper-class oligarchs isn’t right when discussing classical forms of government. Knowing this we can look to Laws to better understand the spirit of Monarchy/Aristocracy, Timocracy, and Democracy. Then that becomes a tyrannical police or military state (a corrupt Timocracy) as the Oligarch begins to become a true despot (purging his opposition). Their currency isn’t money, it is honor and duty. The excerpt is the Ideal-Republic-Polity which we will describe last. He describes Crete as a Monarchy, Sparta as a Timocracy, and Athens as a Democracy to illustrate the difference between the three states, their cultures, their laws, and their government types. He then also discusses these three governments in detail in his Laws. This by the way is literally what happened in Sparta. We’ve discounted annual subscriptions by 50% for COVID-19 relief—Join Now! From this bloody battle, a messy form of anarchistic democracy arose for a short while, from the ashes of that the liberal tyrant Napoleon came to rule France. What did Plato establish in Athens after 12 years of intense study? When we consider that Athens was a free-trading Republic with a history of Oligarchy, that Sparta became Oligarchical, and that Laws also discusses tyranny, we can see how Plato’s original “Spirit of the Laws” contained in his Laws has a lot to teach us about the types of governments found in his Republic. Instead, he believed in a government that worked for the common good through realistic means. From this concept we can great “the greatest happiness theory“. The idea isn’t to inhibit the other “forms,” it is to wisely provide necessary restraints to ensure the other forms can function in perfect order. Below we explain how Plato’s five forms should be understood classically and in the modern-day, both in a realist sense, and as a general metaphor. The cookie settings on this website are set to "allow cookies" to give you the best browsing experience possible. Democracy degenerates into tyranny where no one has discipline and society exists in chaos. TIP: The tyrant, who is also the most unjust man, is the least happy. Plato believed that the government or state had three layers to it. Sometimes people say “a timocracy is where landowners rule,” but this is just as wrong as saying aristocracy is where the wealthy rule, no, both of these are oligarchy! Thus, a polity is indeed ideally rooted in an aristocracy (properly understood as more like the rule of philosopher kings than oligarchs), then timocracy, then oligarchy, and then democracy, with each higher-order sphere having dominion over the other. Good. So, the above starts out pretty hopeful, then descends into darkness. Tyranny then, after you the tens of millions dead, gives way to a new Constitution (if and when it does give way; typically as the result of war). There will be idealism injected here (as this is Plato), but the foundation is about as real as it gets and is directly applicable to modern political life. See an overview of Plato’s Republic and its themes. Accused and convicted of corrupting the youth, […] In book VIII of The Republic , Plato begins to describe several stages of government that are intolerable, yet unavoidable. On a table, the forms look like this (with the note that all lawful forms are mixed to create an ideal mixed-Polity/Republic): This is then not only meant as a governmental theory, but an overarching theory for every aspect of life. Published by The Institute of Religion and Public Life, First Things is an educational institute aiming to advance a religiously informed public philosophy. He then goes on to describe a mixed-form which we can call a Kallipolis (beautiful city) or “ideal Polity,” his “ideal mixed-Republic”.[1][2]. The thing is, I really think what Plato was getting at is the concept of honor and duty (not the trivial act of land ownership; yes the upper-class Athenians owned land too, maybe that is what Aristotle was referring to in Nicomachean Ethics (Book 8, Chapter 10). Or, more in Plato’s terms, this time speaking just of the descent into timocracy, aristocracy becomes timocracy when (using a father and son metaphor): The aristocratic father encourages the rational part of his son’s soul. His younger brot… Yes, of course. This should be understood metaphorically first and foremost, allowing one insight into difficult ideas, and not literally. This is to say, any state is in danger of incorrectness if they don’t adhere to what is fundamentally agreed on to be correct. Extrapolating Plato’s theory, one can think of things this way: Each type that isn’t “tyranny” can become tyrannical (can become unlawful, or corrupted). Loosely speaking, when we say aristocracy, we mean the best for the job. They are Aristocracy, Timocracy, Oligarchy, Democracy, and Tyranny. After witnessing my fiend Socrates be condemned to death by a democratic government, Plato decided that democracy (ruled by the people) is "tragically inadequate" as a form of government. Or on a table that shows all the forms aside tyranny as “lawful” and includes his Polity (sometimes I say this word to imply an ideal polity or ideal republic, as has been done often in philosophy): NOTE: Both tables on the page were created from our studying of Plato’s work (this chart treats Oligarchy as a lawful system; this is probably closer to the intent of Plato’s theory, and certainly lines up better with reality, especially when you consider a free-trading Republic or Capitalist State like Athens or America). f) He began the first school of higher education in the western world. He removed all credits and debts. Ben Affleck, Producer: Argo. Socrates: Athens’ street-corner philosopher Socrates was the big-city philosopher in ancient Athens. Illustration: Inc. Magazine You've probably heard a friend, colleague or relative repeat the cliché that the world would be a much better and more efficient place if governments were run like companies. The term is lowercased when used to refer to forms as Aristotle conceived them.) Aristotle argued that there were six general ways in which societies could be organized under political rule, depending on who ruled, and for whom they ruled.Those in the first row he referred to as “true forms” of government, while those in the second row were the “defective and perverted forms” of the first three.It is important to note that in Aristotle’s time, states were comparatively smaller than they are today. On that note, we also don’t offer professional legal advice, tax advice, medical advice, etc. Aristocracy is the form of government (politeia) advocated in Plato's Republic. ... Beauty and Goodness, Plato believed that all people are basically _____. If the Oligarchy and Democracy are not “restrained” (if speaking of estates they are not restrained from having too much influence in the first and second estates), we risk bringing the wrong part of Plato’s Republic to life. Timocracy is easy to confuse with oligarchy because Sparta is used as an example by Plato.[4]. It isn’t that the tyrant comes into power corrupt, no at first he appears a friend of the people (and he thinks himself such). Fathers represent reason and aggression (aristocracy, timocracy, and tyranny) and mothers represent pleasure-seeking and empathy (oligarchy and democracy). e) He founded the science of Logic. It is like a technocracy (fact and intelligence-based) mixed with a kritarchy (moral and wisdom based), it knows animal lower-order pleasure-seeking virtues, but it is not guided by them. Thank you. I personally find some of the specifics Plato puts down as distracting from his underlying theory. You can’t begin a study of world philosophy without talking about these guys: the Big Three ancient Greek philosophers. Hismother, Helene, came from the Fallenstein and Souchay families, bothof the long illustrious Huguenot line, which had for generationsproduced public servants and academicians. The aristocratic class was the natural choice because they were the best educated. Plato probably didn’t see the Poet-King Solon through the best light, but here we should note that perhaps what Plato is really saying for his time is that he felt Athens had gone from pre-Solonic Oligarchy to his modern Athenian Democracy by lottery? But the son is influenced by a bad mother and servants, who pull him toward the love of money (oligarchy). Here I would also note, there is no good reason that steps can’t be skipped. The result is that greed, ambition, and foolishness rule in these unbalanced people. This form of government is what most types of economic systems create. The distinct features of democracy are freedom and equality. Even though we are discussing Plato’s forms, understanding this will give you the basics of Aristotle and the basics of the modern actual forms of governments as well (so it isn’t just a neat theory from 380 BC, it is actually pretty darn useful as a realist guide to modern governments-in-action and as an idealist guide to the philosophy behind ideal utopian governments). The people will start to hate him and eventually try to remove him but will realize they are not able. Tyrannical Timocracy (military state gangsterism; like a despotic Junta), Tyrannical Oligarchy (greed based; a Plutocracy), Anarchy (pure liberty and equality based). An ideal aristocrat knows all the other forms, has mastered them, and thus has the wisdom and experience to help guide all of them away from their vices while respecting their virtues (they are elite in their mastery, not in their bloodline or pocketbook size). Plato discusses five regimes (five forms of government) in his Republic, Book VIII. In words, when the aristocrat allows the state to become unbalanced by a love of honor, wealth, liberty, or equality, the aristocratic state descends to a lower level. Don’t try to think too specific, but do generally consider each story of each form as a metaphor as it applies to each form of government, as that applies to mixed governments, and as that applies to the general human condition. TIP: When Solon created the first western liberal democracy, the first modern democratic trading republic, of note (Athens) he did so by overthrowing the oligarchs peacefully. Plato's political philosophy has thus often been considered totalitarian by some. Democracy? The letter and spirit of the law still safeguard the Republic, but we are wise to, metaphorically, adhere to the basic structure Plato offered. See the Athenian Constitution and the story of Athens. Plato believed that the best model for a government would be led by those who are the best trained, informed, and balanced people. It is a theory of the soul, of the classes, and of all things in general really. Learn more about Sparta, its government, and its fall to Oligarchy. Maximilian Carl Emil “Max” Weber (1864–1920) wasborn in the Prussian city of Erfurt to a family of notable heritage.His father, Max Sr., came from a Westphalian family of merchants andindustrialists in the textile business and went on to become a lawyerand National Liberal parliamentarian in Wilhelmine politics. However Plato believed there was a far more sinister nature to democracy.
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