A Comparison of the Ideal States of Plat

Aarathi 1 Ganesan Aarathi Professor Ashutosh Mishra Western Political Thought LE01SPL202 30 September 201

Assignment 2 ! A "omparison of  the #$eal States of Plato an$ Aristotle Plato %2&'3( )*"*E*+ is remembere$ as one of the most in,uential philosophers of all time* -is teachings ha.e lai$ the foun$ations for Western Western philosoph/ an$ ha.e inspire$ leagues of people aroun$ the orl$ to uestion their surroun$ings surroun$ings to lea.e no stone unturne$ an$ to tr/ an$ un$erstan$ the .arious connections that mae up the orl$ aroun$ them* Enthuse$ b/ the teachings of his formi$able instructor Socrates 1 Plato recognise$ the $iscrepancies of the societ/ that e4iste$ aroun$ him an$ $re up a blue print of his i$eal societ/ characterise$ b/ his uniue interpretations interpretations of the foun$ations of 5topia*

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“ARISTOTLE OF STAGIRUS – BIOGRAPHY.”  European Graduate School: Graduate &Postgraduate Studies. Studies . European Graduate Schoo! n.d. "e#. "e#. $% Sept. $&'(. )Http*+A*$F*$F,, )Http*+A*$F*$F,,.e-.edu*$F .e-.edu*$F/#rar0*$Far/tote*$F#/o-raph0*$F1. /#rar0*$Far/tote*$F#/o-raph0*$F1.

Aarathi 2 Aristotle %3&'322 )*"*E*+ as Plato6s pupil an$ thans to the pe$igree of his instructor is remembere$ not e.en as a subor$inate to Plato in terms of his contributions to philosoph/ but as his eual* -a.ing atten$e$ the lectures of Plato for o.er tent/ /ears Aristotle as ell .erse$ ith Platonic philosoph/ 2 an$ his subseuent mo$el of the 5topian state shares certain similarities ith that of Plato6s in some areas an$ $i7ers sharpl/ from it in others8 in some areas bears no resemblance to Plato6s at all* The purpose of this essa/ therefore is to compare an$ contrast their i$eal States an$ to un$erstan$ the theoretical an$ practical $i7erences beteen them* Plato6s i$eal state is boun$ b/ the i$ea of 9ustice that things are in their natural state an$ that people perform their $uties to the best of their capacit/* )ut ho $oes Plato $eci$e hat professions are best suite$ to an in$i.i$ual:  To un$erstan$ Plato6s $i.ision of societ/ e must ;rst un$erstan$ his theor/ of the Soul* Accor$ing to Plato the soul is $i.i$e$ into three< =eason Spirit an$ Appetite* =eason for Plato is of  paramount importance its6 e4istence in humanit/ is interminable an$ its ultimate goal is to ;n$ the truth8 Appetite an$ >esire are more perishable the/ e4ist ithin the present frameor of time an$ space an$ their respecti.e $esires are to ;n$ honour an$ material goo$s* While =eason on its on is an in$epen$ent entit/ 2

“PLATO – BIOGRAPHY.” European Graduate School: Graduate &Postgraduate Studies. European Graduate Schoo! n.d. "e#. $% Sept. $&'(. )http233,,,.e-.edu3/#rar03pato3#/o-raph031.

Aarathi 3 Appetite is sub9ect to the con$uct of =eason hile Spirit is seen as a natural all/ of =eason3* The i$eal Soul of the i$eal man is one in hich =eason alone as present hoe.er to ;n$ such a mortal man is impossible* The ne4t best alternati.e to the i$eal Soul therefore is the balance$ Soul an$ such a soul is one in hich =eason $ominates iel$ing eual authorit/ o.er Spirit an$ "ourage8 the man ith such a soul is the closest imitation of the #$ea of man ?*  Therefore the nature of a man6s soul $eci$e$ his place in societ/* Plato $i.i$e$ societ/ into three classes< artisans au4iliaries an$ philosopher'ings* The artisan6s soul as $ominate$ b/ his Appetite for materialistic goo$s an$ he as therefore $estine$ to pro$uce goo$s* The au4iliar/6s soul as $ominate$ b/ Spirit an$ the Spirit ithin it as enough to summon up the "ourage to $efen$ the State an$ its citi@ens* The philosopher'ings possesse$ the balance$ Soul enabling them to rule isel/ o.er the i$eal State8 it is interesting to note that the rulers of Plato6s i$eal State are not perfect impressions of their #$ea* Plato6s i$eal State therefore is actualise$ b/ each of these groups oring toar$s their in$i.i$ual occupation holehearte$l/ an$ ith complete $e$ication an$ to $o 3

 Ancient Theories of Soul*B Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Stanfor$ 5ni.ersit/ 23 Cct* 2003* Web* 2( Sept* 201* D-ttp3A 2Fplato*stanfor$*e$u2Fentries2Fancientsouls2F233*3* 

"a0per! 4.L. “Ho, It A Be-an.” Teach Yourself Political Thought. 5e, 6eh/2 Sur7eet Pu#/cat/on! $&&%. $'. Pr/nt ?

6or#oo! 8on. 9Pato : The 6/ao-ue For; : Repu#/c.9 Great Philosophers. Ore-on State Un/ialectical Metho$ E$ucational Programs The "ulti.ation of Morals*B StateUniversity.com.  State 5ni.ersit/ n*$* Web* 2( Sept* 201* D-ttpon>,o;en  >/n>the>/dea>tate>part>I>the>conte?t.ht;1. &

 Plato on E$ucation*B Infedorg. JM"A George William "ollege & Ma/ 1KK(* Web* 2( Sept* 201* D-ttp,o;en  >/n>the>/dea>tate>part>I>the>conte?t.ht;

Aarathi ( not the priorities of societ/ then all the members of societ/ oul$ be on eual footing 12* While Plato as in$ee$ a brilliant philosopher his State as ,ae$ an$ hen .iee$ b/ the author seems highl/ unnatural* Plato cre$its humanit/ ith an unreasonabl/ high moral nature an$ relies too much on the assumption that people in their $esire$ occupations ill be 9ust* Another ,a in his State is the concentration of such immense poer in the han$s of a fe* While Plato has chosen the i$ea of the philosopher'ing for the inherent rationalit/ an$ $esire for nole$ge that such a character oul$ possess he cannot tae aa/ from the fact that man is inherentl/ an animal that constantl/ $esires poer* This monopol/ of poer for a single in$i.i$ual oul$ e.entuall/ result in t/rann/ an$ this is here his State fails in comparison ith >emocrac/* -is State / #aed upon r/-/d cae and a pu/n- d/re-ard or the econo;/c trata o oc/et0! upon nat/ona/; and tota/tar/an/;! upon a ac@ o reedo; or /t c/t/en and the e?pectat/on o a h/-h ;ora tandard ro; the; uch a#uou contrad/ct/on on0 euc/date the act that uch a State coud ne