Plato's "Republic"

Paper Summary:

This paper discusses Plato's "Republic." Particularly, the paper compares Plato's view of justice and a good state to the concept of a techne, which is a system applied by the human intelligence in asserting control over chances and accidents, in meeting and managing needs and in establishing a concrete basis for contingencies. The paper concludes that Plato's thinking fails the tests of the four criteria of a techne and explains the reasons why.

From the Paper:

"Plato believes that the people in a State should be divided into traders, auxiliaries, and guardians. These divisions are distinct and co-equal. He sees that the meddling of one division into another as the greatest harm to the State and the essence of "evil-doing." He points to this as injustice itself, whereby a person does the greatest evil to another person in the same State or city. To him, a natural trader who becomes proud of his wealth, strength or leadership and forces his way wrongly into another division or class by taking another's goods or duties is meddling and this will ruin the State. He is convinced that people in a good State should be engaged either in commerce (as traders), lead the people (as guardians) or become followers of leaders (auxiliaries) and that these forms support his ideal of a State or city."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Grube, G.M.A., trans. Republic by Plato. Hackett Publishing Company, December 1983

More papers on Plato's "Republic":

• Analytical Essay # 89696 : "Philosophers and Citizens in Plato's Republic"
• Term Paper # 91495 : "Plato and Representation"
• Comparison Essay # 55639 : "Plato and Descartes"
• Book Review # 93772 : "Plato's "Republic"

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