The Republic By Plato Vs. Plato - 1299 Words

The Republic by Plato is an vision of an utopian society established through the character of Socrates. Many aspects of Plato’s society appears utopian; however, it can also be viewed dystopian as it is mere subjectiveness. Many of Plato’s arguments apply to current day society; for example, Donald Trump’s rise to power depicts democracy degenerating to despotism. Plato’s Republic is utopian in idealistic terms because the most qualified individual is in charge of society who is able to extend his ideals to the subjects through education; however, when the ideals are integrated into practical terms, it creates a totalitarian society due to a lack of freedom, individualism, and morality. From a governing perspective, Plato’s Republic is†¦show more content†¦Through this plan, a philosopher king will be able to forge perfect individuals that â€Å"heaven can approve†; therefore, he will be able to remove all the evil from human character, creating a society where there is complete order and social perfection. When Plato’s Republic is considered in practice, it rapidly degenerates into a dystopian society. Plato’s Republic can be seen as a totalitarian regime destructive of individualism because a philosopher king makes all the decisions based on his knowledge; consequently, subjects are stripped of the freedom to make their own decisions. There is no dissenters in Plato’s Republic; the philosopher king extends his views onto the people through education, forcing individuals to abide by his principles. Moreover, in a practical setting, it can be difficult for a philosopher king to convince the subjects that he is a true philosopher king; besides a true passion for knowledge and truth, there is nothing distinguishing of a philosopher king and a despot. Moreover, although philosopher kings make the objectively correct decision for a state, it is clear that they do not take into account morality as Plato â€Å"proposes to rusticate† part of a population, so a philosopher king could start a city from the beginning (Cornford 209). Morality is an important and necessaryShow MoreRelatedHume vs. Plato on Knowledge: A Comparative Analysis1541 Words   |  6 PagesHume vs. Plato on Knowledge Introduction Platos ideas on knowledge represent, perhaps, the most foundational and influential attempt to establish the boundaries of what can be known. His ideas have had an immense influence on successive philosophers as well as Western Civilization as a whole. 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