Plato Meets His Critics

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Government 3301

Political Theory

Dr Harpham

Fall 2005

Plato Meets His Critics:

Moses, Solon, Jesus, Julius Caesar, and St. Paul

Monday. September 19, 2005.

Directions:

We will debate the following propositions from the perspective of your respective individuals. You should already have a pretty good understanding of the historical events that shaped the lives of these individuals as well as the ideas and commitments that compelled them to action. Now be creative in developing responses to the following ideas drawn from Plato’s thought. Note that you have the freedom to agree, disagree, or modify the basic thrust of each of these theses. You fundamental task is to represent and defend the perspective of your individual as faithfully as possible.

Dr. Harpham will lead the discussion of Plato’s 21 Theses, sometimes defending them, sometimes criticizing ideas brought against them. Your group should decide how you want to respond as a coherent team. However, no one person should completely dominate the conversation for your group. Everyone should have a role to play in the exercise. And remember that you sink or swim together as a team. Harpham reserves the right to call on silent team members.

You are free to take notes on this exercise to assist you in writing your paper at the end of the semester.

Plato’s 21 Theses

1) Justice is a universal standard applicable to all individuals and societies. For it to be effective, it must be grounded in a well thought out philosophical system.

2) All societies are based on lies, even good ones. The noble lie and other such founding myths are necessary falsehoods that must be told and believed if a society is to flourish.

3) We must eliminate from our moral and religious stories any that portray the gods as being weak or vengeful. Such stories make the gods all too human and poor exemplars for guiding our actions.

4) A just man is a happy and strong. The unjust man is miserable and weak.

5) Neither the meek nor the vicious will inherit the earth.

6) Women are no different from men when it comes to the capacity to rule in a city. They must be trained to be guardians just like the men.

7) In order to inquire into the nature of justice, one must be willing to reject all appeals to authority or tradition. The only legitimate arbiter in political and moral argument is reason and critical reflection.

8) Like marriage and children, private property is a distraction for individuals who seek to serve the common good. It must be eliminated if individuals are to be trained to serve the public good.

9) Blood ties and tribal affiliations are threats to the unity of the state and must be eliminated by anyone seeking to found a just city.

10) Tradition must be made to serve reason, not reason tradition. Traditions and institutions that fly in the face of reason must be rejected and replaced ruthlessly.

11) Not all individuals are capable of living a fully human life or becoming fully just individuals.

12) By nature people are not equal. They have different abilities and potential. Any society based on an egalitarian premise is doomed to disorder and trouble.

13) The educational system is the most important institution found in a state. It must not be controlled by priests or poets. Rather priests and poets must be cultivated to serve the state.

14) Knowledge of the truth is not accessible to everyone, but only to a select few who are properly trained and educated.

15) The good man is an effective political actor. He serves the public good better than anyone else. The bad man is a weak political actor and serves nothing well.

16) Ambition is an important human quality that must not so much be eliminated as brought under control. Like other passions, the problem is to direct passions like ambition to serve the state.

17) In the end, the best among us must be forced to rule over us.

18) Contrary to Mr. Lennon, love is not all you need.

19) In all societies but the ideal one ruled by a philosopher king, truth and power are in fundamental tension. Thus in most cases, individuals must decide as to where their fundamental commitment lies, to truth or to power.

20) Socrates’ willingness to die as ordered by the state reflects the triumph of the philosophical life over the world of brute politics.

21) The only tales of the afterlife worth telling are those that serve the purposes of this life.