Plato and Aristotle: Searching for an Ideal Political System



Plato and Aristotle: Searching for an Ideal Political System

Numerous experts in modern time regard Plato as the first genuine political philosopher and Aristotle as the first political scientist. They were both great thinkers in regards to, in part with Socrates, being the foundation of the great western philosophers. They each had ideas of how to improve existing societies during their individual lifetimes. To compare political theories of two great philosophers of politics is to first examine each theory in depth. It is also necessary to look at several areas of each theory to seek the difference in each.

Plato was the prized pupil of Socrates. From a wealthy and powerful family, his actual name was Aristocles; Plato was a nickname referring to his broad physique. In his early twenties, Plato decided to devote himself to philosophy. Plato lived during the Peloponnesian War which consequently led to the end of Athenian democracy. He had an eyewitness account of his mentor’s (Socrates) trial and execution. Devastated by Socrates’ death, he wandered around Greece, Egypt, Italy and the Mediterranean. In Egypt, he learned of a water clock and later introduced it to Greece. In Italy, he learned of the work of Pythagoras, and came to appreciate the value of mathematics. While on his journey, Plato was enslaved. His friends and family raised money to ransom him from slavery, but when he was released without it, they bought him some property called Academus to start a school, the Academy, founded in 386 B.C.

Aristotle, who was born in Macedonia, received traditional education in the arts, music, gymnastics, and other subjects especially in Homer who was the basis of all Greek education. The turning point in his life for intellectual development however, was his entrance into the Academy of Plato. In 343 B.C. Aristotle was invited by Phillip, King of Macedon, to begin a tutorship with Alexander the Great, who was then thirteen years old. In 335 B.C. He returned to Athens where he founded his own school of philosophy known as the Lyceum.

The main focus of Plato is a perfect society. He creates a foundation for a utopian society, in his book The Republic, out of his disdain for the tension of political life. This blueprint was a sketch of a society in which the problems he thought were present in his society would be eased. Plato sought to cure the afflictions of both human society and human personality. In his thinking about politics, Plato wanted to get away from the prevalent idea that government could only be formed through a muddle of “fear and faith, indolence and improvisation”. Plato’s regard, in fact, was to achieve a perfect society.

Plato’s perfect society would consist of three distinct, non-hereditary groups. The Guardians (Gold), which consist of ruling Guardians and non-ruling Guardians. The non rulers are a higher level of civil servants and the ruling is the society’s policy makers. The Auxiliaries (Silver) who are soldiers and minor civil servants. Finally the Workers, also called Artisans (Bronze), are composed of farmers and craftsmen, most commonly unskilled laborers. The Guardians are to be wise and good rulers. It is important that the rulers who emerge must be a class of craftsmen who are public spirited in temperament and skilled in the arts of government areas. The Guardians are to be placed in a position in which they are absolute rulers. They are supposed to be the select few who know what is the best for society.

Unlike Plato, Aristotle was not concerned with creating a perfect society, but rather improving on the existing one. He also disagrees with the idea of one class holding discontinuing political power. Instead of producing a blueprint for the perfect society, Aristotle suggested, in his work The Politics, that the society itself should reach for the best possible system that could be attained (Hacker, 71). Plato relied on the deductive approach, while Aristotle is an example of an inductive approach (Hacker, 71). Utopia is a solution in abstract, a solution that has no concrete problem (Hacker, 76). There is no solid evidence that all societies are in need of such drastic reformation as Plato suggests. Aristotle believed that the failure to allow circulation between classes excludes those men who may be ambitious, and wise, but are not in the right class of society to hold any type of political power. Aristotle looks upon this ruling class system as an ill conceived political structure. He quotes “It is a further objection that he deprives his Guardians even of happiness, maintaining that happiness of the whole state which should be the object of legislation,” ultimately saying that Guardians sacrifice their happiness for power and control. Guardians who lead such a strict life will also think it necessary to impose the same strict lifestyle on the society it governs . Aristotle puts a high value on moderation. He felt that utopia was abstract and superficial. It wouldn’t allow for realistic problem solving solutions. He felt that Plato’s view of a strict overhaul of society in general wasn’t necessary.

There is so much of Plato’s utopia that is undefined and it is carried to extremes that no human being could ever fulfill its requirements. Aristotle believes that Plato is underestimating the qualitative change in human character and personality that would have to take place in order to achieve his utopia. In the Republic, Plato tells of how men would act and what their attitudes would be in a perfect society. Aristotle tries to use real men in the real world in an experimental fashion to foresee how and in which ways they can be improved.

Aristotle said, “The people at large should be sovereign rather than the few best”. Plato would never allow participation in government by the public as Aristotle would. According to Plato, public judgments of approval and disapproval are based on belief and not on knowledge.

Plato believes that if a revolution were to occur it would be a palace revolution. To define, a palace revolution is when power transfers from one holder to the next. Aristotle views the cause of revolutions originating with either the rich or the poor. He feels that the means of preventing revolutions is to anticipate them. Plato believed that in a utopian setting, a disgruntled group of Guardians will emerge and break from the rules, and that in an oligarchy, two things may happen to cause a revolution: the first would be the ruler and the rulers offspring growing to be sympathetic and weak, and the second is that the numbers of the poor population grows larger and suffer exploitation from those in power. Aristotle states that to know the causes which destroy constitutions is also to know the causes which ensure their preservation.

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