Fundamentals Of Politics Essay

• Philosopher king is best ruler
• Knows the “right” way to live
• The Republic, The Laws, The Statesman
• 428-348 B.C. in city state of Greece in Athens
• Peloponnesian war and destruction provoked Plato to think about “the ideal state”
• Tried to uncover the eternal principals of nature (what really drives nature, what ethics do people aspire to, what makes life worth living) in the Republic
      o Puts political spin on it
      o We are social beings and have responsibility to build a state to help us be the best we can be
      o Function of political system is to help citizens lead best life they can
• Trial of Socrates (his teacher) made him skeptical
      o Retired from politics
      o Founded Western Academy (teacher of wisdom)
      o “Virtue is Knowledge” inscribed on school: we can know virtue and the right way to live through study and examination because we are beings with the ability to think critically
      o Objective good life: stable ethical system that all human beings can aspire to
• Founder of the term Political Science
• “The unexamined life is not worth living”
• Not concerned with more or better democracy for Athens, but Liberty
      o Liberal attitude of citizens pursuit of truth
      o Democracy produced ignorant rulers that pandered to incompetent citizens (told them what they wanted to hear)
      o Men want to be lead
• How do we find a class of rulers that will know the right way to live
      o Only way is find people who are introspective, lovers of wisdom, live examined lives (The Philosopher King)
• Athens undoing: followed elected leaders that didn’t know “truth”
• A state can be unwisely governed even when the wisest people live in the midst (Socrates)
• Does not talk about rights
• Mature adults don’t always get to do what they want to do (sacrifice)
• 3 Building Blocks
      o Concept of wisdom
            ▪ To achieve wisdom is to achieve perfection, happiness, wellbeing...