|
 Philosopher
of the Month
December
2002 - Plato
Roy
Jackson
Plato
(427-347BC) is one of the founding fathers of philosophy and has
had a massive impact on the history of Western thought. He was probably
born in Athens or the nearby island of Aegina. He was given the
name Aristocles, but was called Plato, which means 'broad' or 'flat',
a possible reference to his broad shoulders (he used to wrestle).
Although
there were a number of outstanding Greek philosophers before Plato,
none of their writings - if, indeed, they wrote anything at all
- survive. However, for Plato, we are fortunate to possess a great
deal of his work. What distinguishes Plato from earlier philosophers
is his development of a more cogent and rational approach to philosophy
that laid the foundations for all philosophers who came after him.
This is why the British philosopher Alfred North Whitehead (1861-1947)
famously said that the history of philosophy is but "a series
of footnotes to Plato".
During
his lifetime, Plato witnessed the decline of Athens and experienced
the moral uncertainty that resulted. Plato was born into a wealthy
and politically powerful Athenian family, and he was encouraged
to enter politics himself, but his experience of unscrupulous politicians
and the constant strife amongst various political groupings soon
disillusioned him. However, he had a deep concern for the welfare
of Athens and its citizens and so it was philosophy he looked to
as a way of voicing these concerns.
At
around twenty years of age, Plato encountered a remarkable man:
Socrates. Little is really known about Socrates, and yet his name
stands out amongst the ranks of great intellectuals. He was born
around 470 BC and spent his life in virtual poverty. The lack of
money was of his own choosing, as he was more concerned with living
the "examined life" as he called it. Socrates' concerns
were mostly ethical, determining what is the best life and the best
society to live in. He survived through the generosity of friends
and disciples, Plato being one of them. Socrates was deliberately
provocative. It was for this reason he jokingly referred to himself
as a gadfly; biting away at his victims. However, this also resulted
in making him many enemies and, in 399 BC, he was placed on trial
for 'corrupting the youth' with his ideals. He was condemned to
death by drinking a cup of hemlock.
Socrates'
death had a profound impact upon Plato. Undoubtedly, the fact that
his friend and teacher was condemned by democrats was one reason
Plato distrusted democracy and, as he saw it, the rule of the mob.
He was determined to keep the spirit of Socrates alive by engaging
in philosophy in the Socratic tradition. He set about writing a
series of dialogues with Socrates as Plato's mouthpiece.
Plato's
works can be divided into three periods: early, middle and late.
The early period was mostly concerned with moral issues and is heavily
influenced by the teachings of Socrates. However, when we enter
the middle period, Plato comes into his own, dealing with such issues
as politics and metaphysics. The best known work of this period
is his magnum opus, the Republic. The late period, incidentally,
contains works that are less dramatic and original, although help
to show how Plato developed his earlier philosophy.
The
Republic is one of the world's greatest works of philosophy
and literature. It set the standards and boundaries for future Western
philosophy. It is the first major work of political philosophy and
presents a comprehensive and radical theory of the state that views
its role as not merely an agent of control, but as an agent of virtue.
The state is an educational tool to nurture, nourish and develop
individual behaviour. In this respect, Plato had great faith in
the ability of the state to wield its power wisely.
However,
the Republic is more than just a political theory, for it
is also very personal: The individual is an indelible part of the
state, the two cannot be separated.
Plato
has been criticised, most notably by Sir Karl Popper (1902-1994),
for presenting us with a utopia, and utopias are always destined
to fail because by their nature they are static and therefore unable
to adjust to changing circumstances. Underlying all of Plato's philosophy
is his belief in an eternal and unchanging truth, the realm of the
'Forms', and that it is possible to have access to these 'Forms'.
Plato was concerned that if there are no such things as universal
standards then we are confronted with moral relativism. For Plato,
however, there is such a thing as 'good' and 'bad', 'beautiful'
and 'ugly' and, if it is indeed possible to know these things, then
those who have this knowledge should be in a position to educate
and rule. In this respect, Plato was the founder of political science:
that political rule can be a science.
After
over two and a half thousand years, Plato continues to be educative
and controversial. A huge achievement considering that he was at
the very beginning of western philosophy.
Suggested
reading
The
Republic, Plato, trans. F M Cornford (Oxford University Press)
Plato: A Beginner's Guide, Roy Jackson (Hodder & Stoughton)
A Very Short Introduction to Plato, R M Hare (Oxford University
Press)
A
new philosopher of the month will be featured early January 2003
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