Overview
This lecture explores Plato's concept of justice, tracing its foundations, features, and critiques, and compares it with pre-Platonic views and select Indian political thinkers.
Background and Pre-Platonic Perspectives
- Plato was an Athenian philosopher influenced by Socrates, Parmenides, Heraclitus, and Pythagoras.
- Justice was seen as central to maintaining order and harmony in both individuals and states.
- Pre-Platonic views:
- Traditional: Justice is honesty and paying debts (Cephalus/Polemarchus), but Socrates found flaws.
- Radical: Justice serves the interests of the stronger (Thrasymachus), countered by Socratic argument for the collective good.
- Pragmatic: Justice as a social contract for mutual protection (Glaucon/Adeimantus), which Socrates argued was not true justice.
Plato’s Concept of Justice
- Justice is one of four cardinal virtues: wisdom, courage, temperance, justice.
- Justice ensures everyone does their appropriate duty based on abilities, creating societal harmony.
- The state is natural, and division of labor is essential.
Three Classes and Three Souls
- Society divided into three classes: rulers (wisdom), auxiliaries (courage), artisans (temperance).
- Each class corresponds to a part of the soul: reason, spirit, and appetite respectively.
- The "noble lie" (myth of metals) reinforces natural aptitude and social harmony.
- Plato advocates meritocracy over hereditary privilege.
Communist Principles in Plato’s State
- Ruling class is denied private property and family to prevent corruption.
- Children and property among rulers are held in common.
- Plato's communism applies only to the elite, unlike Marx's universal, economic focus.
Justice at Individual and State Level
- Justice in the soul is harmony, with reason ruling over spirit and appetite.
- At state level, justice is each class performing its proper function.
- Plato recognized potential for rulers' corruption despite safeguards.
Critical Assessment
- Plato’s model is criticized for rigidity, elitism, suppression of individuality, and potential for tyranny.
- Use of the "noble lie" raises ethical concerns about truth and justice.
- Critics argue Plato undermines democracy and accountability.
Plato and Indian Political Thinkers
- Plato and Kautilya both advocate rule by the learned elite and stress hierarchy and self-control.
- Both favored military class rulers.
- Differences: Plato combined rulership and intellectual activity in elites; Kautilya separated these roles.
- Gandhi admired Socratic and Platonic emphasis on duty, self-sacrifice, and ethical politics.
Key Terms & Definitions
- Justice (Dikaiosyne) — moral harmony where everyone performs their allotted role.
- Noble Lie — a myth told to maintain societal order and justify natural roles.
- Three Classes — rulers (wisdom), auxiliaries (courage), artisans (temperance).
- Communism (Plato) — abolition of private property/family for rulers to ensure common good.
- Timocracy — rule by the military class, valuing honor over reason.
Action Items / Next Steps
- Review Plato's Republic for deeper understanding of justice and the ideal state.
- Compare Plato’s and Marx’s versions of communism.
- Reflect on critiques of Plato’s political hierarchy and application to modern politics.