PLATOS THEORY OF STATE By-Viplav Baranwal

In his most celebrated book the Republic, Plato gives the theory of an ideal state. As far as a state is concerned, Plato gives ideas about how to build an Ideal commonwealth, who should be the rulers of the Ideal state and how to achieve justice in the Ideal state. Plato finds the state as the more suitable place to discuss about the morality than an individual, because everything is easier to see in the large than in the small. A state , says Plato , is a man writ large against the sky. The elements that make up a city correspond to the elements that constitute the individual human soul. The justice of the city is the same as it is for the individual. For Plato, there is not one morality for the individuals and another for the state. Like the tripartite individual human soul every state has three parts which are its three classes. The elements that constitute the human soul are as follows: 1, Bodily appetite, 2, Spirited elements 3, Reason Like the tripartite individual human soul ,every state has three parts such as1, producer class 2,military class 3,ruling class Plato finds the origin of the state in the various needs of people. Nobody is self-sufficient. So, to meet the various needs men created the political institution. To Plato, in the beginning there was only one class namely the producing class, then emerged the guardian class. From the guardian class emerged the ruling class. In a state the producer class will consist of those people to whom the bodily appetites are dominant and who live for money. The producer class is made up of farmer, blacksmiths, fishermen, carpenters shoemakers, weavers, laborers, merchants, retailers and bankers. The life of the producer class is much easier than the life of the rulers or the guardians. The life of the produce class follows the old familiar patterns of home and property, family and children, work, rest and recreation. By nature the producers have money. Each member of the producer class will be educated by being taught a trade or a profession farming, banking, carpentry-according to his or her capabilities and to the needs of the society, both of which will be determined by the guardians. The military class will be drawn from that type of men to whom the spirited element is dominant and who live for success in aggressive and courageous acts. The members of the ruling class will be drawn from that type of man to whom reason is dominant and who lives only for truth. A state should be ruled only by the elite group of the most rational. In the ideal state each of these three classes will perform a vital function on behalf of the organic totality of the state. Plato gives most emphasis on the selection of the ruling class. The selection of the ruling class is from all classes by natural intellectual capacity. Women as well as men possess the natural capacity of intelligence to become members of the ruling class. Plato proposes that an ideal state will be governed by a person who is highly educated, has passion for truth and has achieved the greatest wisdom of knowledge of the good. The ruler of this ideal state is called the Philosopher king.

In His theory of Ideal State Plato propounded 3 theories namely 1. Theory of Justice 2.Theory of Education 3.theory of Communism

1. Theory of Justice
If one would go searching for the meaning of justice in Platos Republic, the conclusion would normally be either one of the two meanings mentioned below:

Justice is nothing but harmony. Justice means doing ones job to the best of his capability.

However, these conclusions can only be drawn after fully understanding what Plato has to say. Just finding the two lines or something similar wouldnt be enough. Two different analogies have been offered by Plato in order to get the meaning of justice. He says that the soul is divided into 3 different parts; the spirited part, rational part and the appetitive part. The appetitive part is the part with which the soul becomes hungry and thirsty, lusts and gets excited by other things. The rational part is the part with which the soul makes sensible decisions and calculates different entities. The third part i.e. the spirited part is the one that is courageous, strong willed and vigorous. Plato also mentions that the spirited par, if not hampered by inappropriate upbringing, always complies with the rational part. By differentiating between the different parts of the soul, Plato demonstrates that the soul has different wants and wishes; but for the soul to remain in the proper path, it is necessary to have some kind of hierarchy. He says that the spirited part is a brave ally of the rational part which in turn controls the appetitive part. Similarly, the state is divided into three different divisions of people; the rulers, the soldiers and the workers. When the same division of types of people is placed alongside the contemporary capitalist society, it tends to look a nit awkward and immature to the common man. But in the end, if we examine our society, we will find that this division is not only correct, but it is also the only possible division. We must not forget to keep in mind that, in the Republic, Plato implies that each individual is motivated by a vast amount of education and cares for the work that he must carry out excellently. He also mentions that children should be separated, at the time of birth, from their parents in order to receive an equal and fair opportunity to become a soldier, worker or ruler regardless of their family background.

Theory of Education
No scheme of human life was so important to Plato as education. He himself calls it as the one great thing. Birth as a criterion for distributing function has been rejected by Plato. In its place he had substituted capacity or nature as a standard. Platos Theory of education was an indispensable necessity. It was a positive remedy for the operation of justice in the ideal state. Spartan Influence on Platos Scheme of Education:

In his scheme of education Plato was greatly influenced by Spartan system of education. In the Spartan system the family had no control over the education of its members. The state was controlling all aspects of education. Plato also felt the necessity of moral education. The members of a society should learn that they are the members of one society & that they should live in the spirit of harmony & co-operation. Plato says that men by nature are acquisitive, jealous, combative & erotic & for correcting that nature a policemans omnipresent club is a necessity. Then he realizes that the better way of imparting moral instructions, is the sanction of supernatural authority. We must have a religion & Plato also believes with conviction that a nation cannot be strong unless it believes in God. It will do us no harm to believe but itll do us & our children immeasurable good. From 18 to 20, there was to be an inclusive training in gymnastics, including military exercises calculated to develop courage & self control, character & discipline. Now at the age of 50, those, who have stayed the course of this hard & long process of education, are to be introduced to their final task of governing their country & their fellow-citizens. It is , in this way, after receiving a sort of perfection, as it were, the rulers will exercise power in the best interest of the state. The ideal state, thus, will be realized & its people, balanced in soul, will be just & happy. Another great advantage of Platos theory of education is that it aims at the harmonious development of human personality. His scheme of education includes instructions for the training of body, mind & soul. The purpose was to produce the right type of individualities in the state. A further selection will be followed by another 5 years study of dialectics. But even at this stage the education of the ruler is incomplete. After 5 years of dialectics there comes 15 years of practical experiences, during which they will be exposed to all sorts of temptations. They will be tried more thoroughly than gold is tried in the fire so that the incorruptibility & self control of the future rulers may be established beyond doubt. Platos theory is wavering between the ideal of action & that of contemplation. Sometimes the goal is the attainment of the Idea of the Good & other times to do social service. At one time its aim is perfect self-development, at other social adaptation. The importance of environment through successive stages, proceeding from simple to complex, giving to the child an opportunity to play an active role in the process of learning, the system of selection of candidates for the higher stages of education these are some of the doctrines of Plato which are involved in his scheme of education & by which the modern educators have greatly benefited themselves.

Theory of Communism
Plato sees within society an inherent flaw of two cities, a city of the rich and a city of the poor. He rejects oligarchy, the rule of few over many, because he believes that "absolute power corrupts absolutely" and rejects democracy for the incompetence within the system because it lacks people properly schooled in the Plutonian tradition and sees the violence inherent in the system, for: existent in all forms of government exist the extreme violence and selfishness of partystruggles for factions within society.

Plato would remove the causes of factions, choosing to give up further liberties to protect the good of the people. His theory is similar to the state of nature, believing that societiesare formed to meet the needs of the people. Because of the inherent yearning for power within a few elites, Plato would remove these feelings of selfishness, with his own form of Communism. Plato's communism would take two main forms which meet in the abolition of the family. The first of the two forms would be to set up a new form of hierarchy: Philosopher king, who would rule by merit of vision and capacity to realize that vision in reality. Guardians, who would serve as the military/ruling class of society, merchant class which serves as a middle class, a buffer between the poor and the rulers. This sunders in two the idea of a city of rich/ city of poor. However the main thing to note is that the rulers must give up certain freedoms in order to attain their position of power. The rulers must give up the right to own property, effectively removing self-interest. Anyone can be a ruler as long as they MERIT the position. Also, the must live in common barracks style.