Plato Handout
Natalie Nicholls, Chris Nitsotolis, Kelly O’Donnell
Plato’s Profile
-Born around 429 B.C.E.
-He was the son of wealthy Athenians and Socrates most famous student.
- Plato founded his own school called Academy in 385.
-Plato wrote about philosophical issues revolving law and justice.
Plato’s Philosophy/Viewpoint
-Plato believed that justice was set up not to satisfy factions of society but to benefit society as a
whole.
- Plato does not believe a privileged group or one social class should benefit from the political
system.
-He argued that the system should be set up to balance the conflicting interests of all
classes which would bring peace in social diversity.
- Plato believed that if political order was good, it would lead to good natures.
-He suggested the best forms of government were an aristocracy or monarchy.
-Plato criticized democracy because it was unstable.
Strengths
-His idea of justice is set up to benefit the majority of society rather than certain parts of it
-He valued freedom as being an important right for all citizens in law
-He aimed to accommodate all conflicting interests of the different classes of society
-While deciding on best political order, he recognized the bad side of human nature.
Weakness
-Aristocracy or monarchy only works in his context (small city-states) not large countries.
Civil Disobedience
-Plato believed that by following the government in Athens [democracy] was immoral, as it
would only help the stronger citizens, and hurt the weaker.
The Concept of Justice
-In his philosophy, he gives a prominent place to the idea of justice.
-He was highly dissatisfied with the prevailing degenerating conditions in Athens.
-The Athenian democracy was on the verge of ruin and was ultimately responsible for the death
of Socrates.
-The amateur meddlesomeness and excessive individualism become main targets of Plato’s
attack.
-The attack came in the form of the construction of an ideal society in which justice reigned
supreme, since Plato believed justice to be the remedy for curing these evils.
Thereafter criticizing the conventional theories of justice presented differently by Cephalus,
Polymarchus, Thrasymachus, and Glaucon, Plato gives us his own theory of justice according to
which individually justice is ‘human virtue’ and that makes a person self consistent and good;
socially, justice is a social consciousness that makes a society internally harmonious and good.
-According to Plato, justice is a sort of specialization.
-His philosophy concerning the idea of justice is close to the work ‘morality’ or ‘righteousness’.
It includes the whole duty of man, as well covers how the individuals conduct affects others.
Sample of Writing
“The children of inferior parents, and any deformed offspring of others, they (the guardians) will
secretly put out of the way as is fitting. (The God of Healing) did not want to lengthen good for
nothing lives…Those who are diseased in their bodies, (physicians) mil leave to die, and the
corrupt and incurable souls they will put an end to themselves. Plato, The Republic.
(Controversial Question answered on Euthanasia)
-Plato believed that Euthanasia was a practice of putting somebody out of misery, but was not a
common or approved practice.
Views on Abortion
-Plato looked at abortion varied on the state of each individual person
-Necessary vs. Unnecessary abortion
- Believed the soul entered the body when fetus was full developed, “delayed ensoulment” for
males; 40 days and for females; 80 days