Plato
Profile of Plato:
 Athenian Philosopher
 Born in 428-7 B.C.E and died at approximately the age of eighty at 348-7 B.C.E
(varies by different researches)
 Student of Socrates and teacher of Aristotle
 After Socrates died, he went to Egypt and Italy and studied with the students of
Pythagoras
 Came back to Athens and established his own school of philosophy at the Academy
 Passed on Socratic style of thinking and mathematical learning style to achieve
abstract philosophical truth
 Provided primary sources of Socrates’ conversational interactions through dialogues
Plato’s Philosophy on Law:
Natural Law - Plato’s definition of justice is basically natural law thus he agrees with
the idea of natural law and that it can be reached by reason.
Positive Law – Plato believed that a “just” person would follow the law by their
conscience fueled by reason, but positive law disagrees and says that it is no longer a
matter of conscience but of following the state’s law or be subject to its penalties.
Plato’s Definition of “Justice”:
The state or condition that exists when all the powers of an individual or society are
working together in harmony for the good of the whole (according to Plato’s theory of
natural law)
 Is revealed in his dialogue “The Republic” (Socrates thoughts)
 Should be evident in two places: the individual and the state
 Individual in considered “just” when their physical, mental, and spiritual powers are
working together, with the lower powers inferior to the higher
 Individual receives state of “justice” through reason
 State is considered “just” when each class of persons achieves their own function
accurately without interfering with the other classes’ function
 State receives “justice” through law
Strengths and Weakness of his Theory:
Strength – His definition is related to universal laws thus making the same law for
everyone and creating a world wide unity
Weakness – Not everyone always use their reason and not all states function properly
without interference.
Plato’s Point of view on Civil Disobedience (through knowledge of Socrates):
Since Plato’s based his Philosophy of Law on Socrates’ thoughts, it is fair to say that
Plato would have agreed with peaceful protest by which a person refuses to obey a
particular law as a matter of conscience. Socrates dies in his act of civil disobedience
because he believes that a person must never do wrong or injury in return for wrong.
Plato’s Thoughts on Georgian Conflict: Using his quotes from him famous Republican
dialogue, “If a ruler can create just laws, and if the warriors can carry out the orders of
the rulers, and if the producers can obey this authority, then a society will be just.” We
can conclude that therefore we must first establish this just society by creating just laws
to get Russia out of Georgia but we must not resort to force because as Plato says, a just
man would never do harm to anybody. If we push Russia too far we will only receive
retaliation therefore we must establish a just society while keeping a non-violent
relationship with Russia.
Republican Dialogue: “If a ruler can create just laws, and if the warriors can carry out
the orders of the rulers, and if the producers can obey this authority, then a society will be
just.”
Bibliography:
Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Civil Disobedience. 04 JAn. 2007. 08 Sep. 2008
<http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/civil-disobedience/>.
W. J. Korab-Karpowicz. Plato's Political Philosophy. 2006. 08 Sep. 2008
<http://www.iep.utm.edu/p/platopol.htm>.
Alexandrowicz, Geroge, Marion Austin, and Rosemary Cairns-Way. Dimensions of Law.
Toronto, Canada: Emond Montgomery Publications, 2004.