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Book No. – 52 (Political Science)
Book Name – Political Philosophy (Richard G. Stevens)
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LANGUAGE
The Best City
Political Philosophy
Chapter – 5
- The Republic is considered the true Apology of Socrates, addressing the relationship of the philosopher to the political community.
- Many scholars debate whether Aristotle’s Politics or Plato’s Republic is the best book on politics, with the author siding with the latter.
- The Republic is seen as the most penetrating, thorough, and beautiful work on politics, philosophy, and the tension between the two, which should be read repeatedly for deeper understanding.
- The book was later subtitled “On Justice,” but this is a misleading guide to its content, as it is more about the best political order (the true regime) than justice alone.
- The original Greek title, Politeia, refers to the structure, form, or constitution of a polis, implying the book’s focus on the best regime or the truly good political order.
- Cicero’s De Re Publica is the source of the English title “The Republic,” a term that lacks clear meaning, except distinguishing it from a monarchy, but in the book, the ideal city resembles a monarchy.
- The subtitle “On Justice” misguides readers into thinking the book solely focuses on justice, while it is primarily about the best political order.
- Political philosophy is the search for the best regime, and justice is just one necessary attribute of it.
- Modern-day sentiment around justice is often based on feelings of equality, but as Plato’s Republic reveals, justice is a much more complex concept, requiring deeper reflection beyond common assumptions.
- The formulation of justice in Justinian’s Code as “the constant and abiding will to give to everyone what is his” is an age-old definition but lacks depth. Plato’s Republic examines the deeper layers of justice.
- Justice is questioned beyond property rights: Is it just that someone’s title to a possession is taken and returned, or are deeper questions of how these titles arise and are enforced also involved?
- The book examines justice on three levels: the surface level of property rights, the redistribution of wealth, and the deeper question of the redistribution of lives.
- The redistribution of lives involves profound questions of whether we can assign people to the right roles or families based on their nature, raising the question of what is better and worse in each case.
- Political action must account for feelings and personal attachments in contrast to the idealized views of utopians who seek to control others based on their subjective sense of justice.
- True political virtue lies not in achieving complete justice, but in the moderation of countervailing injustices in practical politics, as described by Aristotle.
- Idealists and utopians, who seek to implement their version of justice, often overlook the personal connections, like a mother’s love for her son, that complicate attempts at bureaucratic control and reshaping of lives.
- Sound political action should take into consideration the realities of human feelings and personal bonds, avoiding turning well-meaning individuals into bureaucratized busybodies.
- The desire to straighten out political problems and put everyone in their proper place makes two serious mistakes.
- It overlooks the element of chance in human affairs, as choices often involve random encounters or opportunitiesthat influence one’s life path.
- A college student may wonder how life would have been if they chose a different college or major.
- The attractiveness of professors and fellow students can significantly influence academic decisions.
- Life is shaped by chance encounters, advice, and influences, which make it impossible to trace a person’s decisions fully.
- For many, the freshman and sophomore years are moments of discovery, exploring many possibilities before deciding on a path.
- Some choices in life, like being an optician or a salesman, don’t drastically affect one’s happiness as long as there is freedom to choose.
- Big differences in life, such as major life events, do matter, but the idea of achieving a perfectly rational sorting of individuals is an exaggeration.
- Justice in Plato’s “Republic” is explored at progressively deeper levels, with each layer of analysis revealing more complexity.
- The story of Cyrus in Xenophon’s account illustrates the evolving understanding of justice, from the naive understanding of a young boy to a deeper, philosophical one.
- Plato’s Republic pushes readers to understand justice at different depths, widening one’s perspective over time.
- An excellent translation of Plato’s “Republic” is by Allan Bloom, who provides a literal translation, arguing that this is the best approach.
- In Book One, Cephalus mentions justice, and the difficulty of establishing its meaning leads to the creation of a city in speech.