Q.15. "Plato's 'Republic' is a mere Romance". Explain. Is the Republic a utopia ?
Ans. The following parts prove that the Republic is not a utopia.
1. Comprehensive Masterpiece: "The Republic" of Plato is his masterpiece. It is a treatise on justice. It is a treatise on political science and jurisprudence. Rousseau called it a treatise on education. To quote Sabine, "Its range of subject matter is such that it may be said to deal with the whole of human life". It deals with many subjects interwoven into one whole. In this book, Plato discussed every possible thing on earth including justice, education, eugenies, abortion, rudism, etc. hence. Sabine has rightly said that "The Republic' defies classification.
2. Difinition of Ideal State: As a conseqauence of Socrates's death and the decay of Greek Poity Plato was provided with a point of view to criticise the city-state and also with a method that led to the conception of an ideal state. The Republic presents Plato's Ideal state. Plato gave his own definition of Ideal State. He placed it high above the existing systems. State, according to him was a perfection serve as a model, to be the criterion by which the existance systems can be estimated and an ideal to be emulated. Dunning says, "Plato's Republic is a mere romance". But on the other hand, Barker pointls out that Republic is not a a city of nowhere, it is based on actual conditions it is meant to mould or at any rate to influence actual life. This is due to the reason that Plato never divorced himself from earthly realities. He may equally be called a realist as well as an idealist.
3. Based on Actual Conditions: The Republic" was based on actual conditions of Greece. In Plato's view Greek states were diseased because in them the elements of reason and appetite were overgrowth. Plato wanted to cure these diseased states by the rule of reason. Training of reason by scientific and philosophic education and liberation of reason from greed and appetite by a system of communisms were the two remedies employed by Plato to eliminate defects in existing city-state.
4. Deduction and Induction: This statement of cure like the statement of disease is based on actual fact. Training and the mode of education suggested by Plato was the same as was actually given in academy. The system of communication, though it goes beyond anything that existed in Greece, is the extension of elements that Greece had known. So the Republic was not only a deduction from first principles it was also an induction from first principles it was also an induction from facts of Greek life..
5. Influence on Actual Life: "The Republic" was meant to influence actual life. Political reform was the aim of the work. As Plato was a practical idealist, he was an actual politician in intention. he fell short of a perfect idealism just becuse he was so eager to realise his ideal. As he himself said about his 'The Republic" "It is not impossible, nor do we speak of things that are impossible, though by even ourselves they are admitted to be difficult in enactment". What Plato said about State and Government was not a mere dream. It was possible only when kings become philosophers or philosopher kings. Granted the Philosopher and the means, the ideal could be realised.
6. Practicability of the ideal: At the end of the IX book, Plato said, "Ideal city is founded on words because on earth it nowhere exists" Plato doubted whether the ideal could be realised as it is. But the ideal, in spirit was a force in all societies, may be certainly hoped to realise. Plato was not greatly concerned with practicability of his ideal. The enquiry was for the sake of an ideal and not for proving that such a thing could exist in fact. Fact in its alpproximation to perfect truth must fall short of the theory. Action must lag behind thought. Thoughts can think of actual conditions mind constructs a picture of the world, as it would be. If the true principle of human life had free play such a picture is not a dream. It is abstraction indeed, but every thing dependls upon the society in which one lives. If the society puts away these old conditions and adopts new, then the dream may become true. Even if this is impossible the dream has still its value. It tells us as to what is good and what should be out aim. Thus, it directs us to move in right direction. It directs us listinguish between different elements of life. It gives us control over lives.
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