Political Theories of Plato and Aristotle and Their Views on Democracy, Government and Education

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Political Theories of Plato and Aristotle and Their Views on Democracy, Government and Education

Plato and Aristotle are probably the greatest philosophers in history and all times. These two philosophers postulated many theories on societal concepts of living, ideal government, democracy and education. It is evident that their theories are based on these four concepts but there are differences in their theories. Plato and Aristotle differed in some aspects of societal concepts, democracy, government and education. While Plato is known as the first political philosophy writer, Aristotle is known as the first political scientists. These definitions are based on what they believed in and what they postulated about politics and science. Plato and Aristotle were great thinkers and postulated theories on these fields. These theories have been utilized since the ancient Greek civilization times to present day times. This paper will focus on the various theories postulated by these two great philosophers and the difference between their views on democracy, education and government.

Plato believed that philosophers should be the rulers of the society. He claimed that since philosophers are wise, they would be able to rule the society in a good way. According to his theories, rulers who were not philosophers could not be able to handle societal affairs effectively (Plato 32). At that particular time, Plato did not support democracy because he because he did not believe in leaders that were not philosophers. His view on democracy was that the people should chose their ruler who is ready to govern them and the people are ready to be ruled. People in the society should appreciate governance of the philosopher king by abiding to the rules and laws.

The model Plato society had three groups of people, the rulers, the guardians and the laborers or the workers (Plato 43). Plato divided the society in these groups depending on the ability of the people. Some people were philosophers and could make good kings; others were strong, brave and courageous and therefore could make good soldiers while the rest of the people could perform the farming and other societal roles effectively. Rulers were delegated the duty of ruling the people while the guardians were delegated the duty of protecting the community. Guardians were the ones who went to wars and represented their communities in conquests and other security related issues. They also had the responsibility of enforcing laws and policies made by the ruling class within the society. The rest of the people were supposed to follow the laws and policies made accordingly. If one failed to do so, the guardians had to enforce this through punishments. The workers or the laborers had the duty of farming and providing for the society including the philosopher kings and the guardians (Garth, 2001).

According to Popkin and Stroll, Plato believed that the government is the ultimate ruling power in the state (Popkin & Stroll 77). Depending on whether the government is democratic, tyrannical or aristocratical, laws and policies are made to the interest of the government and the people governed. The laws and policies made by the government are supposed to deliver justice to the ruled. These laws and policies have to be implemented through various governmental organs for instance the guardians. If a person transgresses the laws, he should be punished accordingly. The laws have to be followed by all people including the leaders, guardians and the normal people.

Aristotle postulated that a community is a state in one way or the other if it is established for common good. If all the communities aim at the good only, then the state or the community would aim at the highest degree of good. Aristotle defined ruler in two different ways. A ruler is the king when the government is personal and he is a statesman when the citizens agree to be ruled by a particular ruler by abiding to the laws and policies and the king rulers well; at the interest of the people and not personal gains. Aristotle claimed that the state is formed naturally. He believed that since the family and the village occur naturally and later on form the state, then the state is formed naturally (Aristotle 1).

Aristotle believed that in the state are the rulers and the subjects, the governed. In an ideal state, the rulers should rule at the interest of the people and the subjects should be ready to be governed. They can show this by abiding to the laws and policies made by the rulers. In a bid to distinguish between good and bad ruling, Aristotle stated that rule over men was better than rule over animals whether the form of governance is democratic, aristocracy or a monarchy. Good ruling is that which is done by the needy or the low class people. This way, the ruled are the ones who choose their rulers and kings in contrast to the monarchy and aristocracy forms of governance.

The rulers have the duty of serving the people at the interest of the society and not for any personal gains. This description fits the Aristotle’s model of democratic government. Such a government should invest enough time in practicing the virtues rather than becoming wealthy and rich at the expense of the subject being governed (Popkin & Stroll 81). The labourers and workers may not have enough time to practice some of these virtues and it is only the leaders and rulers who should practice such virtues to maintain the society and state in order.

According to documented sources, Plato is claimed to be the first man to introduce the theory of education. Plato was taught by Socrates and was inspired imminently by the work of Socrates. Plato believed that education is a process by which the natural capabilities of the soul reason and enlightenment are awakened and developed (Plato, 51). When Plato was talking about the concept of justice, he related education with justice. Plato strongly believed in wise Kings and he postulated that education was meant for the Kings. Education would give the kings the knowledge they needed to rule the subjects or the governed. However, it is important to note that Plato does not talk about education directly. This is clearly depicted in the dialogue in his book; the republic. In the book, Socrates states that his primary mission is to practice philosophy which was aimed at making the Athenians to care and practice their virtues.

His different views on education and virtues are outlined in different parts. In the first part of Gorgias, Plato suggests that happiness is only brought about by education and justice. Plato considered that education and justice are linked and that education plays an important role in the life of human beings especially the rulers. Plato wonders whether virtues can be taught or they can be acquired through any other means. Plato emphasized on the significance of knowledge in the Phaedrus. He claimed that teaching and persuading requires acquaintance of the soul and its powers are obtained from education. In Plato’s review, Socrates states that “the power to learn is present in everyone’s soul and the instrument a person uses to learn is like the eye which cannot be turned away from darkness to light without turning the whole body. He continues to say that education is the craft that is used to turn from darkness to light” (Plato 53). This statement clearly shows just how Plato emphasized on education and the probable impacts and consequences of education on a person.

Also, Plato asserts that the soul has the desire of knowing the truth through reason and enlightenment and be fulfilled with knowledge. He believed that when the soul gains understanding and knowledge in its disincarnate state, it has the ability to recollect the knowledge gained when incarnated; when asked accurate questions. He emphasized on both physical and musical education. This was meant for all people in the city state including the whole guardian class which includes the future philosopher Kings and their helpers, the police force and the military. The purpose of acquiring knowledge was to produce a well accustomed political virtue of the soul. According to Plato, Physical education was not only meant to train the body but the soul as well. He claimed that dialectic education results from knowledge of the forms of virtues culminating the good itself (Plato, 57).

Musical education is another important form education that Plato emphasized on. The chief goal of musical education is to acquire true beliefs on how to live well for example what actions are courageous to soldiers and guardians and what institutions within the society are just. This is aimed at enlightening people and should be made available to all people within the city state regardless of their, role, class, gender or race. In The Republic, Plato argues that women in an ideal city state should be educated as men (Plato 62). This was based on the belief that education is the key to all things within the community. Women are delegated many household chores and education could help them perform these chores better. Children should be taught through stories, by example and through other means as well. However, children recited told stories that would compromise their soul beliefs which could be exactly opposite of what ought to be taught. They also need to be taught key life lessons that could help them when growing up (Plato 67).

Aristotle had a different perspective on education; one that emphasized on the components of education. He proposed a programme that would be followed depending on the age of the person into the following sub groups. Basics which included reading, writing and mathematics, Natural sciences including astronomy, biology, physiology, chemistry, zoology and physics, physical education that involved training the body and the soul and humanities which include politics, philosophy, poetry, rhetoric and grammar (Aristotle 7). His view on education was further divided in to several theories namely value, knowledge, human nature, learning, transmission, society, opportunity and the theory of consensus.

Aristotle claimed that the purpose of the state government was to educate its people in order to facilitate understanding virtues. According to his works, he believed that virtue is the perfection of reason; reason being the first principles of knowledge and deals with abstract and ideal aspects. Active reasoning makes people and the world intelligible (Popkin & Stroll 88). According to his first theory, education is the purpose of the state in order to accomplish the highest goal of happiness to man. He states that education is a worthy activity and that it ought to be guided by legislation. This is to make education correspond to the grades of psychological analysis. He postulated that this was important in order to follow steady development of the body and mental sense.

Education is associated with the virtue of knowledge. Aristotle hypothesized that knowledge always concerns an object; intellectual and scientific knowledge, intuition, understanding and the ability to demonstrate arguments. It is abstract and is based on the particular form of the object. He talked about belief, confidence and mistakes in relation to education. A belief is based on opinion and according to Aristotle, it is the beginning of dialectic understanding and reasoning. He claimed that people are not perfect and make mistakes. Such scenarios take place when judgement is not based purely on understanding and reasoning. Aristotle never believed that a person could make mistakes while reasoning. He puzzles why people lie yet they know the truth (Aristotle 9).

Man is a rational being theoretically and practically but has definite capabilities. Humans differ from animals in that they possess some characters not common with animals for instance speech. Aristotle believed that humans can use speech in a right or wrong judgements which could be either beneficial or harmful to humans. Speech provides humans with the capacity to make realistic judgements. In Aristotle perspective, all human beings do not have well developed wisdom for suitable organization of their lives. He claimed that a man is a political animal where slogans support claims. In the theory of learning, Aristotle proposed that the teaching act is one in which the teacher instructs and guides the student or teaches the learner regarding some disciplines he may not know about. According to this theory, education and teaching are well-organized inquiries of some aspect of authenticity. It is the duty of the school especially the teachers to develop everyone’s reason (Aristotle 12).

Aristotle viewed the city state as both the teacher and the learner. The state is the academy and has the task of arranging the entire scheme of education with it being the highest grade. His presumption states that the core method of learning is through observation. However, the curriculum is both theoretical and practical. He postulates that a man learns through nature, reason and habit. He wonders who should be educated and who the instructor is. He believed that all people should be educated including the political leaders and the citizens. According to him, citizenship only extended to the upper classes which comprised of the rulers, priests and soldiers at the time.

Aristotle argues that there is no state that is composed entirely of slaves. Slaves, soldiers, farmer, labourers and merchants would only be educated in only what was required of them. In his researchers, he continues to state that the political fitness of the people in the city state determines the size of the state. (Aristotle 13) Unlike Plato who proposed that women be educated like men, Aristotle believed that women were inferior to men and that their speciality was the family and house. Plato believed that women should receive some training in home arts to enable them to manage their homes better. They would also be taught to obey and please their husbands, how to bear and rear children. Although women could be educated, they would not be educated together with men.

In Plato’s book The Republic, it is clearly indicated that Plato believed that women had a special role in the society (Plato 72). However, he clarified that there was a difference between male and female roles in the society. As opposed to Aristotle and other philosophers, Plato was optimistic that women had roles to play in the society. He assumed that women were requisite for the smooth running of societal affairs. Plato noted that men and women had strong and weak points in different areas. He realized that although women were considered and indeed were weaker physically than men, they were stronger in other areas, stronger than men. Women possessed and still do possess some traits that are no possessed by men for instance maternal instincts. This makes women better children care takers of children than men. From Plato’s time to present day, this has remained unquestionable as it is very true. We cannot deny that women are better care takers of children than men in the modern society.

Women were strong in some areas that men were not. Despite these natural strengths of women, Plato believed that women should find jobs and children be raised by all people in the city state communally. He proposed this, not because he cared about women rights but because he believed that the city could run smoothly when women were involved. Plato acknowledged that women could not perform the same jobs as men because there was variation in strengths. Women in the modern society are recognized differently from the Plato times. Plato supported women because he knew that the responsibilities of women were critical in smooth running of the city state. If he was Alive today, he would probably continue to support women affairs today. This is based on the fact that he supported women at a time when they did not have a voice or right to do anything on their own (Plato 83).

Plato and Aristotle are probably the greatest philosophers and thinkers of all times. Their ideas in democracy, government and education form the foundation of the modern day politics and education. In fact, everything from democracy, education systems and governments are based on the theories of Plato and Aristotle. Their ideology has great inspiration on the day to day lives of all people. Indeed, their philosophies and general ideas to these fields of specification can not be overstated.

Works Cited

Aristotle. Politics. USA: Forgotten Books, 2007.

Garth, Kemerling. The Republic. Retrieved 29th July, 2010 from: HYPERLINK “http://www.philosophypages.com/hy/2h.htm”http://www.philosophypages.com/hy/2h.htm

Plato. The Republic. USA: Penguin Classics, 1955.

Popkin, Richard & Stroll, Avrum. Philosophy Made Simple. USA: Made Simple, 1993.