Plato and the Concept of the Political

Abstract

This dissertation aims to argue that it is both possible and productive to read Plato's political philosophy through the concept of the political as developed in twentieth-century political discourse. To this end, I combine a comparative study (Chapter 1) with a historical study of Plato (Chapters 2–5). The former part offers justifications for this project, addressing the question of whether it is legitimate to read Plato in terms of the political. <br/>

The first justification is negative, seeking to refute the claim that Plato is anti-political because he is illiberal and anti-democratic, a claim that appears plausible only insofar as it relies on conceptual conflations between liberalism and the political, and between democracy and the political. The second, positive justification aims to show that Plato shares the spirit and objectives of contemporary political theorists who have introduced and developed the concept of the political, namely: (1) distinguishing between politics and the political; (2) exploring the possibility of radical political change; (3) defining a genuinely political community and expressing concern over the disappearance of the political; and (4) highlighting the pervasive nature of the political. <br/>

Chapter 2 establishes two basic premises necessary for attributing to Plato certain theoretical points commonly associated with contemporary political theorists. The first, and more crucial, premise is that Plato holds political <em><em>epistêmê</em></em> to be of the Forms. The second premise, a unitarian thesis, is that Plato consistently maintains this position not only in the <em>Republic</em> but also in the <em>Statesman</em>, where the theory of Forms is not explicitly stated. These premises are necessary to justify that Plato worked with what I understand as his concept of the political, namely one defined by the questioning the established order, envisioning a new one, and bringing about radical political change. <br/>

The rest chapters aim to uphold and reinforce these two premises by focusing on different parts of Plato's corpus. Chapter 3 addresses the continuity among the <em>Charmides</em>, <em>Euthydemus</em>, <em>Laches</em>, and the so-called "Asclepius Passage" in <em>Republic</em> Book 3, emphasizing the diverse yet consistent characterizations of the <em>epistêmê</em> of the Good as political. Chapter 4 draws a parallel between <em>dianoia</em> in <em>Republic</em> Books 6–7 and the three precious expertises in the <em>Statesman</em>, demonstrating that both are used and ruled by the one and same form of <em>epistêmê</em>, namely political <em>epistêmê</em> of the Good. Chapter 5 challenges interpretations of the <em>Statesman</em> that construe political <em>epistêmê</em> as merely the capacity to know particulars and issue commands concerning them. <br/>

The Afterword brings the dissertation to a close by emphasizing that Plato offers a renewed understanding of <em>epistocracy</em>, one that affirms both the metaphysical and practical possibility of radical political transformation, while simultaneously providing a sustained reflection on the resources of the state necessary for its realization.