Tyranny In Plato's The Republic

Two great philosophers had individual concepts of tranny that both shared the idea that this form of government was flawed. The first philosopher is named Plato. Plato was born around the year 428 BCE in Athens. He began his philosophy journey when influenced by his mentor Socrates. Socrates was a Greek philosopher who greatly aided in creating what is known as the Western Political Thought. Socrates taught Plato to question all that was around him and go in search for answers. One of the concepts Plato was taught was to question the way that those in Athens were being ruled. Socrates taught Plato that ruling through oppression and force also known as tyranny was far from the correct way to govern. From Socrates learnings Plato developed his own ideas of tyranny. His form of expression,

his most important work The Republic. Through this work, a dialogue between two individuals is described as both discuss what comes with being under tyrant rule. Tyranny is a form of, according to Plato “complete enslavement.” Being governed by force is as he said, “the wretchedest form of government.” In The Republic he was able to express his beliefs that a man under tyrant rule will be one stripped of their own freedom or as pluto states, “a man incapable of acting voluntarily.

However that was not the only thing that could be seen clearly through this conversation he wrote. Also in bedded in this dialogue was Socrates teachings. Plato expresses Socrates habits of searching “every corner of the city,” to find answers to his unending questions. The Republic allows the reader to see how Plato was able to use his knowledge to extend the discussion of Western Political Thought. As tradition follows, Plato’s student Aristotle also learned and developed what his tutor taught him. Aristotle was the third of the most infamous philosophers who _____. His ideas were captured in a collection of essays titled Politics. However, this time he would even question the original Greek belief that Democracy was the best way to govern correctly and fairly. Just as Plato believed Aristotle knew that tyranny ruled through, “private interest” as he

expressed. Even the governments that were aimed to help those in need ike democracy were just the same, ruling to help an individual group of people instead of the “common interest” as Aristotle implicated. He claimed that ____,____,___ were forms of “perversions” is they did not have the public interest in mind. Aristotle was the first philosopher to express that, “laws when good, should be supreme.”