Context:

● Plato's ideal state was shaped by two main influences: the death of his
mentor Socrates and the Peloponnesian War.
● After Socrates' passing, Plato aimed to extend his teachings on truth,
virtue, and justice to society as a whole.
● He envisioned a harmonious state guided by reason.
● The backdrop of the Peloponnesian War, which led to Athens' decline and
instability, prompted Plato to address existing political shortcomings and
seek a more just societal structure.
● These influences combined to shape Plato's vision of an ideal state.

Ideal State

● Plato's "Republic" presents his vision of an ideal state, conceived as a

solution to societal crises.
● He envisioned a philosopher king ruling the state, meant as a model rather
than a feasible reality.
● This model aimed to influence actual state construction, focusing on key
characteristics:

Division of Labor:

● Everybody cannot meet all his wants and desires for lack of time and
capacity.
● He has socially therefore, to depend on others.
● Mutual cooperation is essential for human being.
● So, as resting upon the division of labour is the expression of man's nature.
● In this way, people come closer for the satisfaction of their reciprocal
needs and form a state.

Functional Specialization

● Some people have better aptitude for certain things depending upon the
predominance of particular element. This is connected to elements
intergrade in human soul.
 ● These elements are reason, spirit, and appetite.
● Reason helps us make good choices and connect with others, spirit gives us
courage and pride, and appetite drives desires like hunger and love.
● These elements are in everyone, but one is usually the strongest. In a
society, people group themselves based on the strongest element.
● This divides society into rulers (reason-dominant), warriors
(spirit-dominant), and workers (appetite-dominant).
● When people focus on what they're best at, they become specialized and
efficient.
● Plato believed this specialization would lead to unity and less conflict in
society.
● He also connected this idea of specialization with justice.
● Justice means people doing their own tasks well, without interfering with
others.
● Plato said each group should stick to their own work, and this would create a
just and harmonious society.

Justice in the State

● Plato's theory links specialized roles to justice.

● He believed justice meant people doing their assigned tasks well in society.
● He argued that classes should focus on their specific functions, putting the
state's well-being before selfishness.
● Specialization should prevent artisans from doing other tasks.
● This ensures upper classes don't have to do tasks meant for artisans.
● When people focus on their work and avoid meddling, justice prevails in the
state.

Theory of Education

● That every individual must realize and devote himself to perform the duty
allotted to him, could be realized, according to Plato, only through the-state
controlled system of education.
● He therefore, placed his main reliance upon education for the realization for
his ideal state to be ruled by philosophy.
 ● He attached paramount importance to it. In fact, the role played by
education in Plato's state is so important that some philosophers call it to be
the chief topic of "Republic" that is why Rousseau said "Republic" is hardly a
political word at all, but it is the finest treaty on education that ever was
written.
● The system of education is meant for both the sexes.
● Elementary education was open to all.
● It was at the end of the elementary education that a sorting out test was
held.
● Those eliminated, formed the economic and producing class.
● They are not fit for higher education.

Aim of education

● The aim of education, in this way, is to make an individual a complete

personality, a dutiful citizen and an able, efficient and public-spirited
administrator.
● The purpose of education is to develop character and to train the mind.
● The second aim of platonic education is to adjust the curricular of
education to the stage of intellect growth of the pupil.

System of education

● This system of education is divided two parts. The elementary and higher.
● The elementary starts from three and ends at twenty.
● The higher education begins at twenty and ends at thirty-five.

Elementary education

● The elementary education begins at three and ends at twenty.

● It is divided into three sub-stages. The first stage extends from the age of
three to six.
● The children in this age group are to be imparted education through the
narration of mythological stories which include certain moral and religious
truths.
● The second rule- stage extends from seven to eighteen.
 ● During these years. they are to be given the lessons of gymnastics in
reading and writing, taught music, poetry and mathematics.
● In the third rule-stage from eighteen to twenty, trainings in more
gymnastics is to be imparted.
● Stage 1: 3 to 6, narration of mythological stories
● Stage 2: 7 to 18, gymnastics, music, poetry and mathematics
● Stage 3: 20 to35, gymnastics

Higher education

There was to be an eliminating test at the age of twenty. Those who failed were to
become work of statecraft.

While the intellectually brighter are selected for carrying on the low rank soldiers
and warriors.

At the age of thirty another eliminating test is held. Those who secure less
distinguished

positions, enter the administrative positions as auxiliaries those who secure

superior positions in

that test, continue the study for another five years in Dialectics and later in
ethics. At the age of

thirty-five those who successfully complete their advanced education are assigned
civil and

military administration positions for fifteen years. This period of fifteen years is
thus the

apprenticeship period. At the age of 50, those who have demonstrated real ability
and served with

genuine distinction become the ruling guardians from here emerges the idea of
philosopher king.
Rule of philosophy

In this way, the people who have got education up to thirty- five and training for
another

period of fifteen years were to become the philosopher - rulers. The aristocracy
of intellect so

trained is to be unchecked by any limitation whatsoever. He is the only draftsman

of a

constitution. Here Plato applies his favourite analogy of doctor and patient. Just as
it is the

function of the doctor to prescribe, similarly it is the function of the philosopher

ruler to do

whatever he considers fit and necessary.