The Political Plato

Abstract

Abstract. This study deals with the issue of Plato’s political interest. Some say he had none. We’ll try to show that in fact he was very political, to the extent that the core of his work is a political agenda, and is politically orientated. There’s also the aspect of the relation between metaphysics and politics in his work; that is a delicate issue, as some consider that Plato “disguised” his political convictions in myths. That too will be taken into consideration. 1. The number of metaphysical dialogues is small, compared to the vast majority of the platonic dialogues 2. No only the writings, but also the life of Plato show him as political 3. Even the “metaphysical” dialogues have a political agenda There are authors that consider Plato to be no less than a forerunner of Christianity, a mystic conscious of the contemplation of an ideal “beyond”. One should bear in mind that Plato has even been declared a saint by the Orthodox Church. We choose to be more cautious in dealing with the interest that Socrates’ pupil is supposed to have taken into mystics (theory or practice). In the following pages, we’ll try to explain these reserves. Keywords: Philosophy; Plato; Politics; Ancient Greece.