Plato

This chapter examines Plato’s political ideas across these three key dialogues, the Republic, the Statesman, and the later Laws, arguing that, despite the undeniable evolution in Plato’s thought, his arguments remain fundamentally the same across his work (unitary theory). I draw attention to three challenges prevalent in Plato’s negotiation of political power: applying political theory to practice; accommodating the right of individuals to fulfillment in the ideal polis; and employing rhetoric as a tool of civic engagement. For Plato, political change relies on the citizens’ awareness of their role in society: once persuaded that societies ought to serve justice so to attune to the goodness of the universe, citizens achieve a new consciousness in line with Plato’s ideal constitution.