著者

今井 直重

出版者

奈良学芸大学

雑誌

奈良学芸大学紀要. 人文・社会科学 (ISSN:04695569)

巻号頁・発行日

vol.11, pp.65-77, 1963-02-28

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The aim of this treatise is to clarify the true meaning of Plato's doctrine of ideal state. Plato was not only a great philosopher, but also a political thinker and a highly ambitious person of politics. His dialogues, for instance, State, Law, Statesman, etc. clearly show this fact. Plato has an urgent desire to relieve the people of Athens of the willful and despotic government of ochlocracy. His sincere desire' is to realize idee of justice in the actual, national life. So that, I want to make clear the conception of Plato's justice, and next explain the structure of Plato's ideal state, so-called greek polis state, and then the purpose of national government. The purpose of government, in Plato's doctrine, is to educate and cultivate the people as moral and cultured persons. So the ruler, that is, the governor should be the most educatsd and trained person. He must be a philosopher. This is generally called Plato's government, of philosopher. Plato wanted to put cooperative life into practice in his ideal polis state. So that, he is said as if he were a man of communistic idea. But he was not a communistic thinker. He was far from a communist, and in fact, he was a spiritualist and a lover of idee of kalos kai agathos. He loved, most of all, good, beautiful and purified spirit. He despised material goods, physical treasures. Communists, as a rule, love material goods, above all, and are interested in physical treasures. They are quite materialists. But Plato was not a materialist. He was entirely a spiritualist. He intented to make the people transcend the material wants. For material wants prevent the people from becomming moral and cultured persons. They are great hindrance to improving and establishing the purified personalities of the people.