The Analysis of Constitutions in Plato’s Statesman
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.14195/1984-249X_34_S2Keywords:
Plato, Statesman, Non-ideal Theory, Law, Political Expertise, ConstitutionsAbstract
This paper provides a framework for understanding how nonideal constitutions are better or worse imitations of the ideal constitution. My suggestion is that the nonideal constitutions imitate the skill of the political expert, which includes an epistemic component (their political knowledge) and two teleological components (the benefit to the citizens on the one hand, and the unity of the city on the other). I then show how some constitutions better imitate the political expert’s skill across these dimensions, as higher-ranked constitutions are in a better epistemic condition, better benefit the citizens, and better foster unity in the city than lower-ranked constitutions. A major upshot of my reading will be to show that Plato recognizes the value of some nonideal constitutions while making clear how they still fall short of the ideal.
Downloads
References
ANNAS, J. (1981). An Introduction to Plato’s Republic Oxford, Oxford University Press.
ANNAS, J. (2017). Virtue and Law in Plato and Beyond Oxford, Oxford University Press .
ANNAS, J.; WATERFIELD, R. (eds.) (1995), Plato: Statesman Cambridge, Cambridge University Press.
CHERRY, K. M. (2012). Plato, Aristotle, and the Purpose of Politics Cambridge, Cambridge University Press .
COOPER, J. (ed.) (1997). Plato: Complete Works Indianapolis, Hackett.
DE NICOLAY, R. (2021). The Birth of Unlawful Freedom in Plato’s Laws 3. Polis, 38, p. 494-511.
DUKE, G. (forthcoming). The Limits of Law: Nomos in Plato and Aristotle. In: ATACK, C. (ed.). The Oxford Handbook on Greek Political Thought Oxford, Oxford University Press.
EL MURR, D. (2014). Savoir et gouverner: Essai sur la science politique platonicienne Paris, Vrin.
GAUS, G. (2016). The Tyranny of the Ideal: Justice in a Diverse Society Princeton, Princeton University Press.
HORN, C. (2021). Ruling With (and Without) Laws: 297b5-303d3. In: DIMAS, P.; LANE, M .; SAUVÉ MEYER, S. (eds.). Plato’s Statesman: A Philosophical Discussion Oxford, Oxford University Press , p. 177-194.
IRVINE, A. D. (2020). Origins of the Rule of Law. In: HARDWICK, D.F.; MARSH, L. (eds). Reclaiming Liberalism London, Palgrave Macmillan, p. 179-217.
KAMTEKAR, R. (2021). Weaving Together Natural Courage and Moderation: 305e8-308b9. In: DIMAS, P.; LANE, M.; SAUVÉ MEYER, S. (eds.). Plato’s Statesman: A Philosophical Discussion . Oxford, Oxford University Press, p. 217-238.
KAMTEKAR, R.; SINGPURWALLA, R. (2022). Law in Plato’s Late Politics. In: EBREY, D.; KRAUT, R. The Cambridge Companion to Plato: Second Edition, p. 522-558.
KLOSKO, G. (2006). The Development of Plato’s Political Theory Oxford, Oxford University Press.
LANE, M. (1998). Method and Politics in Plato’s Statesman Cambridge, Cambridge University Press .
MÁRQUEZ, X. (2012).A Stranger’s Knowledge Las Vegas, Parmenides Publishing.
MORROW, G. (1960). Plato’s Cretan City Princeton, Princeton University Press.
NIGHTINGALE, A. (1999). Plato’s Lawcode in Context: Rule by Written Law in Athens and Magnesia. Classical Quarterly, 49 n. 1, 100-122.
REID, J. (2021a). Changing the Laws of the Laws Ancient Philosophy, 41 n.2, p. 413-441.
REID, J. (2021b). The Mixed Constitution in Plato's Laws Australasian Journal of Philosophy, 99 n. 1, p. 1-18.
ROWE, C. (1999). Plato: Statesman Hackett Publishing.
ROWE, C. (2001). Killing Socrates: Plato’s Later Thoughts on Democracy. Journal of Hellenic Studies, 121, p. 63-76.
ROWE, C. (2013). The Statesman and the Best City. In: HAVLICEK, A.; JIRSA, J.; THEIN, K. (eds.). Plato’s Statesman - Proceedings of the eighth Symposium Platonicum Pragense OIKOYMENH, p. 40-50.
SAUVÉ MEYER, S. (2006). Plato on the Law. In: BENSON, H. (ed.). A Companion to Plato Oxford, Blackwell Publishing, p. 373-387.
SAUVÉ MEYER, S. (2015). Plato Laws 1 & 2, Translated with an Introduction and Commentary New York: Oxford, Oxford University Press .
SAUVÉ MEYER, S. (2021). Civic Freedom in Plato’s Laws Polis , 38, p. 512-534.
SKEMP, J. B. (1952).Plato’s Statesman: A Translation of the Politicus With Introductory Essay and Footnote New York, Routledge and Kegan Paul.
SLABON, T. (n.d.), Plato on Learning to be Good
SØRENSEN, A. D. (2016). Plato on Democracy and Political Technē Leiden, Brill.
SØRENSEN, A. D. (2022). The Second Best City and its Laws in Plato’s Statesman Archiv für Geschichte der Philosophie, 104 n. 1, p. 1-25.
TRIVIGNO, F. (2021). Above the Law and Out for Justice: 291a1-297b4. In: DIMAS, P., LANE, M.; SAUVÉ MEYER, S. (eds.). Plato’s Statesman: A Philosophical Discussion Oxford, Oxford University Press , 156-176.
VALENTINI, L. (2012). Ideal vs. Non-Ideal Theory: A Conceptual Map. Philosophy Compass, 7 n. 9, 654-664.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Jeremy Reid
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Given the public access policy of the journal, the use of the published texts is free, with the obligation of recognizing the original authorship and the first publication in this journal. The authors of the published contributions are entirely and exclusively responsible for their contents.
1. The authors authorize the publication of the article in this journal.
2. The authors guarantee that the contribution is original, and take full responsibility for its content in case of impugnation by third parties.
3. The authors guarantee that the contribution is not under evaluation in another journal.
4. The authors keep the copyright and convey to the journal the right of first publication, the work being licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License-BY.
5. The authors are allowed and stimulated to publicize and distribute their work on-line after the publication in the journal.
6. The authors of the approved works authorize the journal to distribute their content, after publication, for reproduction in content indexes, virtual libraries and similars.
7. The editors reserve the right to make adjustments to the text and to adequate the article to the editorial rules of the journal.
