Plato’s “Aristocratic and Authoritarian” Republic vs. Dewey’s “Pragmatic” Democracy

In his Republic, Plato provides the argument for both his ideal individual and ideal state. He argues that those who know what is good should rule paternalistically; yet at the same time, those lacking such knowledge have the best chance of living the good life once they surrender their freedom and accept the rule of the wise. While his account describes one of the worst forms of government imaginable, Plato does emphasize the transformative role education plays in producing good individuals and good states. In addition, Plato emphasizes the importance of acquiring knowledge of both the unchanging and objective nature of human virtue. His influence on our culture is immense. Writing roughly twenty-three centuries later, John Dewey provides both a critique of Plato’s views and a defense of democracy rooted in American pragmatism. Thus, Dewey provides significant challenges to a number of Plato’s deep contributions to Western culture.

Required Reading: Plato’s Republic, ISBN 978-0872201361; John Dewey’s “The Influence of Darwin on Philosophy,” available on line; and John Dewey: The Political Writings, ISBN 978-0872201903. 

Bruce Hauptli is Emeritus Professor of Philosophy at Florida International University in Miami, Florida, where he taught philosophy for thirty-nine years before retiring to Bath in 2015. He enjoys teaching MSC students. Having taught this course two previous times, he feels this course, in the current political context, is apposite.