Historical Views of Leadership: Plato and Aristotle

In The Republic, Plato views justice as a structural force; with political justice dependant on the structure of the city and individual justice residing within the structure of the soul. The just structure is explained in Plato’s principle of specialization: each member of society must fulfill the role that he/she is best suited for and to not cross over into any other roles or to ensure efficiency within the

The roles in which people play are the backbone to Plato’s ideal city, he believes if people excel at one task, then we should let them do that one task as they can do it better than anyone else. This concept is stated in Plato’s Republic that “one man is naturally fitted for one task,

Likewise, children born of guardians deemed unfit to be future guardians are relegated to one of the other classes. By creating a system of specialization in which ability solely determines the citizens’ duties, Plato ensures those who govern his city will not be the beneficiaries of parental and/or class nepotism. For this reason, the city’s political health is protected from the deleterious effects of an inefficient ruling class. This class structure is wholly unconventional, but necessary in Plato’s ideal city. This is due to his position on the equity, or lack thereof, between humans; some people, be it by nature or nurture, are more competent than others and the most competent should rule over those less so for the benefit of the whole. However, Plato knows this system will be fraught if it ignores base human desire. Citizens will not willingly accept being corralled into specific societal roles, especially if they think those roles are unjust or beneath them. Plato’s system cannot work without a “noble lie”.

One of the central claims of Plato’s Republic is that justice is not only desirable for its own sake, but that it maximises the happiness of those who practice it. This paper examines Plato’s arguments in support of this thesis to determine (a) what he means by happiness, (b) to what extent it exists in his proposed ideal state, and (c) whether this in any way substantiates his claims about the benefits of justice. In particular, I will argue that there are two different conceptions of happiness at play in The Republic, and two methods of achieving its highest form, namely the pursuit of justice and philosophy, before arriving at a final definition of

Leadership is, and always has been, a vital aspect of social and economic constructs. It is essential to the survival of societies, industries, organizations, and virtually any group of individuals that come together for a common purpose. However, leadership is difficult to define in a single, definitive sense. As such, theories of leadership, what constitutes a great leader, and how leaders are made have evolved constantly throughout history, and still continue to change today in hopes of improving upon our understanding of leadership, its importance, and how it can be most effective in modern organizational cultures.

In Plato’s Ideal State, justice is essentially equality. Any factor that might cause a difference among human beings is eliminated in his Ideal State. When everyone is the same as others in all respects, justice is equality.

Wren writes that the idea of the appropriate leaders "was an initial fiction that was "created or invented in response to the challenges of societal governance"¦" (p.13) Wren states that Plato was particularly astute in regards to "implications for leaders in a democracy." (p.14) In a democracy, according to Wren "the people do not recognize what is best for them, particularly with respect to who should lead them." (2007, p.14) Plato utilized allegorical methods to describe the problems of leading a democracy stating that the people "honor as a good and profoundly wise person any obsequious flatterer who"¦can minister agreeable to their humors, which he is clever enough to anticipate." (Wren, 2007, p.14)

Many people try to define and consider different definitions of what happiness is, and I think that Plato and Aristotle offer interesting views of happiness and what it means for one to live a good life. Both philosophers agree that happiness is an important factor in one’s life and essentially the essence of how to live a good life. Plato offers many theories and definitions of justice leading to happiness, while Aristotle argues that happiness is the main goal that all humans aim for in their entire life. Plato offers a philosophical view of a happy life for an individual by explaining a just state and what it would entail and also the theory of the forms that one must understand to achieve happiness. After learning about both

Throughout history, there has been numerous accounts of great leadership. Whether its political or social leadership, each man or woman has his or her own unique set of characteristics that makes them great. Frequently they leave a legacy which is observed meticulously in order to understand the traits which corresponded to great leadership and its accomplishments. What is less often accounted for is the failure a leader experience during their time lifetime. Failed leadership in history and literature provides examples of how some of the greatest figure to ever exist become oblivious to the wake of destruction that they leave behind. Odysseus, Oedipus and Hamlet each have a fatal task to accomplish throughout their individual stories’. While each man shows characteristics of wisdom, critical thinking and hold some position of royalty, these traits are not enough to save them from the destructive trail they leave behind.

Even though Plato explains the ruling class compromised to be the best of the Guardians,

Leadership many times can be misinterpreted by many individuals. Leadership is an ability that not everyone is meant to have nor develop. In fact, many can be called, “leaders” but that does not imply that their leadership role plays a positive impact on others. At times, some people seek leadership in a form to only obtain power and abuse it for their own self-interest. While there are others that create great influences to following generations. For instance, there are those like Plato and Thomas Jefferson who have established philosophical thoughts that for past centuries, have revolutionized many people’s ideals. Through their principles many people have identified, what they consider can exemplify, true characteristics that make someone have successful leadership qualities. In their own way, they have influenced others, with the purpose to communicate a foundation of important ideals which have helped guide many. Whether it is one or a group of individuals. Many people should consider in practicing and adapting to those philosophical principles, manifested in Plato’s, “The Allegory of the Cave” and Thomas Jefferson's, “The Declaration of Independence” essay who illustrate certain ideals and aspects of leadership in their own unique way.

The topic of effective leadership is one that has prompted numerous, differing opinions. While people who are not philosophers believe that they should be able to rule the state, philosophers disagree completely and insist that only they can lead efficiently. The argument of the philosophers can be strengthened by the words of Plato, who makes his opinion on the topic clear in the provided quote. As can be seen, he asserts that, in order to rule the state effectively, the ruler must “learn the nature of the Absolute Good.” Because Plato believes that only philosophers are able to know about the Absolute Good, as they are the only ones who have a complete perception of reality, he feels that only philosophers can rule the state adequately.

Justice within Platonic society was considered a principle of specialization. This specialization made it so that each person needed to fulfill the societal role to which he was born to and was not to interfere in any other business. This created a line between justice for the rich verses justice for the poor. Aristotle discusses the difference in an oligarchy which the rich are sovereign and a democracy where the free are sovereign and the reality that “the former are many, the latter few: many are free, few are rich” (p. 245, 1290a

Justice and discussion as to what it actually is presents as one of the major themes in Plato’s Republic. Plato defines justice as the highest virtue in a state, built on principles of good. Just society is the one, in which everyone fully realizes abilities given to them by nature and rightly practices those abilities and nothing else. Justice is closely related to the person and the ideal state, tying them together. “Justice is a virtue of a soul” (R. 353e) and just like how there are three

Plato and Aristotle’s views on the nature of a human being and the city are fundamental blocks of forming the best political regime. The ideal city of Plato stands upon the four virtues: wisdom, courage, moderation and justice. The concept of justice embodies the understanding that only when citizens are fulfilling their obligated roles while not interfering with others can a city achieve harmony. For this purpose, farmers, artisans, and shepherds will do what’s expected of them per their expertise while the Guardians, a special class, is fit to rule the state. So his view that since every individual has a different yet pertinent role in the city and as most men are only