preview

Why Did Plato Continue To Be A Republic

Decent Essays

The famous Greek philosopher Plato stated: “I am the wisest man alive, for I know one thing, and that is that I know nothing.” Over the years, Plato has indeed been regarded as a very wise man. In fact, he made a statement about the evolutionary cycle of governments, predicting a specific pattern of progression. In a span of 40 years, from 1774 to 1814, the government of the European nation of France followed Plato’s prediction almost exactly. Over the course of the 40 year period, France experienced five changes of leadership. Each of these governments had different attributes. First of all, in 1774, a new king was crowned and his name was Louis XVI. He inherited the throne in a traditional way from the previous monarchy. The next government was …show more content…

Shortly thereafter, the government changed again to the National Convention, which executed both the king and his queen, beheading them with a guillotine. The National Convention declared France to be a republic. The National Convention was replaced by The Directory in 1795, lasting until 1799. Finally, the general of the French army, Napoleon Bonaparte, instigated a takeover and declared himself the Emperor of France in 1804 – the fifth government in forty years. Although the five governments fell into the traditional categories of monarchy, constitutional monarchy, republic and empire, each of the governments aligned with Plato’s very specific categories. For example, Louis XVI’s monarchy depicts a form of government that Plato referred to as “Aristocracy”. Louis XVI understood the ideals of “The Enlightenment” and attempted to implement them. He eliminated the serf system. He supported the freedom efforts of the colonists in the American Revolution, eventually hosting the Treaty of Paris in 1783. Louis’ efforts

Get Access