Name: Period: Date: Question 2 List the types of government you know. What are the pros and cons of each?

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1 Name: Period: Date: Plato s Republic Reading Guide Goals Identify the evolution process of government and government in Greek history. Identify the characteristics of a good ruler. Attention Getter: Question 1 In your opinion, what are the necessary characteristics of a ruler? Question 2 List the types of government you know. What are the pros and cons of each? Read page and the Plato section on page 116 in the World History Textbook and then define the following terms: Monarchy Aristocracy Oligarchy Democracy

2 Describe Sparta Describe Athens As you read Plato s Republic answer the following questions: The Selection of the Ruling Class in the Perfect State 1. Why is it important for a ruler to have his/her primary interest be the interest of the state? Why can they not serve their own interests? (p. 20) 2. How does Socrates (Plato) suggest insuring that rulers will let the interests of the state rule their lives? (p ) 3. What will happen to those who are refined and found to be pure like gold? (p ) 4. What is the Royal Lie? (p ) 5. What are the three classes of people? (p. 22) 6. What is the benefit to the people thinking the earth is their mother? (p. 22)

3 7. Who are the gold people? (p. 22) 8. Who are the silver people? (p. 22) 9. Who are the brass or iron people? (p. 22) 10. What kind of child will a silver person generally have? (p. 22) 11. Who should a gold person marry? Why? (p. 22) 12. What will happen when a man of brass or iron guards the state? (p ) 13. Why do you think the state would be destroyed under a brass or iron person? 14. In your opinion, what type of metal rules in our nation today? 15. Why do the silver soldiers need to live in soldiers houses and not touch gold? (p )

4 16. Why does Socrates (Plato) justify making the guardians of the state miserable? (p. 25) 17. In your opinion, is it OK to take away the rights of an individual, if it is for the greater good? 18. Why would the artisan not be happy as a ruler? Why would a soldier not be happy as a ruler? (p. 26) 19. Some people believe that allowing people to be whatever they want is what will make the state happy. Why does Socrates (Plato) say that is not true? (p. 26) 20. What brings real happiness? (p. 26) Forms of Government, Their Effects On People, and How One Form Becomes Changed Into Another 21. What are the four governments Socrates (Plato) speaks of? (p. 26) 22. Are their other forms of government? How many? (p. 27) 23. How are human nature or character and types of government connected? (p. 27)

5 The definition of Timocracy or Timarchy is - A state described by Plato as being governed on principles of honor and military glory. (p. 28) Plato believes that a Philosopher King is the best form of government, because there is unity in one ruler, and the Philosopher King is ruled by reason and has the best interests of the state as a priority. Plato thought Aristocracy was not as good as a Philosopher King, but was still good, because it was a small ruling class that still had the interests of the state as their priority. Timocracy is Platos word for aristocracy basically. Define reason 24. Why are the democracy, oligarchy, and tyranny described as inferior? (p. 27) 25. Being contentious and ambitious means that you are not ruled by reason, but are ruled by your passions. What is the difference? Gold = Ruler = Ruled by reason Silver = Guardian / Soldier = Ruled by reason, but could be corrupted by passions if they discovered wealth. Brass or Silver = Merchants / Artisans / Businessmen / Etc. = Ruled by passions 26. Look at the chart above. Why is it good the rulers are controlled by their reason? 27. Look at the chart above. Even though letting our passions control our lives is usually thought of as being a bad thing, why is it good or even natural that Merchants, Artisans, Businessman are ruled by their passions? Who is there to help control these passion driven people?

6 28. What do think would happen if the roles were reversed, and those who were ruled by passion became the rulers? 29. What is the big change that brings about the fall of the aristocracy and timocracy? (p. 28) 30. What does inequality and dissimilarity lead to? (p. 28) 31. What role does property play in this change? (p. 29) 32. What is Plato s definition of Oligarchy? (p. 30) 33. How does Oligarchy come to be? (p. 30) 34. Does the oligarchy have similarities to today s society? What are they? 35. What becomes the qualification for citizenship in an oligarchy? Has that happened before? When? (p. 30) 36. What is the first defect of the oligarchy? (p. 31)

7 37. What is the second defect of the oligarchy? (p. 31) 38. What is the third defect of the oligarchy? (p. 32) 39. What is the greatest evil of the oligarchy? (p. 32) 40. What is the big change that creates an oligarchical man? (p. 32) 41. What does the oligarchical man make sit down which means he is ruled by, what? (p. 32) 42. How does democracy come to be? (p ) 43. On page 33 Plato says, The rulers, being aware that their power rests upon their wealth, refuse to curtail by law the extravagance of the spendthrift youth because they gain by their ruin. Does this sound familiar? How do debt and credit cards of today connect with this idea? What are we being ruled by Passions or Reason? 44. At this point, is the state as a whole happy? What about the individual?

8 45. How does the business man act in a democracy? (p. 33) 46. What does the poor man eventually notice about the wealthy class? (p. 34) 47. When does democracy come about? (p. 34) 48. What does it mean to be elected by lot? (p. 35) 49. What does Plato say about freedom in a democracy? (p. 35) During this part, keep in mind that Plato is talking about a Pure Democracy where everyone votes on all laws, not a Representative Democracy or Republic like we have where we elect representatives to make our laws. 50. Why does Democracy seem to be the fairest of states? (p. 35) 51. How does Plato s description of Democracy resemble our society? (p )

9 52. What does Plato mean by Democracy... a charming form of government, full of variety and disorder, and dispensing a sort of equality to equals and unequals alike? (p. 36) 53. What would you consider necessary and unnecessary pleasures today? (p. 37) 54. In the democracy, modesty becomes temperance becomes moderation and orderly expenditure become (p. 39) anarchy becomes democracy is controlled by and appetites. 55. democratic man has neither law nor order, and Plato says he terms this to be, what? (p. 40) 56. How does tyranny arise? (p ) 57. What does Plato say about the father-son relationship in this society? What about the master-scholar or teacher-pupil relationship? Young-old? (p. 44) 58. From what you read, do you think Plato believed in individual rights for women? (p. 42) 59. How is it that democracy (full of freedom) evolves into tyranny (full of slavery) (p. 42)

10 60. What is the tyrant ruled by? Summary 1. What characteristics do you believe a ruler should have? Do you agree with Plato? Why or Why not? 2. What type of government is best? Do you agree with Plato that a monarchy or at least an aristocracy is best? Why or Why not? 3. Do you agree with Plato who believes that true freedom and happiness come from everyone doing their duty to the state, and sacrificing individual rights and freedoms for the good of the whole state? Why or Why not? 4. Plato did not like democracy. Democracy condemned and executed Socrates his teacher, and democracy mistakes anarchy for freedom, etc. In other words Plato believes Democracy is evil. Is Plato correct? I his case strong? Why or Why not?