Political Science 2237E Lecture Notes - Lecture 3: Timocracy, Human Nature
8 Mar 2018
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Document Summary
Plato says all polities will fall apart eventually due to bad decisions (philosophers choosing wrong people to be rulers) Book 8 and 9 is degradation of republic through stages. Stages of destruction: republic -> timocracy -> oligarchy -> democracy -> tyranny. Republic to timocracy :those who are auxiliaries start to get dissatisfied - honor should be recognized through possessions. Need for wealth goes to son"s of auxiliaries and moves to oligarchy. Degrades from rule of honor to rule of few in interest of few (ruled by auxiliaries), then to rule of few in interests of everyone (appetitive), rule of one in interest of himself (appetitive) Oligarchy to democracy - possessions become more important - moving towards perfectly unjust polity. Tyrant is 729 more unhappy than philosopher - can"t trust anyone so they cannot live securely. Perfectly just polity to perfectly unjust polity. Plato: his ideal polity is not happening. Human nature is not changing, we are still appetitive.
