The Foundation of Modern Government

Like the mere utterance of the words Porsche or				cave, we cannot see ourselves in our form; only
Ferrari scream sports car, the words Plato or				a representation of us performing it. The only
Aristotle scream philosophy. Great philosophical				way for us and our state (which is defined as the
minds, such as John Locke, St. Augustine,				same) to reach perfection is to "leave the cave"
Machiavelli, and Dostoevsky, have contributed				and essentially leave our human existence behind,
much more to today's society than they will ever				i.e. death.
get credit for. As a Christian, I tend to appreciate				Alternatively, Aristotle quickly dismisses Plato's
Christian philosophy and theology to a greater				assumption of the existence of forms. He instead
extent. Even though not all these great minds				claims that by creating these abstract forms, it
were Christian minds, they nevertheless laid the				grants access to a "cheaters" way of
foundation and framework for modern				understanding. Aristotle expresses his definition of
government, and through relentless debate, made				the state using the scale of the virtuous mean.
our current system possible. There is much more				For instance, if ambition is the virtuous mean, his
to the term philosophy than many would assume.				vice for deficiency would contain the want of
Philosophers do not just examine the thought				ambition, and his vice of excess would hold over
process, but they examine the willingness of man				ambition. So, like Plato, when Aristotle explores his
to come together, organize, and interact with				idea of a state, he shows us the worst form, the
each other. What many don't understand is that				ideal most practical form, and the impractical best
while Plato and Aristotle discuss their views of the				form, based on the idea of the virtuous mean.
world, where we come from, and were we are				With this information, once again, based on his
going in the traditional philosophical context, they				theory, we can then conclude that the virtuous
also define for us a political philosophy - the				mean would contain the most practical state,
definition of a perfect state and in turn defining				which he refers to as a polity. Aristotle also
justice and how political systems should be set up.				addresses the original origin of the state. It is our
These men are two of the real fathers of political				want and goal as humans, who are political and
organization and modern day interpretations of				social animals, to express ourselves through
government. They roamed the world in a much				organization. When a few are alike, and gathered
simpler time, and consequently, were able to look				in the same place, we have a tendency to
beyond many of the distractions that plague our				systematize. A congregation is fully expected and
society today. They formed conclusions on many				natural; thus, anything other than this particular
applicable subjects in modern day government				organization would end all other natural
and political philosophy. In turn, philosophy				progression. Consequently, just like Plato, without
correlates highly with government and politics, and				the state, the individual is nothing and vice versa.
in order to understand these, we must first delve				Slavery is also significant to the polity.
into our minds and find order and how we interact				According to Aristotle, slavery is a natural thing.
with one another.				Just as some are destined to become rulers,
Not many would argue against the notion that				others will be slaves, and there is nothing out of
Plato and Aristotle were two of the most				the ordinary about this. This analogy can be
pioneering philosophers of their time. Many modern				applied to modern government by substituting
governments can trace their roots to these early				slaves for blue-collar workers - the builders, and
thoughts. Between Plato's Republic and Aristotle's				foundation of society. In his polity, a constitution
Politics, there are numerous theories and				isn't written on a piece of paper; it is the literal
conjectures about government to study. Both				underlying principles of the state. Accordingly, the
Plato and Aristotle offer us their version of the				government exists for administration purposes
ideal "state," as well as its perverse form. What				only. As stated earlier, the polity in Aristotle's
makes this relevant today is the modern				Politics emerges as a fusion of two perverse
interpretation and application of these works. Plato				forms of government; democracy and oligarchy,
addresses us through dialogue in a much more				with a heavier favor leaning towards democracy.
abstract way, while Aristotle prefers to take a				In this polity, the middle class emerges, becoming
more concrete approach, using visual application				the basis and balancing act between the rich and
and theory. For example, while Plato may				the poor. Political moderation begins to materialize
theoretically make an analogy about a perfect				providing stability and permanence to the middle
horse, Aristotle may hear this analogy and				class, and in turn towards the state as a whole.
discount it as false because he himself has never				Unlike Plato, Aristotle's polity contains citizen
seen one. Essentially, Plato and Aristotle carry				involvement in everyday life. Citizens have the
different epistemological views. Like Marxism, in				right to vote in elections, as opposed to lots, as
theory (and in theory alone), Plato's Republic				well as enforce laws. Slowly, this is beginning to
appears to describe a perfect form of				sound a lot like the United States! Aristotle also
government. But like Karl Marx, he fails to factor				introduces us to the idea of equal treatment of
in the most defining attribute of man: the				equals; showing us how his polity functions as a
unpredictable and ever-changing human nature.				whole. All the same, a parallelism between Plato
Plato idolized the Spartan lifestyle, thus centering				and Aristotle's perfect state and the notion of
his ideal government around three "classes" of				ultimate knowledge in human existence contains
people: the rulers, auxiliaries, and the commoners.				the fact that they both view this as the ultimate
He also includes three virtues for the				end. While unnoticeable on the surface, both these
corresponding class to follow. Just like our current				views portray striking similarities to modern day
capitalistic society, we as well, need different				democracy, even down to the lack of religion in
classes in order to function properly. It may sound				the final state.
crude, or offensive to others, but everyone can't				The middle class, complete with the middle class
be a CEO of a fortune 500 company. We need				citizen, plays a dominate role in Aristotle's
ditch diggers too. Now I don't mean different				discussion of his polity. He highlights the fact that
classes of people, an upper and lower class, but				the state functions through people, and in turn,
differing economic classes.				the state keeps the citizens and people in check
With all the recent talk about closing the gap				through circular government. Additionally, and
between the rich and the poor, where does that				dissimilar from Plato's version of the state, there
leave us? Of course everyone deserves the right				is opportunity for the advancement in life. This
to access to food, clothing, and shelter, but it is				instance shows where Aristotle more closely
just plain not feasible for everyone to have $100k				borrows from the democratic view. In Plato's ideal
plus jobs! It is imperative that College entrance				state, power resides in the more powerful. When
requirements stay competitive. Otherwise, with a				comparing the Platonic state as opposed to a
vast majority of the population college educated,				more modern form of government, one would
competition in the employment markets would be				conclude that the Platonic state borrows more
in a permanent state of disarray. Imagine a				consistently from an aristocracy - a rule by the
country with only white-collar jobs, or only people				best. Now in order to more concisely interpret this
willing to work white-collar jobs. How would				information, we must pick apart what Plato
manual labor, so essential to running our country,				means by the best. When these philosopher kings
get accomplished? How different would our				are selected, they are screened based upon
economy be if there were not enough of these				mental knowledge as opposed to physical
white-collar jobs to go around? We need "worker				potency. So by best, Plato means the ones most
bees" to do manual labor, farming, logistical				suitable for the intellectual position, not based on
distribution, and service jobs. Plato realized this,				money or political influence. Above all money or
and this could very well be the foundation of our				desire, reason and honor must reside in the ruler.
functioning capitalistic society. Plato foresaw this				To Plato, the best also means the good. He
as the absolute key to a perfect government;				considers the notion that good men would rather
however, Plato failed to factor in one key				not be kings. Good men realize the dangers of
element in his writings that would have easily been				power and would rather reside under them.
appropriate to address. Aristotle, on the other				Considering modern views and stereotypes of
hand, focused his theory of constitution around				politicians, irony sure comes to mind in this
combining two perverse forms of existing				instance. Plato also believes that everyone need
governments to form a better one - democracy				obey the more powerful because it is for the
and oligarchy. Plato defines the perfect state as a				good of the people of the state, and not just
unified one, with everyone performing the action				because they are threatened by the more
that they were intended to do. Whether it is a				intelligent and powerful. This defines the rule in
philosopher king or a blacksmith, Plato asserts that				Plato's perfect state.
in order to obtain justice (which is the end of the				As Aristotle commonly does, he applies physics to
perfect state), one must ALWAYS follow his or				his scale of worth. The higher the items are on
her given position. Ironically, this is where his				the scale, the more developed and organic they
ancient view of the "perfect state" begins to				are, as opposed to the lower the item is, the
diminish. With competition, we are able to "break				more elemental it is. Nevertheless, the more
the ceiling" of our given position and make our				intelligent person will not necessarily gain
way up the ladder. We can work hard and reach				acceptance as a ruler in Aristotle's polity. As
a "higher class" of economic status. Aristotle gives				mentioned previously, like democracy, Aristotle
us the best possible state as well, but also realizes				decides to hold elections, but not "by lot" like a
that the perfect state is impractical and will never				normal oligarchy suggests. Once again, the
happen. In turn, he uses the most likely and most				magnitude of the power resides in the middle
practical state. This much more practical idea				class, for it is the middle classes who are the
factors in these aspirations that Plato failed to				good citizens and are for the "good laws." If the
mention and gives us a true approach to				system becomes tainted, and in turn, the state
"discover ourselves."				cannot keep people in check, a tyranny will
In order to fully understand each of the				emerge. What is helpful to remember is that in
philosophers' points of view, we must first look at				both cases of Aristotle's polity and Plato's perfect
how each defines the state. Plato defines many				state the majority does not always rule. Two key
variations, including his perfect state through				facts to bring attention to in regards to political
utopian thinking as well as different perverse				and social structure in Plato's perfect state are
variations of what it could become. The state as				organization and unity. Plato's ideal state is
he describes it as an aristocracy, a rule by the				centered completely on stability and structure.
best, after guardianship has been established. Plato				The solution to the problem of a non-governing
begins his definition with a very simplistic model,				state, according to Plato, is a combination of the
and then argues in a three-step phase, his three				two; organization and stability. Everyone has his or
definitions of differing states. His first state				her proper position in the state, and for the
represents the very early stages of statehood. In				greater good, they will and must adhere to it.
this first state, the very basic needs of the				He also believes that the state, above all else,
people are met, and no classes of people are				should be completely unified. Once again, this is a
defined. His second state is a luxurious one. After				somewhat tough concept to comprehend
the basic state grows and enlarges, this is the				because Plato's logic fails to factor in human
stage where the idea of greed first makes an				nature, which can designate against this unity
appearance. Man begins to covet more land,				notion. It is tough to see how a congregation of
money, and power, and in turn, corrupts the				humans would interact under this conception. The
state. This state sustains much more than just				only way possible, according to Plato's logic, would
our basic needs. Finally, the ideal state evolves.				be if Plato saw humans as mindless drones with
This is the absolute state, where Plato denies the				only one distinct goal in mind; the better good of
existence of human nature. This is where all come				the state. Obviously, this is pretty unrealistic,
together, not for the good of themselves, but for				especially in Plato's time. Conversely, Aristotle
the ultimate good and existence of justice for the				quickly contradicts Plato's idea of structure and
state. No man is selfless enough to sacrifice the				unity. Aristotle strongly adheres to the need of
wants and needs of himself, as well as his family,				diversity in a community. As per Plato, our
for the common good of the community.				purpose in the state is to either rule or be ruled.
In this observance, he subsequently denies the				Aristotle sees our goal as being diverse and plural.
existence of human nature. Plato goes on to				Our state is our home as well as our livelihood.
describe the perfect state using four different				We should be able to express ourselves in the
virtues, including different ones for each class of				context of the polity because we are social
people. For the ruling class of people, he				animals and not simply self-satisfactory. However,
designates the quality of wisdom. For the				while reading on in Aristotle's text, one might also
guardians, he assigns the value courage, and for				conclude that Aristotle misses a key position that
everyone else (including women and slaves), he				Plato is trying to make. Aristotle sees Plato's view
assigns the virtue of temperance. When all are				of unity as drab sameness, but what Plato was
engaging in their respective forms, and everything				actually trying to point out was everyone was
is running smoothly, justice trumps all. Unlike				following the order of things and doing what they
Aristotle, Plato was not concerned with finding				are supposed to be doing.
justice for the individual, only for the state,				What is important to commit to memory when
because, if everything was proper, justice would				interpreting Plato and Aristotle is the fact that
consequently appear in the individuals. As				Plato is much more attracted to metaphysical
previously stated, according to Plato, the ideal				philosophy while Aristotle is much more methodical
state exists when everyone is doing what they				while defining their political entities. Therefore,
are "designed" or destined to do in their				when describing a Platonic government, we must
respective roles. Their ultimate existence in reality				remember the fact that Plato's assumption is that
lies in their particular form. The state's goal is				the perfect government can be real.
justice, and Plato asserts that justice is the same				Consequently, Aristotle sees this end result as
in the state as in man. Theoretically, the state				well, but not without first factoring in the basic
aspires for justice, for it is its sole purpose in its				assumption of human nature, which I believe to
form, so in turn, man must shoot for justice as				be a major pre-cursor to modern government
well. Plato believed that for every empirical object				and order. With human nature factored in,
existing in the world, there is a higher form of the				Aristotle's government becomes a firm foundation
object waiting to be achieved. However, these				for building and studying a modern government.
"forms" are invisible. Like in Plato's allegory of the

Democracy

The Foundation of Modern Government