Plato, statesman and philosopher

pages: 235-256

Abstract

Plato theoretically reinterpreted the contents of early Greek ethics, aspiring to revitalize the fundamental principles of a traditional view of the world. The best example of philosophically ontologized ethics is philosopher-statesman governing the best state. The ruler, however, should not be only a philosopher, though it is a necessary condition. Plato realised the necessity of problematisation of practical side of the activity of the ruler of the polis. Government as a practical activity manifested in experience must consider ethicality which as heritage confirms verity of statesman’s art of government. The ultimate end of statesman’s „art of weaving“ is the achievement of a due measure of the tightly united web of the whole structure of state. Keywords: statesman, philosopher, virtue, ethicality, law, statesman’s art of weaving