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This content downloaded from 157.253.50.50 on Mon, 27 Jul 2015 02:44:17 UTC
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PLATO'SPARADOX?GUARDIANS
AND PHILOSOPHER-KINGS
F
or centuriesscholarshave engagedin interpretingthe mean-
ing of Plato's Republic. In this exchange, Peter Steinbergerand ChristopherDuncan
debatethe role of guardiansand philosopher-kingsin the ancientcity. Thiscontroversy
is ignited by Steinberger'sessay on Platonic rulersin the December1989 issue of this
Review.
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AmericanPolitical Science Review Vol. 84
1318
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Plato's Paradox?
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AmericanPolitical Science Review Vol. 84
1320
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Plato's Paradox?
lis is in no sensea matterof justicedespite fact Plato wants only to exile them to the
the fact that it is well ordered and har- countryside. The latter may be a fate
moniousis equallyimplausible.He argues worse than death, but it's hardlythe same
thatjusticeremains"undefinedat the con- thing.
clusion of the dialogue."I do not know For all these reasons, I do not find that
how to reconcilethis with the famouspas- Duncan makes a plausible case even
sages in Book 4 (e.g., 427b-435a) where againstthe relativelyminorcorollarythat
Plato certainly seems to provide an ex- his commenttacitly addresses.This some-
plicit and powerful definition of justice. what surprisesme, for I had expectedhis
Justice is, indeed, a matter of correct criticism,along with commentsfrom var-
order and harmony, whether of the city ious other interlocutors,to be far more
or of the soul. To the extent that such telling. My purpose in writing the essay
orderand harmonyis characteristicof the was to providean accountof the Republic
kallipolis, it must be like the city of pigs that was both original and accurate.
and the city of philosopher-kingsin being Given the enormousamountof extraordi-
a representationof justice.The distinction nary philosophical talent that has been
between political city and just city thus devoted to interpretingPlato over many
has no textualbasis. centuries, I assumed at the outset that
It may be that Duncan'smisinterpreta- achievingsuch a goal would be highly un-
tion is rooted in a series of erroneous likely. As a purely probabilisticmatter,
readings,both of Plato and of my essay. any original account would almost cer-
He begins by citing a distinctionbetween tainly be wrong and any correctaccount
rulingas "makingor constructing"on the would almost certainly be unoriginal.
one hand and "craftingsolutions"on the This is still my view. I presumethat my
other. In fact, thereis no suchdistinction. essay must be either old hat or in error,
The distinctionI drewwas betweenruling and I am thus waiting only to learn in
as techne (which includes making and exactly what ways this is so. Duncan has
constructing,as well as crafting)and rul- not been helpful in this regard, and this
ing as philosophy.He discussesthe happy leaves me slightly-though only slightly
and unencumberedlife of philosophy in -less confident that my argument is
the city of pigs, whereas Plato's account somehow defective.
of that city in fact makes no mention of
philosophy. He accusesPlato of advocat- PETERJ. STEINBERGER
ing genocide-of wantingto murdermost
individualsover the age of ten-when in Reed College
1321
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American Political Science Review Vol. 84
1322
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