What Do We Learn about Philosophers and Philosophy in RepublicÂ V?

Alexander Nehamas

Jump to Content

ChapterÂ 3 What Do We Learn about Philosophers and Philosophy in RepublicÂ V?

In: New Essays on the Platonic Tradition

Author:

Alexander Nehamas

Alexander Nehamas
Search for other papers by Alexander Nehamas in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed

Type:: Chapter

Pages:: 46â79

DOI:: https://doi.org/10.1163/9789004751149_004

Purchase instant access (PDF download and unlimited online access):

â¬42.00â¬35.00Â excl. VAT

Add to Cart

Redeem Access Token

Abstract

The final pages of BookÂ V of the Republic include Platoâs proposal that philosophers rule his ideal city. They are generally taken to give a full account of the nature of philosophy and its practitioners. I argue, instead, that the passage is only the very first step in a long argument that extends to the end of BookÂ VII, when (and only when) we find out that Platoâs conception of philosophy is a much more complex and forbidding practice than BookÂ V can possibly suggest. Apart from the explicit distinction between âknowledgeâ (epistÄmÄ), âopinionâ (doxa), and âignoranceâ (agnoia), the passage, which contains several unnoticed comic elements, recapitulates ideas already established in Platoâs Socratic dialogues, particularly the distinction between âoneâ and âmanyââin fact, only a small part of what being a philosopher demands. Philosophers must also have the right sort of character, which is moulded through the âhigherâ educational system of BooksÂ VI and VII and requires their understanding of the intelligible Forms, which are not introduced in BookÂ V but only considerably later. In short, BookÂ V does not present a full account of philosophy; it does not introduce the theory of Forms; it does not explain why philosophers should rule or what enables them to do so; and the distinction between epistÄmÄ and doxa has nothing to do with the contemporary understanding of knowledge and belief. Exclusive attention to the minimal constraints of BookÂ V makes it easy to believe that one can be on Platoâs side. But philosophers, according to Plato, must possess rare psychological and ethical features that are difficult to acquire and must espouse controversial epistemic and metaphysical views. Being âon Platoâs sideâ, that is, being a philosopher, is far more complex and demanding of those who aspire to it than BookÂ V could possibly suggest. The question then is not whether philosophers have a claim to govern the city but, rather, whether Platoâs readers have a claim to think of themselves as philosophers.

Citation Info

Save
Cite
Email this content

Share link with colleague or librarian

You can email a link to this page to a colleague or librarian:
Email this content
or copy the link directly:

https://brill.edhh.ma/abstract/book/9789004751149/BP000003.xml
The link was not copied. Your current browser may not support copying via this button.

Link copied successfully

Collapse
Expand

New Essays on the Platonic Tradition

In Honour of Paul Kalligas

Series:Â Studies in Platonism, Neoplatonism, and the Platonic Tradition, Volume: 35

Cover New Essays on the Platonic Tradition

E-Book ISBN:: 9789004751149

Publisher:: Brill

Print Publication Date:: 26 Feb 2026

Subjects
- Philosophy

Front Matter

PartÂ 1

PartÂ 2

Back Matter

ProCite

RefWorks

Reference Manager

BibTeX

Zotero

EndNote

Metrics

	All Time	Past 365 days	Past 30 Days
Abstract Views	46	46	3
Full Text Views	2	2	0
PDF Views & Downloads	7	7	0

African Studies	Education	Media Studies
American Studies	History	Middle East and Islamic Studies
Ancient Near East and Egypt	Human Rights and Humanitarian Law	Musicology
Art History	International Law	Philosophy
Asian Studies	International Relations	Religious Studies
Biblical Studies	Jewish Studies	Slavic and Eurasian Studies
Biology	Languages and Linguistics	Social Sciences
Book History and Cartography	Life Sciences	Theology and World Christianity
Classical Studies	Literature and Cultural Studies

Subjects

Authors

Open Access

Product Information

Company

Contact

ChapterÂ 3 What Do We Learn about Philosophers and Philosophy in RepublicÂ V?

Abstract

Citation Info

Share link with colleague or librarian

New Essays on the Platonic Tradition

In Honour of Paul Kalligas

Table of Contents

References

Metrics

Metrics