The Philosopher Kings: Plato's Republic Book Five

In this fifth installment of Mahon McCann’s lecture series on Plato’s Republic, we delve into Book Five to explore one of Plato’s most influential and controversial ideas: philosopher kings. McCann, a philosophy PhD researcher and lecturer, breaks down the concepts of love of wisdom, the distinction between appearance and reality, and the significance of forms in understanding true knowledge. This episode specifically addresses why Plato argues that philosophers should be rulers and provides an in-depth analysis of the philosopher king’s characteristics and their ability to discern real justice from mere appearances.

Chapters:

00:00 Philosopher Kings in Book Five of Republic

00:17 Overview of Book Five

01:02 The Concept of Philosopher Kings

02:21 Philosophy vs. Politics

02:59 The Nature of Philosophical Love

05:04 Plato’s Theory of Forms

13:48 Conclusion: Why Philosophers Should Be Kings

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