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Introduction
Political theory is the study of political ideas like democracy, power, and justice that are used in understating political practices and institutions. Politics form the basis of our day-to-day life, where politicians are seen to be chasing their view of self-worth and urge to show their leadership skills. Rites of passage range from birth, circumcision, marriage and death. In analyzing political theory, three great thinkers, Socrates, Machiavelli and Platos ideas form a basis for our discussion. This papers mainly focus on Socrates view of life and how an ideal society should look like, and the connection made to human life.
Socrates
He was a philosopher from Athens who was among the most influential thinkers in the history of western civilization. He invented the Socratic method as a form of asking and answering questions to stimulate critical thinking. He invented ideas on how to be happy in life to live according to ones desire. To be happy, all we needed is to live a moral life (Abdi and Mohamed 4). Suffering and pain might be part of our daily lifes, but all we need is to have virtues. He further argues that having wealth is good but having more than what we need is unnecessary.
The concept of knowledge enables us to distinguish between good and bad. It enables us to avoid doing the wrong things to our fellow human beings. Justice is necessary, and he insists that when one makes a mistake, they should be punished according to the level of mistake (Abdi and Mohamed 5). Politically, he shows the relevance of the knowledge of good as a foundation of all statesmanship. Socrates argues on various spheres of an ideal society that exists in any country, as shown below.
Education
The education process is important in imparting knowledge and values to learners. A society that values education is likely to progress than the one that ignores it. Education enables one to distinguish between good and bad (Bloom 329). Evils such as murder and corruption in society are avoided since they are known to be threats to human life in the present era; education is valued and recommended as a right to everyone. Socrates further argues that education should consist of reason and be mixed with a non-rational element that tampers with the concept of both philosophic and pre-philosophic knowledge (Bloom 15). The concept of wisdom is an added advantage in that if a person has, it enables them to make sound judgements.
Marriage
Marriage is a union between a man and a woman who agree to stay together. The woman is responsible for giving birth to children and rearing them (Bloom 496). The marriage should take place between people of different or similar communities but not close relatives. The concept of adoption is also encouraged where a family can take care of a child they did not bore. Strangers should also be treated with love and respect since they are also human. In modern society, marriage is important as it gives a sense of belonging, and blood ties are made. People are allowed to marry when they reach the required age and expect to raise a family. Acts such as divorce and unfaithfulness should be avoided at all costs. This is because they lead to broken marriages, and children lose parental love and care.
Sex
Correspondingly, sex is viewed to be sacred and not to be misused but to serve the purpose, it is meant for. Only men and women who have gone beyond the age of procreation will have the freedom to practice it with a person of their choice. However, the men should not do it with their daughter, mother, ancestors of their mothers and children of their daughters. The women should not do it with their son, father, and ancestors descendants (Bloom 164). The young youths are encouraged to abstain till marriage due to the effects of early pregnancies in school-going children. This leads to school dropouts, and hence the number of students decreases. Sex education in schools must be adopted to create awareness.
Justice
Society must also practice justice to all of its members regardless of their opinions. It must be practiced to an individual until they can see that it is causing harm to them (Bloom 345). This is applied especially in courts where culprits who have gone against the law face the judges. Some punishments, such as murder, are banned since no one has the right to kill another one. Leaders should also be fair and just in their actions aimed at benefiting the citizens. Developments of infrastructure and allocation of funds to the needy are crucial. Peoples lives revolve around socialization with individuals from various backgrounds and personalities. Understanding each other and bearing one anothers burden is very critical.
Leadership
Leadership in any social unit is also needed, whether in a school, family, or government. Leaders are role models to citizens, and they should consider posses leadership qualities. The stability of any social organization is influenced by well-organized governance (Bloom 468). The decisions made by peoples agents give a direction on how an institution is managed. Presently, leadership is demonstrated almost everywhere; starting from the family level, the man is seen as the decision-maker. In a country, the president is the overall representative, and in religious organizations, priests and pastors take the lead. To exist, the roles of leaders should be known, and in case of failure to do so, they must be reminded to ensure a smooth organization.
Relationship Between Socrates Ideas and Our Modern life
Socrates ideas form a basis of operation in modern society in different ways. Lawyers apply the Socratic method of questioning in courts of law, where the interaction is based on asking questions and answering through justification. The level of justice given follows a constitutional guideline that depicts on what should be done. In the current political set up, citizens are urged not to take the law into their own hands and act as per their wish.
However, in case of any form of misbehavior, relevant and legal protocols must be followed to make the required judgments. The allocation of resources in the various countries must be based on justice. Equity promotes togetherness and even development countrywide hence fulfilling the set agendas. All the needs of people, the old, the young and the children are well taken care of. The disabled are given equal opportunities in work and even in government. The old are compensated since they cannot be able to work to generate income. Youths are included in jobs and in development plans as they possess more energy.
Philosophic knowledge forms a basis for understanding problems likely to affect education and possible ways how to solve them. It should also promote peace and unity in a given country and, above all, equip learners with a skill for survival. Moral values are essential in our society where a person is expected to possess good values like honesty, respect and love to associate with others. Leaders are expected to be just and use reason in their decisions affecting the people.
Plato
He was also a philosopher from Athens and a founder of the Platonist school of thought. His philosophy is associated with the heavenliness form of life, where he said that there was a relationship between the earth and sky (Heydari et al. 5). Correspondingly, the meaning to life, according to him, is attaining the highest form of knowledge (good), which are. The relationship between religion and philosophy is prominent as they give meaning to life. Plato believed in the Aristocratic form of government in ruling the citizens of a country (Heydari et al., 9). This is where a philosopher-king who is grounded in wisdom and reason is the overall leader. Wisdom is necessary for decision making whereas reason is essential before doing anything.
Machiavellis Main Point
Machiavelli is another political thinker whose ideas seem to object to political ethics by other philosophers. He suggests that using force or cheating when necessary to keep the country in peace is allowed. His main point focuses on how the prince should conduct himself for survival and fame (Machiavelli 2). The main focus of a prince is war, rules and its principles. He should be well equipped so that he can be safe and be assured of winning.
Machiavelli also proposes that time is changing, and so are the people, and therefore, everything is in motion. The current trend influences how humans interact with each other. A prince who wants to remain in power must also be dynamic and follow the new trends; thus, leaders must come into power through their ability. He argues that any prince who rules the people must not be good (Machiavelli 3). Being too good can negatively influence the roles since people will take them for granted and therefore choose to behave in any manner.
Machiavelli was never a philosopher such as Plato or a prince who possessed necessary Christian values like love and empathy. Instead, he was seen as a teacher of evil who advocates for the act without condemning it (Hacifevzio lu and Ahmet 2). He assumes that all people are evil before making any law and that they will act accordingly as per the free field of action. He prefers being feared to being loved like a prince since you can not be hated and be loved at the same time (Machiavelli 3). This is because no human is perfect such that people do not dislike them.
Comparison Between the Plato and Machiavelli
The two thinkers differ in methods of obtaining knowledge, where Plato used a more reasonable approach whereas Machiavelli used an empirical approach. Empiricism involves direct and indirect observation or experiences. The observation may give a wrong impression of reality hence wrong conclusions. Personal experiences may differ from one person to another and hence being an inaccurate method. Plato viewed that governing people is based upon setting moral virtues.
In contrast, Machiavelli observes that a leader is justified to do whatever they choose as long as they benefit the country. He is naive and promotes violence instead of peace, and argues that total honesty is not what a good prince must possess. This is against Platos view, where a leader is viewed as honest and not corrupt. However, Plato was concerned with the real nature of things and not looking at the world as perfect. Humans are to error and considered that they could make mistakes; hence, they need to cater to the changes. Plato believes that justice exists universally, and everybody is entitled to it. In contrast, according to Machiavelli, justice is precise, and the situation one is determining whether to get it or not.
Machiavelli, however, fails to explain the type of knowledge that should be passed and methods to use in education, while Plato shows the importance of learning in a wider score. Plato insists on the importance of teaching morals and values in school and at the society level. However, Machiavelli insists on the importance of educating leaders and the role of knowledge at a personal level (Bogiaris and Guillaume 92). Ignorance cannot be included in leadership, and wisdom is also needed in handling issues affecting society.
Conclusion
The philosophical thinkers view life from different angles and try to come up with ways of explaining them. Plato views society as a unit that is organized and governed by a leader who views the value and dignity of people. The various rites of passage are essential for one as they determine how the cycle of life goes. Marriage is seen as one of the most important stages for the continuity of society.
Works Cited
Abdi Rahman, Mohamad Rizal. Socrates: His ethical and political beliefs plus their relevance on certain legal concepts13.
Bloom, Alan. The Republic of Plato. Translated by A. Bloom. 2nd. ed., Basic Book, 1968.
Bogiaris-Thibault, Guillaume. Rethinking Platos Place in Machiavellis Thought: Philosophy and Civic Education in the Machiavellian Corpus. Diss. 2018.
Hacifevzio lu, Ahmet Umut. The power of a statesman: The ideal leader according to Machiavelli. Electronic Turkish Studies. 2018.
Heydari, Ahmadali, and Alireza Omidbakhsh. Platonic or Aristotelian aspects of life: A Harmonious World in Farabis Utopian Thinking.
Machiavelli, Niccolo. The Prince [1513]. The Prince and other Political Writings, ed. S. Milner (1995).
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