About this ebook
Statesman is a dialogue written by Plato in the late 4th century BC, examining true statesmanship and the qualities of a proper ruler. The discussion begins with the Eleatic Stranger and Younger Socrates dividing knowledge into theoretical and practical domains. They then review different forms of government and their shortcomings, seeking to identify the essential traits of genuine leadership. The statesman is compared to a weaver, who interlaces diverse characters and classes into a unified fabric. Through this analogy, Plato highlights the essence of political science and the conditions of the ideal leader.
About the author
Plato was born around 428 BCE in Athens and became a disciple of Socrates, deepening philosophical thought with his central idea of Forms, which sought truth beyond the sensory world. He founded the Academy, the first higher learning institution in the West, where philosophy, mathematics, and politics were taught, laying the foundation of Western intellectual tradition. In works such as The Republic and The Symposium, he explored justice, the soul, love, and the ideal state, profoundly shaping political philosophy and ethics. His influence extended to later thinkers like Aristotle, forming the roots of Western philosophy. He died around 348 BCE, yet his ideas continue to live on across philosophy and the humanities.
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