Who believed the best form of government was by philosopher kings?

Who believed the best form of government was by philosopher kings?

Montesquieu
Montesquieu concluded that the best form of government was one in which the legislative, executive, and judicial powers were separate and kept each other in check to prevent any branch from becoming too powerful. He believed that uniting these powers, as in the monarchy of Louis XIV, would lead to despotism.

What is the dilemma in Plato’s philosopher king?

Socrates’ answer is known as “the paradox of the philosopher king” and is stated dramatically at 473d: the way to bring about a just state is to have it ruled by philosophers, or what is commonly called “the Philosopher-King.” This conclusion would naturally be felt as paradoxical by most of Socrates’ listeners because …

Which Enlightenment thinker best represents the government you think is best?

Montesquieu argued that the best form of government was one where power was separated between three branches: one branch that makes laws (legislative), on that enforces laws (executive), and one that interprets the laws (judicial).

Is Plato’s philosopher king better than a direct democracy?

In the aspect of thought, philosopher king is better than democracy even direct democracy but in the reality neither philosopher king nor direct democracy can be fulfilled. You have to keep in mind that when Plato talks about democracy he means something more like what we would call mob rule.

What is democracy according to Plato?

The definition of democracy is key in understanding Plato’s argument for rule by philosophers. Nowadays, most modern states are democratic, in the sense that people have a say in the running of the state.

What is Plato’s philosophy of rule?

Plato argues that philosopher kings should be the rulers, as all philosophers aim to discover the ideal polis. The ‘kallipolis’, or the beautiful city, is a just city where political rule depends on knowledge, which philosopher kings possess, and not power.

Is the rule of Kings justified according to Plato?

The philosopher kings have virtue as they have knowledge, and thus, according to Plato, their rule is justified. Plato’s argument is very much in line with what he defines as democracy, the rule of the unfit.