The Pacifism in Plato's Republic

Amy Shuster (University of Melbourne)

This paper argues that Plato’s Republic offers a more thoroughgoing critique of violence than is usually understood. Interpreters of the dialogue have typically located it in the just war tradition, where warfare and violence are the subject of scrutiny but are sometimes just and beneficial. We argue that it belongs in the pacifist political tradition, where the justice of violence is called into question and an alternative to political violence is developed. Five claims support our argument. First, we show that the dialogue denigrates war, soldiers and conflict and generally associates them with injustice. Second, we show that the education that soldiers receive is an obstacle to the proper education of philosophers. Third, we argue that the character and virtues of philosophers are incompatible with the character and virtues of warriors. In making this contrast, the dialogue describes an alternative to violence, which we call philosophic courage. Fourth, we show that the sine qua non of philosophic practice – dialectics – runs counter to the competitive and violent method of eristics. Finally, we show that for all of these reasons, just philosophers, whether ruling over others or living in a non-ideal situation, will not use violence to achieve their ends. Instead, the Republic teaches us that “nothing forced stays with the soul.” (Co-Authored with Dustin Ells Howes (Louisiana State University))


Amy L. Shuster is currently an honorary fellow in the School of Historical and Philosophical Studies at the University of Melbourne. Dr. Shuster mainly works at the intersection of ancient political thought and contemporary theory. She is particularly interested in how the political ideas of Plato and Aristotle found a deep tradition of reflection on the value and place of democracy and political judgment, and thus how their work inflects and criticizes our theory and practice today. She holds a Ph.D. in Politics from Princeton University, and a B.S. in Foreign Service from Georgetown University. She has taught at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, University of Minnesota Duluth, and Princeton University. Her work has recently been published in Polis: The Journal for Ancient Greek Political Thought and PS: Political Science and Politics.