柏拉图政治思想的问题意识研究

Central Issue of Plato's Political Thought

城邦内乱是古典希腊城邦最为重要的政治现象,也被希腊作家视为城邦的最大的疾患。内乱在现实和理论上的挑战,构成了贯穿柏拉图政治思想的基本问题意识。一方面,内乱构成了柏拉图政治思考的基本语境;另一方面,内乱背后的强权逻辑是柏拉图政治理论所要解决的主要议题。柏拉图的政治思考从内乱问题入手,重新奠定政治的基础,其构想的最佳政体就是统一的德性城邦。

This paper concerns the problem of civil strife （stasis） in Ancient Greece, and tries to investigate how Plato in his political dialogues explores this issue as the central thesis of his political thought. Civil strife is the main feature and threat of the Greek polis, and the history of Ancient Greece reveals the strong influence of civil strife in the process of political change. Moreover, the intellectual background of the fourth to fifth century B.C. provides the theoretical background for civil strife. The most important argument is found in the texts of the sophists, who separate the custom （nomos） and nature （physis）, claiming ＂might is right＂ as the fundamental principle of politics. In contrast to this challenge, Plato develops his whole political thought to overcome civil strife both politically and philosophically. Plato proposes that the ideal city should be a unified community.