The Practicality of the Theory of the Good:An Interpretative Reconstruction

Abstract

Plato’s political philosophy is for the sake of directing people towards the good life: this purpose is manifest from his theory of the Good. Nevertheless, Platonic scholarship has often criticized this theory for being impractical. Against this criticism, I argue that this theory has a practical aspect because of its strategic and methodological nature. This essay reconstructs Plato’s induction towards the absolute Good, through his justice theory and educational recommendations, with a view to the intended practicality of the theory of the Good. The major conclusion is that the theory of the Good provides a formula to achieve the greatest good in an everchanging, sensible world.