Workshop in Ancient Philosophy (Thursday - Week 2, TT24)

Chair: Karen Margrethe Nielsen

Abstract: This paper explores the root of political degeneration, a process through which a city deviates from its ideal, in Plato’s Republic. Contrary to existing interpretations, which either denies the existence of a single root or regards the neglect of reason as the root, I argue that the root of political degeneration is a corrupt paideia. My argument rests on uncovering a neglected, normative conception of paideia: it consists of an extensive educational system, which helps prepare and select human beings who are suitable for ruling the ideal city, and a sound culture—construed broadly as to include, but not limited to, material, social, and intellectual pursuits and products that embody correct conceptions of evaluative matters. A corrupt paideia, as the first evitable defect in the casual chain of political degeneration, leads to other issues, which, if untreated, give rise to further decline.