The Problem of the Noble and the Practicality of Platonic Political Philosophy

A crucial dimension of Platonic political philosophy is the investigation of eros for to kalon, the desire for beauty or nobility that is at the core of heroic and political virtue. Socrates' “turn” to the investigation of “the human things” is due in part to his discovery that his ostensibly apolitical eros for the beauty of the ideas is based on problematic opinions about noble virtue, justice, and the gods. His inquiry into these matters is practical for Socrates as it teaches him how to live and is useful for politics insofar as it helps us scrutinize political opinions and gives us a model of deliberation that is helpful for politics.