PLATO'S THEORY OF COMMUNISM
• It was the for the Guardian Class in the Society(Ruling Class and Warrior Class), through Plato's scheme of Communism they were not supposed to acquire the Private Property and the Private Family which is known as the Communism of Property and Communism of Wives respectively.
• Plato gave the Theory of Communism in order to sustain the Ideal State which would be created on the Principles of Justice by the Philosopher King. But, if the Guardian Class will be allowed to keep Private Property and Private Family then they may resort to corruption which will finally decay the Ideal State.
• Thus, Plato is in favor that Guardian Classes should not be allowed to Keep Private Property and Private Family in order to prevent corruption in the Society and State machinery.
Communism of Property
• Guardians will have minimum goods for their daily usage and that too will have to be shared by all.
• No private property will be allowed for this class. They will live together and eat only from the common kitchen.
• Thus, we can observe that, unlike today's modern society, Plato was not in favor to give privileges to the Ruling class and Warrior Class.
Communism of Wives
• No private families. All guardians whether males or females will be separated from the normal population. They will have Group marriages and everyone will be either a common husband or a common wife.
• All children born of such marriages will be children of the state and will be separated from the families and placed in the custody of the state for their education and training.
• No person will ever be aware of the identity of his parents or his children if he or she belongs to the guardian class. No man will be attached to any woman or child and no woman will be attached to any man or child. No child will have any particular parents. Thus the whole guardian class will have no experience of familial bonds or any emotional attachment for anybody. Everyone will be devoted only to the state since the state is the common parent of everyone.
• There will be no logic or need in amassing wealth since they can't use it themselves and there will be nobody to inherit it after one's death.
ARISTOTLE'S EVALUATION OF PLATO’S COMMUNISM OF PROPERTY & WIVES
- Although Aristotle is the greatest of Plato's disciples, he is also a very staunch critique of his master:
- Private property for Aristotle is not evil and in fact, it is a source of motivation.
- Plato has mistakenly ignored the good aspects of private property.
- Private property provides evidence and recognition to the efforts of a person.
- Those who have property have more concern about the stability and order in the political system since they stand to lose most in scenarios of chaos and revolution. Property leads to the possibility of charity.
- Aristotle is also critical of his communism of wives since he believes that taking away one's family is a worse measure than having family itself.
- Man is a social animal, he is not a beast who can live by itself.
- Plato's ideas would take us to barbaric times when each man had to fend for his daily survival.
- Family provides emotional stability during times of distress. If property and family were so wrong, then they would have perished long ago.
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