31st Annual Student Research Conference
A Kantian Evaluation of The Republic
Cowan D. Byers
Dr. Stephen Pollard, Faculty Mentor
This work examines the government set forth in Plato's Republic through a Kantian deontological framework in order to evaluate the ethical standing of the city. The purpose of this paper is to explore a potential structure for ethical analysis of governmental bodies. Therefore, the scope of this paper does not include a discussion of creating such a government, but rather the government if it had been founded organically. Methodologically, it incorporates political science behavioral models to understand the common behavior between and amongst the three classes. Primarily, this is an ethical analysis from a philosophical perspective in order to determine the moral standing of such a city. The key aspects considered are these behaviors as determined through the behavioral models, the laws of the constitution (e.g. the reproductive rules, the child-rearing practices, the censorship of artists, and the class structure), as well as the noble lie.
Keywords: Kant, Deontology, Plato, Republic, Ethics, Government
Topic(s):Philosophy & Religion
Political Science
Presentation Type: Oral Paper
Session: 210-4
Location: VH 1224
Time: 10:15