Philosophy, Power and Salvation: Philosophical Power and Spiritual Politics in Plato’s Gorgias Dialogue
In this article, it is argued that Plato's demand and ideal of philosophical power was previously expressed in the Gorgias dialogue and that this power was largely spiritual in character. In order to justify this claim, the main arguments and concepts in the dialogue are analyzed descriptively and analytically. The article tries to show how Plato separates philosophy from rhetoric and positions it opposite to it in the context of political reality; separates philosophy from power politics and makes it bound by truth; prioritizes the spiritual power that enables self-control as the primary power; and shows that the philosophical power Plato desires is essentially a spiritual power, a greater power that transcends worldly power. The spiritual politics aiming at the bliss and well-being of the soul, which Plato defends and desires in his Gorgias dialogue, is something extremely alien to our modern culture. Because for modern politics, the spiritual sphere is apolitical. In the Gorgias dialogue, on the other hand, real politics is seen as an art that deals mainly with souls. Philosophy is the only true political art that will lead people to happiness by healing and perfecting their souls; the philosopher is the true politician. According to Plato, who opposes politics that aims only at power and pleasure, people can only be made happy by the philosopher, who is a kind of state physician. Therefore, the administration of the state should be left to the philosopher, the true statesman. The task of the real politics to be practiced by such a philosophical state is not only to meet people's material needs, but also to heal the soul, which is the essential aspect of human beings, and to bring them to salvation. For this reason, Platonic spiritual power has eschatological implications that transcend worldly power.
Felsefe, İktidar ve Kurtuluş: Platon’un Gorgias Diyaloğunda Felsefi İktidar ve Ruhani Siyaset
Bu makalede Platon’un felsefi iktidar talebinin ve idealinin daha önce Gorgias diyaloğunda dile getirildiği ve bu iktidarın büyük ölçüde ruhani bir karakterde olduğunu iddia edilmektedir. Bu iddiayı temellendirmek amacıyla diyalogdaki temel argüman ve kavramlar betimsel ve analitik bir yaklaşımla ele alınmıştır. Makalede sırasıyla, Platon’un felsefeyi retorikten ayırarak siyasi gerçeklik bağlamında nasıl onun karşısında konumlandırdığı; felsefeyi güç siyasetinden ayırarak hakikatle mukayyet kıldığı; nefs kontrolünü mümkün kılan ruhsal gücü asli güç olarak öncelediği; Platon’un arzuladığı felsefi iktidarın esas itibariyle ruhani/manevi bir karakterde, dünyevi iktidarı aşan daha büyük bir iktidar olduğu gösterilmeye çalışılmaktadır.Platon’un Gorgias diyaloğunda savunduğu ve arzuladığı ruhun saadetini ve selametini amaçlayan ruhani siyaset modern kültürümüze son derece yabancı bir şeydir. Çünkü modern siyaset için ruhsal alan apolitik bir alandır. Gorgias diyaloğunda ise gerçek siyaset esas olarak ruhlarla ilgi bir sanat olarak görülür. Felsefe, ruhlarını iyileştirmek, yetkinleştirmek suretiyle insanları saadete ulaştıracak biricik gerçek siyasi sanat; filozof ise gerçek siyasetçidir. Sadece güç ve hazzı amaçlayan siyasete karşı çıkan Platon’a göre insanların mutlu kılınması ancak bir çeşit devlet hekimi olan filozof tarafından sağlanabilir. Onun için devletin yönetimi gerçek devlet adamı olan filozofa bırakılmalıdır. Böyle bir felsefi devletin icra edeceği gerçek siyasetin görevi sadece insanların maddi ihtiyaçlarını karşılamak değil, asıl olarak insanın asli yönü olan ruhun iyileştirilmesi ve selamete ulaştırılmasıdır. Bu nedenle Platoncu ruhani iktidar dünyevi iktidarı aşan eskatolojik içerimlere de sahiptir.
An early expression of Plato’s ideal of philosopher-king or, in other words, philosophical sovereignty, which has been subject of debate throughout the history of thought, can be seen in his dialogue Gorgias. The dialogue which has a rich content in which many basic themes are addressed in one way or another, is extremely important for understanding the development of Platon’s philosophy and its main concerns. The dialogue, in which he expresses his ideas through Socrates’ mouth, is essentially a discussion of what the “good life” is. According to Plato, the answer of this question can only be found through philosophy, not rhetoric. According to him, rhetoric and philosophy are in opposition to each other in terms of what the good life is and how it ought to be lived. Plato defends and preaches a philosophical ideal of life in the dialogue Gorgias. He sets out his philosophical ideal of life through the example of his teacher Socrates; namely, Socrates embodies the ideal of the good life in his own life. Socrates constantly urges people to take care of their own souls, to transform and perfect themselves morally. His philosophical practices whose basic aim is the transformation of the self are certainly not indifferent to social life. Plato also does not conceive of individual and social transformations as separate things. For him, politics is social morality and morality is individual politics.
The construction of a public life based on the essential side of human beings can only be possible through politics. Politics is a science that requires expertise in the art of politics. Politics as a science (episteme) or as a truth will necessarily have a philosophical character. Politics, as the activity for implementing the public good, is the very purpose of philosophy, in fact, it is philosophy itself. The direction of truth to social life, the improvement of the world, the illumination of the cave will be possible through philosophy's intervention in life, through the philosopher's return to the cave. In other words, the construction of Kallipolis and the achievement of social happiness will only be possible with the ruling of the philosopher who combines wisdom and power. For this reason, Plato brings the philosopher to the cave or to the state back, who contemplates the Ideas. He imposes ethical and political responsibility on him, even at the expense of his happiness. He hopes that the realization and manifestation of justice, which is the goal of the State, will be realized through him. For this reason, Plato delegates the task of governance to the philosopher-king in his Republic.
An early and powerful version of Plato’s idea of leaving the direction and administration of the state to the philosopher appears in his dialogue Gorgias. Here Plato advocates the transfer of political sovereignty to philosophy and the philosopher on behalf of philosophy. However, the ultimate goal of this transfer of power and revolution is the well-being and salvation of the soul. In other words, the Plato’s understanding of philosophical politics is essentially a kind of spiritual politics that aims to make human beings virtuous. For, according to Plato, true politics is essentially an art whose job is to deal with souls. When politics is understood as dealing with souls, philosophy, whose job is to make souls good, to heal them, becomes the only true political art, and the philosopher naturally becomes the only true politician. In this case, every philosophical activity that deals with souls becomes a political activity. A politics that aims only to gain power and to satisfy pleasures is not a reasonable and legitimate politics in Plato's view. Politicians who engage in politics are not true statesmen for this purpose. For this reason, Plato strongly criticizes Athenian politicians. Relying on rhetoric and aiming for nothing but power and pleasure, these rulers are only concerned with the material welfare of the people. However, the main thing is not a comfort, but the health of the citizens’ souls. This politics of power and pleasure leads to decay. Socrates is the only true politician in Athens who tries to perfect people's souls. Philosophers should be the rulers for the just administration of the state. Governance that aims at the happiness and salvation of the soul has a spiritual character. The sphere of sovereignty of the philosopher transcends the material one; it goes beyond it. The king-philosopher is primarily ruler of souls.
