Plato Quotes

Mankind will never see an end of trouble until... lovers of wisdom come to hold political power, or the holders of power... become lovers of wisdom

To enter upon rulership of a country but not preserve its scholars will result in the downfall of the country.

Until philosophers are kings, or the kings and princes of this world have the spirit and power of philosophy, and political greatness and wisdom meet in one, and those commoner natures who pursue either to the exclusion of the other are compelled to stand aside, cities will never have rest from their evils - no, nor the human race, as I believe - and then only will this our State have a possibility of life and behold the light of day.

There will be no end to the troubles of states, or of humanity itself, till philosophers become kings in this world, or till those we now call kings and rulers really and truly become philosophers, and political power and philosophy thus come into the same hands.

Kings may be judges of the earth, but wise men are the judges of kings.

You are a great king because you excel in mercy.

There will be no end to the troubles of states,Or of humanity itself,Till philosophers become kings in this world,Or till those we now call kings and rulers really And truly become philosophers

He thinks like a philosopher, but governs like a king.

Justice is the first virtue of those who command, and stops the complaints of those who obey.

Rulers come and go; governments end and forms of government change; but sovereignty survives.

A political society cannot endure without a supreme will somewhere.

Do you not know, my son, with how little wisdom the world is governed?

Kings are for nations in swaddling clothes.

I do not blame those who wish to rule the Athenians, but those who are over-ready to serve.

I had rather wise men to govern me, even though at times they should be severe, even fools. I care not where they come from, so they be men of sense and experience; let them be taken from the plough, from the mechanick’s bench, or from behind the counter.

There is no passion to which the rulers of a people can address themselves with greater [political] effect [than war.]

To do good, and be evil spoken of, is kingly.

Heaven cannot support two suns, nor earth two masters, nor Asia two kings

Before we acquire great power we must acquire wisdom to use it well

The wise man who has charge of governing the empire should know the cause of disorder before he can put it in order. Unless he knows its cause, he cannot regulate it.

I have told you already a hundred times: You are not a King and yet you have no idea how to be one …. All your difficulties and anxieties come from your own bad administration and because you have never paid any attention to my advice. I shall always regret having given you a kingdom where you have merely profited from the reputation of my name

Cynics who say power is all that counts in politics forget that power without ideas is just improvisation.

It is better to be without a king than to have a bad one.

In order that a people may be free, it is necessary that the governed be sages, and those who govern, gods.