The Relationship between Justice, Democracy and Peace in Plato's Republic

Without doubt, Plato’s Republic is one of the most influential works in the history of philosophy, specially, in philosophy of politics. Although we find all branches of philosophical studies –from ontology and epistemology to psychology and education—discussed in this work, “justice” is central issue in it. On the other hand, of the kinds of governments discussed by Plato in 8th book of Republic, democracy is introduced as one the bad ones. For him, democracy, evolved from oligarchy, is not only a result of war and discontent, but also turns finally to its opposite, tyranny, through a wrong management of liberty and equality. Plato’s opposition to democracy –indeed only to a certain kind of it– shows that there is no necessary correlation between justice and peace on the one hand and democracy on the other hand. In this paper, having sated Plato’s view on justice, peace and democracy we will show what he regards as pre-conditions to reach justice and peace.