Statesman By Plato Greek Classics Translated by Benjamin Jowett The Statesman, also kwn by its Latin title, Politicus, is a Socratic dialogue written by Plato. The text describes a conversation among Socrates, the mathematician Theodorus, ather person named Socrates (referred to as Young Socrates ), and an unnamed philosopher from Elea referred to as the Stranger. It is ostensibly an attempt to arrive at a definition of statesman, as opposed to sophist or philosopher and is presented as following the action of the Sophist. According to John M. Cooper, the dialogue's intention was to clarify that to rule or have political power called for a specialized kwledge. The statesman was one who possesses this special kwledge of how to rule justly and well and to have the best interests of the citizens at heart. It is presented that politics should be run by this kwledge, or gsis. This claim runs counter to those who, the Stranger points out, actually did rule. Those that rule merely give the appearance of such kwledge, but in the end are really sophists or imitators. For, as the Stranger maintains, a sophist is one who does t kw the right thing to do, but only appears to others as someone who does. The Stranger's ideal of how one arrives at this kwledge of power is through social divisions. The visitor takes great pains to be very specific about where and why the divisions are needed in order to properly rule the citizenry.
