In Plato’s Dialogues, he argued that there is a Truth, and that this Truth is comprised of the Ideal Forms, metaphysical truths from which all concrete existence is derived (Good, Justice, Beauty). In Republic, Plato argued that only philosophers can know Truth, and that a society built on such Truth, with the Guardians to fulfill the requirements of Truth in society, would be a perfect society. These philosophers acquire the knowledge of Truth by intensive education in the liberal arts as well as mediating on the Ideal Forms.

Most people then and now are incredulous of such an idea, for many different reasons: human error, human sin, nationalities and ethnicities, wealth disparity, and so on. Besides, Plato’s Republic is an ideal, conforming to his Ideal Forms. Could it ever become reality? Could government and society ever reflect the Truth? In Republic, Plato discussed the various forms of government, ranging from democracy to monarchy to oligarchy. He found most wanting, because the people in charge would be unable to rule according to justice, because they do not understand or know justice. We see in our society today one in which we have leaders elected by the people that we assume are wise enough to make decisions by passing laws, but none of these people, even so-called Judges, appear to know what true Justice is. Yes, Justice is an ideal, but what is it based on, and how can any human know what it is and how can they therefore govern in ignorance?

Plato argued for a philosopher-king, someone so trained in knowing, so aware of the Ideal Forms, that they have legislative, judicial, and executive power, and they can make the best decisions for people living in time. Experiments were tried by the Greeks and Romans, but they all failed, because the philosopher either did not know true justice (such as Alexander of Macedon) or they know much, but were unable to impose their knowledge on their own citizens and on other peoples—an example is Marcus Aurelius.

But what if a person exists who knows the Truth? And what if this person who knows the Truth is able to be convinced to direct society and government?  Must people assume this cannot be, which is indeed our experience dealing with secular America. How could a human know the Truth? Our presidents, for example, are people of wealth and action, great experiences, charismatic personalities, but unable to know what is True. Trying to act like what you represent is true, but being unable to fulfill it, just leads to corruption. Suppose we found such a person, would we not be willing to live according to his/her dictates? This is the assumption that Plato made, which is not necessarily a false assumption. In his mind, the person who came closest to this was Socrates, who was a man of wisdom, justice, and honor. Socrates was perhaps closest to the Truth, but he was not the Truth. What makes the Republic false is that ultimately the Guardians and Socrates know parts of, but did not know the whole of, the Truth. But then Jesus Christ came among us.

Plato in a way anticipated the coming of Jesus. Plato’s teaching on love mirrors what agape meant for Christians centuries later. In Symposium, Love has some of the same qualities as did Jesus, in his actions and teachings, as related by his disciples, especially the Apostle John. Plato wrote, “For God mingles not with man; but through Love all the intercourse and converse of god with man, whether awake or asleep, is carried on,” which sounds very much like Christ the Mediator and John’s portrayal of the Logos—”and the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us.”

The Visible Church is important, the Christian Church and its leaders, but more important, I humbly suggest, is the Invisible Church, all of those whom no one else knows, those who follow Christ, those who Love, but in silence, anonymously, without fanfare. If the Church has any great surpassing goal among all others, it is to bring all people to come to know God’s Love. When everyone knows God’s love, when they practice Love on earth, only then will humans approach the ideal that Plato suggested in the Republic, and the idea of a society of love that Jesus suggested throughout the Gospels.