Introduction
Political theorist Ernest Barker famously characterised Plato's communism as a 'heroic remedy' for a 'desperate evil' that afflicted fourth-century BCE Athenian democracy. For Plato, the fatal flaw in governance lay in the fusion of political authority and economic self-interest, which nurtured factionalism, moral decay, and corrupt statecraft.
The 'Desperate Evil': Nexus of Power and Wealth
Plato observed that whenever ruling elites possess private wealth and familial interests, civic authority is inevitably co-opted for personal enrichment. In The Republic, he warned that combining political command with economic desire divides the polis into two warring camps: the rich and the poor. Such self-seeking governance leads to oligarchic corruption, civic discord (stasis), and the erosion of justice.
The 'Heroic Remedy': Structural Separation via Communism
Recognising that philosophical education alone was insufficient to counter systemic corruption, Plato prescribed an uncompromising, radical ('heroic') social design exclusively for the Guardian classes (the rulers and the soldiers):
- Communism of Property: Guardians are completely barred from holding private property, land, or precious metals. They reside in common barracks, dine at communal tables, and receive sustenance directly from the producing class. By removing material temptation, political power is severed from private economic accumulation.
- Communism of Family and Wives: Identifying the private family as the root source of dynastic ambition and nepotistic impulses (the distinction between 'mine' and 'thine'), Plato abolished traditional marriage for the auxiliary and ruling classes. Matings are state-regulated for eugenic excellence, and children are reared in collective state nurseries without knowing their biological parents. This transforms the entire Guardian class into a single civic unit.
Critical Evaluation
The radical nature of Plato's formula has drawn extensive debate across political thought:
- George Sabine's Distinction: Sabine emphasised that Plato's communism is strictly political and moral—aimed at insulating rulers from corruption—contrasting with Marx's economic communism, which seeks the abolition of class exploitation and universal material equality.
- Aristotle's Pragmatic Critique: Aristotle argued in Politics that excessive unity destroys the polis, famously observing that 'what is common to the greatest number gets the least amount of care.' He defended private property as a natural incentive for virtue, generosity, and economic prudence.
- Karl Popper's Indictment: In The Open Society and Its Enemies, Popper denounced Plato's radical social engineering, viewing the communism of family and total state control as the philosophical precursor to modern totalitarian regimes.
Conclusion
Although Plato's communism remains utopian and authoritarian in its design, his core diagnosis remains profoundly relevant. The modern persistence of crony capitalism, political lobbying, and dynastic politics continuously reaffirms Plato's fundamental insight: unconstrained economic temptation combined with sovereign power corrodes the integrity of the state.