It takes thirty minutes a day to go to “Kallipolis”.
Kallipolis, is the ideal city state governed by a philosopher king, an ideal heaven of wisdom and reason. An ideal inner state of being.
It first appears in Plato’s work, a 5th century BC Greek philosopher, famously known for his Socratic Dialogues, Platonic Ideas and Allegories, for whom it has been said “all of western philosophy is but a footnote to Plato”.
In his monumental work “The Republic”, (“Politeia”, in Greek), a political Bible so to speak, he introduces the definition of the 5 fundamental regimes to be found in any sovereign country until today.
Aristocracy, Timocracy, Oligarcy, Democracy and Tyranny. He then connects the nature of each regime with his tripartire theory of the soul, the LSA. Our soul has L- Logic, S – Spirrited and A – Appettive part, meaning we all have logic, temper and desires.
Plato believes that any society will decay and pass through each of the five regimes in succession and that Democracy, our predominant political regime of our entire modern world, is not the best constitution that there is; it’s only second to the worst, Tyranny.
“What is the best one?”, he inquires and through questioning, his dialectic method, he finds that to be Aristocracy; Aristocracy is a state ruled by a philosopher king and is grounded in wisdom and reason.
– Does this has to do with money, family name or privileges?
– No! The best ruler is a just man with a calm heart that his soul knows the Idea of the Absolute Good by learning the Truth.
– Why? Because the (metaphysical) knowledge of the Good in itself gives man enduring and real happiness.
So it’s not about fame, money or power, it’s about ultimate happiness for the soul.
Plato reveals that the inquiry into the nature of Absolute Good builds the best rulers of the best cities – states. And he names that ideal hypothetical state “Kallipolis”, literally meaning “good city” in Greek. Good man – good city.
But remember; he uses allegories, he is not just giving us a political theory, but also a vital roadmap of how to rule ourselves, our inner Republic.
Think your Kallipolis.
Each one of us runs its own state, forms its own constitution, appoints its own inner government. The Government out there in the Parliament is a mere reflection of the Government in here, our Kallipolis.
Think your Kallipolis.
It takes thirty minutes a day, every day. Open a dialogue with yourself, your soul, to the see the values that resonate with your nature and inquire into the nature of Absolute Good to understand your nature without blindfolds.
Ask to see where do you focus: producing wealth, individual interest and power? You are running an inner Timocracy.
Cultivate virtues. Cultivate your courage. Built Kallipolis.
Are you good in risk management, time management, property management, emotional management, project management? Be aware: it is not about a democracy of heaven, it is about the Kingdom of Heaven. You are managing your Kallipolis, you are not reigning your Kallipolis. Your Aristocracy has now degenerated into Oligarchy.
Reign your Kallipolis.
Ask to see: are you full of unnecessary desires with a great interest to all you can buy with your money with no order or priorities in life? Do you believe that you should be free to do whatever you want anytime? Your Kallipolis has now fallen to a state of Democracy, yes, these are the characteristics of Democracy, very similar to anarchy.
You are now potentially giving birth to a tyrannical man. Remember Plato: a tyrannical man is a son of the democratic man. He is the worst ruler because he is the most unjust one. You are killing your Kallipolis. You are not just to yourself, you are not honouring your nature.
Rethink Kallipolis. Rebuilt your Kallipolis.
At any phase of your life, with the LSA dialectic with your soul, you can lay the foundations and connect with your ideals, your values, your ultimate inner state.
Ask the questions, think Kallipolis, build Kallipolis, reign your Kallipolis.
It takes thirty minutes a day, every day.