Plato's Philosopher King: A Potent Object of Hope?

Essay from the year 2016 in the subject Philosophy - Philosophy of the Ancient World, grade: A+, Johns Hopkins University, course: Western Political Philosophy, language: English, abstract: In this essay, Michael Ernest Sweet examines the concept of Plato's philosopher-king as found in "The Republic". Is the concept a paradox and a pragmatic impossibility, or is the concept a rhetorical device and a potent object of hope on the quest to uncover the meaning of justice? Perhaps Plato's aim in constructing such a paradox is to show us the impossibility of the perfect political regime?