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Plato imagined a philosopher king for his Republic. The ideal state, according to the philosopher, ensures the maximum possible happiness for all its citizens. All citizens. Not a particular community. Such a state can only be brought into being by a ruler who is also a philosopher. “Until philosophers are kings,” Plato wrote, “or the kings and princes of this world have the spirit and power of philosophy … cities will never have rest from their evils.” Some 1...
