Important Differences between Plato and Fascists are described below:
1. Contextually, the two are different. Moreover there is a gap of more than 2,300 years between them while Platonism was a response to the prevailing state of anarchy in small city state of ancient Greece, Fascism is a modern doctrine linked with the idea of nation state.
2. Plato’s ideas comprise complete philosophy, based on certain basic assumptions on the other hand; fascist’s ideas are scattered and unorganized. In fact, ideas of Nietzsche, Hegel, Mussolini and Hitler are exhorted to justify Fascist state.
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Thus says Sabine, “It is a body of ideas taken from various sources and put together to fit the exigencies of the situation.”
3. The tendency of Platonic Republic and Fascist glamour for war are poles apart while Plato intended to make “polis” a self sufficient unit, fascists exhort that “expansion is the sign of life”.
4. Platonism represents political idealism because Plato’s state never came into experience. Fascism stands for political realism because it was in operation for more than 2 decades and was a factor of crucial significance for the outbreak of Second World War.
5. While Plato prefers ethics over politics, the fascists subordinate ethics to politics.
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As C.E.M. Joad points out, “the end for which government is exercised in Platonic state is the well being of the community as a whole through the medium of justice on the other hand the object for which rule is exercised in the Fascist state is enhancement of the power of the few, many being regarded merely as the raw material over which the power of the few is exercised and the means through which it is achieved.
The statement that “Plato is the first Fascist in history” or “Plato is a fore-runner of Fascists” does not hold truth.
The two doctrines originating at different times, in different conditions and are characterized by different views regarding the individual and state. Hence the claim of the Fascist that Plato is the First Fascist is unjustifiable and biased with some hidden agenda.