ABSTRACT

                        The main purposes of this research study were to study Plato’s political philosophy, Buddhadasa’s political philosophy, and them, This was a qualitative research with the collection of all details from documents and related researches. 

                  A result of this research study was found that Plato’s political philosophy started with the political situations in Athens and the familial surroundings of the high class. Plato held some view that Utopia was the best, complete, ideal society and its political purpose was justice. Plato signified the aristocracy, the close management to Utopia. The characteristics of Plato’s Utopia were socialism that was consisted of politics, ethics, and education. The economical socialism was used in the ruling class and guardians. Plato’s Utopia was the open-ended society with the strict, immutable pattern.

                  Buddhadasa’s political concept was mixed with the Buddhist principles applied to a various branches of academic knowledge in order to describe a political meaning as the human duty to work for many people and make them live happily as well as live closely to the nature. However, the social problems arose because human beings were attacked by craving and selfishness to make them collect excessive materials. Buddhadasa represented the Dhamma socialism that consisted of Dhamma and stressed on loving kindness towards all human beings.

                  When both of those political concepts were compared, it was found that the similarity of those political concepts was the political evolution. They stressed greatly on mental, ethical development of the rulers or the political leaders to show the fact that the good societies came from the moral leaders. Both Buddhadasa and Plato denied democracy of many ruling persons. Some difference between Buddhadasa’s political concept and Plato’s concept was found that Plato represented the political philosophy different from the reality but he used dialectics to create the Utopia. He signified the dictatorship that all power was given to one ruling class and all rulers had to pass the organized educational system. On the contrary, Buddhadasa did not signify any regime but accepted the Dhamma dictatorship that aimed at resolving quickly the political problems and growing the political development. According to Buddhadasa, people themselves selected their moral ruler. Plato’s Utopia was the ancient socialism that stressed on the close relation between people and societies occupying the public right. This aspect was different from the Dhamma socialism that was special to aim at growing the interdependence among people and it was different from Marxism that came from the opposition and signified merely the products and economics.    

      The prominent points of Buddha’s political concept and Plato’s political concept were to resolve the problems of developing societies and the ethical systems in societies. The weak point of those political concepts was that they were too ideal and denied the democracy with many ruling persons.