Abstract

The main purpose of this paper is to prove that the attitude towards Plato’s political ideas among Polish scholars depended on political situation of Poland and Europe. Selected works of three periods are under examination. Before the World War I the enthusiasm towards Plato’s political ideas prevailed. In the interwar period the enthusiasm waned and the utopian project of the Republic was considered as impossible to be carried out. After the World War II Plato’s project was negatively evaluated by the opponents of the totalitarianism and communism as well as by the Marxist philosophers. The former considered communism to be a fulfillment of Plato’s ideas, the latter thought of Plato as an enemy of the democratic system.key words: Plato, Politeia, Plato reception, Polish philosophy