A Limited Aristocracy of Education Democracy is inefficient, and wrong-headed. But aristocracies of wealth and lineage are dangerous because of the propensity to corruption. The solution is a limited aristocracy of education. Those that are best educated are best able to lead society. The curriculum of the Academy is indirectly summarized in the Republic .
Military protection is necessary, especially to defend the state from outside interference.
It is arguable that Plato is the most influential of philosophers on Christianity, and especially Christian theology. There are two caveats to bear in mind, however. Plato s influence was almost always indirect, having been mediated by neo-Platonism, to which we will come when we have studied Aristotle. Plato was adapted and subdued as much as he was accepted and used. The Jewish tradition had many ideas of its own, some of which overcame Plato s in the development of Christian thought, some of which were overcome, and some of which combined in fascinating ways with Plato s.