La oposición platónica al imperio de la ley: reflexiones sobre la obra Político (Português)

Context: This article examines Plato’s opposition to the principle of the rule of law, as presented in The Statesman. The central philosophical question concerns why the Athenian philosopher, by valuing the prudence and intelligence of the ruler above the formal authority of law, stands in tension with the Western juridico-political tradition, which is grounded in the limitation of power and the supremacy of legal norms.Methodology: The research adopts a philosophical-hermeneutical approach, combining textual analysis and conceptual reconstruction. The first section provides a propaedeutic examination of the rule of law principle across different traditions—British (Rule of Law), American (Reign of Law), French (État légal), and German (Rechtsstaat)—based on Canotilho’s systematization. The second section offers an interpretive analysis of The Statesman, focusing on Plato’s claim that the law, as a general and abstract norm, is inferior to the prudential judgment of the wise ruler. The argumentative method consists in comparing Platonic political theory with modern formulations of legal constitutionalism, thereby clarifying the anti-Platonic foundations of contemporary political-legal thought.Conclusions: The article argues that Plato, by privileging the political techné of the philosopher-ruler over the written law, formulates a structural critique of the rule of law, viewing it as an imperfect form of governance suited to the mutable and corruptible realm of human affairs. Nevertheless, Plato acknowledges the necessity of a “second best” form of government—one bound by laws—as a safeguard against the dangers of corruption and the limitations inherent to human nature. The authors contend that the contemporary affirmation of the Democratic Rule of Law requires explicitly anti-Platonic philosophical and political premises—rooted in the limitation of power, equality before the law, and institutional guarantees of freedom and justice.