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philosopher king

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noun

the Platonic ideal of a ruler, philosophically trained and enlightened.

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Nearby words

Origin of philosopher king

First recorded in 1920–25

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for philosopher-king

So thought the philosopher-King of Prussia, when he let his regiments out of garrison to go and face the enemy.
Rambles and Recollections of an Indian Official|William Sleeman
A smile in Plato at the sight of his philosopher-King in such strange company might well be pardoned.
Political Thought in England from Locke to Bentham|Harold J. Laski
But if the President was not the philosopher-king, what was he?
The Economic Consequences of the Peace|John Maynard Keynes
Shall we, then, have the philosopher-king, as Europe dimly seems to half expect?
The World's Greatest Books, Vol XII.|Arthur Mee

Diceneus, philosopher-king of Dacia, perhaps Cassiodorus' ideal of a king, 32.
The Letters of Cassiodorus|Cassiodorus (AKA Magnus Aurelius Cassiodorus Senator)

Culture definitions for philosopher-king

philosopher-king

In the Republic by Plato, the ideal ruler, who has the virtue and wisdom of a philosopher.

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.