Why Does Plato Believe that Philosophers Should Rule?

Plato (427-347 BC) was born into a prominent Athenian family and was very close to his teacher Socrates who was democratically condemned to death -this can partly explain Plato's anger against this form of government. In the Republic he describes his ideal human society ruled by philosophers. I will focus firstly on his conception of a well-ruled state then on the existence of a ruling skill and finally on the philosophers' virtues that make them the most able to rule.
First and foremost, it is essential to describe the class system structuring Plato's city-state. …