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Why did Plato think philosophers should rule the ideal state?

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The Greek philosopher Plato — Plato Plato, marble portrait bust copied from an original of the 4th century bce; in the Capitoline Museums, Rome.

In his dialogue The Republic, Plato argued that philosophers are the only individuals qualified to rule because they are both intellectually and morally suited for the task.1

Intellectually, Plato believed that philosophers alone possess the capacity to gain full knowledge of reality. Through a rigorous education, they can apprehend the permanent and transcendent Forms—specifically the Forms of Virtue, Beauty, and the Good—which serve as the ultimate models for a just society. By "facing the brightest blaze of being," they gain the wisdom necessary to guide the state toward moral ends.12

Morally, philosophers are uniquely trustworthy because they do not desire political power. Plato argued that because they love truth and learning, they are free from the greed, lust, and pursuit of brute instinct that typically tempt others to abuse power. Consequently, Plato concluded that until political power and philosophy coincide, cities will find no respite from evil, as only those who do not crave power can be trusted to wield it for the benefit of the community.12