The Shepherd

Abstract

For Plato, the model of the leader as shepherd suggests protectiveness and care. But he also realizes that it could be used to make the opposite point: the leader only appears to protect the flock; his ulterior motive is to exploit them for profit. As a result, the model divides into two: the good shepherd, who cares only for the flock, and the bad one, who seeks to exploit them, like a tyrant. Another problem is that the model elevates the leader to the level of a higher species, who merely shouts commands, quite unlike the teacher model described in the previous two chapters. Consequently, Plato later abandons the shepherd in the Statesman. The second part considers an example of the ‘bad’ shepherd, Travis Kalanick, CEO of Uber Taxis, whose attitude to his drivers shows similarities with the shepherd who professes to care for his flock, but merely seeks to exploit them.