Do philosophers or theorists have anything of value to offer in the conduct of politics?

Essay Question: Plato writes that, "Nothing else can enable one to see what is right for states and individuals, and the troubles of mankind will never cease until either true and genuine philosophers attain political power or the rulers of states become genuine philosophers." Do philosophers or theorists have anything of value to offer in the conduct of politics? Discuss with reference to at least two of the political thinkers you have studied. In the …

…a-b. (http://classics.mit.edu/Plato/apology.html) Plato. The Republic, trans. Allan Bloom. New York: Basic Books, 1968, Book V11 (extract) {RK} 336b ff, 49. Merrilee H Salmon. "Landmarks in Critical Thinking Series: Machiavelli's The Prince" (http://www.chss.montclair.edu/inquiry/fall95/salmon.html) Related Material: Brickhouse, T.C. Smith, N.D. Socrates on Trial Oxford and Princeton: Oxford University Press and Princeton University Press, 1989. Reeve, C. Socrates in the Apology Indianapolis: Hackett Publishing Company, 1989.