ipl-logo

Justice In Plato's The Republic

1026 Words5 Pages

What is justice? The Republic by Plato aims to essentially this question with distinct discussions about the different components of justice. The ethic is a foundational element into the philosophical questions one encounters. Not only does the literary work aim to form a definition of justice, but also aims to prove how justice will arise. In a discussion with Glaucon, Socrates explains how he believes justice will develop. Justice will emerge when philosophers rule the just city. Socrates believes the thinkers are quintessential to the ideal city for aristocracy and continues by justifying his reasoning. He proceeds into a discussion about the regimes of injustice, comprised with a discussion about democracy. Socrates ultimately argues that …show more content…

He asserts that the just city is possible if a philosopher, with good intentions rules. Coincidently, he believes philosophers should avoid political regimes, however ruling a just city may arise such leadership. Socrates states that philosophers are able to know the truth and are essentially the uppermost of the educated. One is philosopher through education and should study the Form of Good. Socrates refutes those who falsely claim to be philosophers as they come into power once society deems the legitimate philosophers useless. Knowledge is integrated within philosophy, as it is based on facts and truthfulness. Theorists use these distinctions as a means to determine the ethics of life. Additionally, Socrates argues that philosophers are wise; they have lived a life full of complexities, and have gained the knowledge to rule a just city effectively. He asserts his view using the analogy of the cave. …show more content…

Socrates continues by describing how the regimes are considerably disparate to the just city. In general, the aristocracy will become corrupted as guardians will make mistakes in assigning individuals to classes; the root of conflicts. Socrates continues by discussing the four regimes of injustice: timocracy, oligarchy, democracy, and tyranny. Timocracy can be described as the pursuance of recognition. This regime will befall as the guardians will love wealth to the extreme that the generals become the richest. Oligarchy arises from timocracy as it is based on wealth. The government will subside as the rich will overpower the poor and the poor will revolt. Furthermore, democracy will arise from oligarchy as liberty is the central ideal. On the contrary, demagogues will compete for the power of the prime. Tyranny will arise as individuals will want to do as they please. Tyrants will compete with one another, and the government will collapse. Socrates states that democracy is essentially when, “…the poor win, killing some of the others and casting out some…” (235). Socrates explains that democracy arises when there is a divide between the rich and the poor. Socrates believes this aspect contributes to democracy being a weak government as revolts and the aim to become rich, overpower the ideal of the government. The classes are skewed and there is no balance within the city. In addition, Socrates

Show More
Related
342 Words | 2 Pages

the Republic, Socrates argues that justice ought to be valued both for its own sake and for the sake of its consequences (358a1–3). His interlocutors Glaucon and Adeimantus have reported a number of arguments to the effect that the value of justice lies purely in the rewards and reputation that are the usual consequence of being seen to be just, and have asked Socrates to say what justice is and to show that justice is always intrinsically better than is acting contrary to justice when doing so would win you more non-moral goods. Glaucon presents these arguments as renewing Thrasymachus’ Book 1 position that justice is “another’s good” (358b–c, cf. 343c), which Thrasymachus had associated with the claim that the rulers in any constitution frame

Read More
1062 Words | 5 Pages

Biblical Parallels Are All That Is Needed Weather has shaped this story into a Christian novel by giving Biblical parallels and giving another way to look into the eyes of the Joad’s and the migrants. Even in Biblical times weather has helped humanity by giving us a new start: Noah’s Ark or by leading us into something new that we will never be able to find: The Israelites wandering in The Desert for Forty Years. In The Grapes of Wrath, by John Steinbeck, the reader rationalizes that Steinbeck hints that the novel is fundamentally Christian by using Biblical parallels: The Israelites in the Desert, Noah’s Ark, and God watching over them.

Read More
1118 Words | 5 Pages

Socrates compares the relationship between a citizen and a city to that of a child and a parent. Athens has nurtured Socrates in body and mind, given him an ideal environment to raise his own children in, to give him a platform to exhort people to be virtuous (Crito, 51a). As any child benefits from the protections and provisions of a parent, he must also obey the parent when it requires something of him. So, Socrates considers it his civic duty to obey Athens wishes since he has benefited from his citizenship. Socrates reaches a conclusion that defies a common-sense understanding of

Read More
802 Words | 4 Pages

In the beginning of book VI, Socrates makes a point by saying that philosophers have always been able to see things as they are versus people who see things as they vary and so he asks, who should rule? (484b) Socrates then launches into how philosophers are the ones who love the truth and want nothing and will not stand for anything, but the truth. (485c) It is because of that they should rule and so Socrates is asking for a philosopher-king who will seek nothing but the truth through knowledge and wisdom. This is the most important and boldest claim Plato makes in the defense of philosophy.

Read More
732 Words | 3 Pages

In Book 1 of the republic, by Plato, we are introduced to two central figures in the argument of justice, Socrates and Thrasymachus. Thrasymachus claims that justice is the advantage of the stronger. Socrates then asks if his understanding, that what is beneficial to the stronger is just and must be beneficial to the weaker people, to which Thrasymachus replies that no, this is not so. He explains that justice is that which obtains the advantage of the stronger.

Read More
1382 Words | 6 Pages

Socrates believes that justice benefits the just, but also benefits the city (other people) too. He is faced with a seemingly simple choice, escape Athens or remain in prison and be sentenced to death. Socrates’ central argument against escaping his circumstances is twofold. First, Socrates argues that “one must never do wrong.” (49b)

Read More
1169 Words | 5 Pages

The Republic, by Plato provides us with four different definitions of justice which are given by the four characters Cephalus, Polemarchus, Thrasymachus, and Glaucon. According to Cephalus, the definition of justice includes the laws and repaying one’s creditors. Socrates doesnot agree to the idea that of repayment of creditors as always to be a good idea. The second person to define Justice was Polymarchus, the son of Cephalus. In his opinion, justice is defined as helping your friends and harming your rivals.

Read More
1355 Words | 6 Pages

What is justice? This is the crucial question that Plato attempts to answer in his dialogue, The Republic. He conjures up an allegory that justice can be found in a person, and a person can represent a city. Thus, his entire dialogue focuses on this ‘just’ city and the mechanics of how the city would operate. His dialogue covers a myriad of topics about justice in addition to the human soul, politics, goodness and truth.

Read More
1021 Words | 5 Pages

Through becoming a teacher of the young men who followed him in Athens, Socrates effectively began to enter the public life. He was able to influence others through sharing his conclusions of justice, self-examination, and piety, and by asking relentless questions. Socrates effectively showed that an individual can live a private and a public life, even if Socrates was not directly involved in the policy-making in Athens. An individual can combine these two aspects of life in a productive way allowing her/him to live a full existence. These individuals can become teachers, politicians, and activists who use their focus on justice and piety in their private lives to advocate and create laws that promote true justice for the rest of the

Read More
1071 Words | 5 Pages

Socrates provokes the ideas that the city has of him as an individual as to being a harmful human being and argues that it is not in human nature to go against his own

Read More
1709 Words | 7 Pages

Plato, a famous ancient Greek Philosopher wrote several dialogues and although little is known about his life due to a lack of surviving records it is unanimously agreed that he was one of the most influential figures in the development of philosophy in the Western tradition. In his book, The Republic Plato writes about the ideal human society where justice prevails and there are equality and egalitarianism among the people. This society is devoid of any crimes, any injustice and is a world where one can enjoy peace and happiness without the worry or fear of oppression of any kind. Plato went on to write how such a society would be governed in the form of a hierarchy in which at the topmost position would be the “philosopher kings” who would maintain equality and ensure that every decision they make is in the best interests of society (428). Their sole purpose would be to guard the people and their perfect society in every way possible.

Read More
832 Words | 4 Pages

Plato's Republic is centered on one simple question: is it always better to be just than unjust? This is something that Socrates addresses both in terms of political communities and the individual person. Plato argues that being just is advantageous to the individual independent of any societal benefits that the individual may incur in virtue of being just. I feel as if Plato’s argument is problematic. There are not enough compelling reasons to make this argument.

Read More
708 Words | 3 Pages

In Plato’s Republic, the philosopher kings are arguably the most important element of Plato’s idea for a utopian society, Kallipolis Philosopher kings are the ruling class of Kallipolis, rising to power after years of intensive education in all fields of study, but specifically in philosophy and politics. These years of education and training to become philosopher kings results in a virtuous and selfless ruling class that is dedicated to protecting the happiness of the community as a whole. Philosopher kings value truth and knowledge above all else, making them free from the temptations that entice those of lesser moral character, and thus establishing the philosopher kings as the only ones who can be trusted to rule. The idea of a ruling class such as the philosopher kings gives insight as to the ideals valued by Greek society and its thoughts pertaining to leadership. Greek society placed high merit

Read More
1467 Words | 6 Pages

In Plato’s Republic, Socrates and his peers attempt to define justice. Unlike the definitions that his peers give, Socrates is searching to define justice as a structure, not a set of behaviors. Socrates uses a tripartite city-soul analogy to define justice and show that it is found when there is harmony between the three parts of the city—guardians, auxiliaries, producers—mirrored to the three parts of the soul—reason, spirit, appetite. Although Socrates provides a well-structured account of justice in an attempt to demonstrate that there cannot be social justice—in the city—if people don’t first bring internal justice—in the soul—in themselves, he has a notable contradiction in his premises. In Socrates’ ideal city it is a necessary condition of an auxiliary acting in a just way that he must cause any producers who get out of hand, or

Read More
969 Words | 4 Pages

Philosophical thinking uses three acts of the mind: understanding, judgement, and reason. In order to have a sound argument all of the concepts must be applied. Socrates didn’t want to please the people by saying or doing what they wanted him to say or do. Socrates thought it was not important to seek wealth or fame; he was concerned with truth and virtue. He wanted to create an impact on humanity by relying on the truth and shining a light in people’s lives, even if they put him on trial.

Read More

More about Justice In Plato's The Republic

Related Topics

Open Document