upon, as explained by Socrates in Plato’s Republic. Throughout the eight books of Socratic dialogue the ideal state and ideas of justice are debated, on both individual and state levels. The guidelines for a perfect state and how it will come about are thoroughly described. Socrates covers every aspect of political life and how it should work stating that “until power and philosophy entirely coincide… cities will have no rest form evils” . In Plato’s Republic Socrates emphasizes the superiority of the…

was just beginning to surface as a notable substance within various societies. Athens, was perhaps, the greatest nesting ground of intellectual thought, and it hosted many great minds, such as Plato. While Plato is famous for many of his works, The Republic is the most read and circulated. In the Republic, Plato lays out two philosophical questions through a character named Socrates. Both questions re-occur as the foundation of dialogue amongst other characters, such as Glaucon, Adeimantus, and Polemarchus…

After reading The Republic there are three main points that Plato had touched on. The first of these three points is that Plato is disheartened with democracy. It was due to Socrates’ untimely death during Athens’ democracy that led to his perception of the ideal state as referred to in The Republic. Plato perceived that the material greed was one of the many evils of politics; in Plato’s eyes greed was one of the worst evils of political life. Thus economic power must be separated from political…

Plato’s The Republic presents meaningful insight into the concepts of education and knowledge. As with most scholars in the Greek society, the discussions held by the philosopher center on leadership and common concepts like justice. However, Plato’s discourse from Socrates’ teachings delves deeper to create an understanding of cognition and create a clear relationship between it and education. Quite often, Plato’s Republic seeks to create the distinction between the elite and those that still suffer…

In one of his most widely read texts, the Republic, Plato sets out to explore the very nature of the concept of Justice, the various forms it takes in the world, and its relevance to the lives of men. As Socrates states, it is about “the way we ought to live” (I 352d). The dialogue begins by introducing the commonly held view of justice, via Thrasymachus, Glaucon and Adeimantus, as the non-performance of certain types of unlawful or antisocial acts. However, the entire treatise quickly moves on to…

Plato’s Republic Plato aims to show from book 1 that justice has intrinsic value to itself, that it gives one a more satisfying pursuit of life. In book I, he retorts Thrasymachus ' account that justice is the advantage of the stronger. Initially this makes sense that if justice were defined by state law, then the entirety of nations, differing in laws, would be unified by the principle of rule by force, in which the strong create the law. They would do so to suit their own specific needs…

In book X of The Republic, Plato uses Socrates as his voice to discuss the topic of poetry in his ideal society. While he sees music and gymnastics as vital parts of society, he sees poetry as something that’s not only unnecessary, but also harmful. Glaucon is surprised by this and questions the reasons Socrates has this way of thinking. Socrates states that “all such poetry is likely to distort the thought of anyone who hears it, unless he has the knowledge of what it is really like”. Here, Socrates…

In Plato’s book, “The Republic”, there are many examples of rhetoric. In regards to the controversial topic of women and eugenics in which Plato is almost forced into mentioning because of Adeimantus and Glaucon, he uses various rhetorical statements to portray his view on the matter. His readers believe women should be equal, so Plato attempts to persuade his readers into thinking he believes the same. For example, in the passage on women and family Plato states, “we shall assign these to each accordingly;…

In The Republic, Plato presents a dialogue of Socrates, in which he seeks to uncover truths about what constitutes a just society, and what kind of men would rule such a society. As such a society would require a sound government, Plato, through Socrates, presents five possible types of governments, which involve varying levels of liberty and justice. Although the arguments demonstrate that aristocracy is the ideal form of government, all forms of government have fatal flaws that lead to continual…

The ancient Greek Philosopher Plato had an interest in finding the ideal government. In Plato’s Republic, he discusses his ideas and views of how this ideal government would function. He believed that people are born into 3 different classes, with different responsibilities (Plato 415a). Only people in the “golden” class were fit to rule. The most effective of these rulers would be philosophers, as they have knowledge of the good of the whole (Plato 473d). This system seems too perfect for me. I…