The Platonic Principles Of Just Society

In his philosophical text, The Republic, Plato argues that justice can only be realized by the moderation of the soul, which he claims reflects as the moderation of the city. He engages in a debate, via the persona of Socrates, with Ademantus and Gaucon on the benefit, or lack thereof, for the man who leads a just life. I shall argue that this analogy reflecting the governing of forces in the soul and in city serves as a sufficient device in proving that justice is beneficial to those who believe in, and practice it. I shall further argue that Plato establishes that the metaphorical bridge between the city and soul analogy and reality is the leader, and that in the city governed by justice the philosopher is king.

Ralph Waldo Emerson once wrote “One man’s justice is another’s injustice.” This statement quite adequately describes the relation between definitions of justice presented by Polemarchus and Thrasymachus in Book I of the Republic. Polemarchus initially asserts that justice is “to give to each what is owed” (Republic 331d), a definition he picked up from Simonides. Then, through the unrelenting questioning of Socrates, Polemarchus’ definition evolves into “doing good to friends and harm to enemies” (Republic 332d), but this definition proves insufficient to Socrates also. Eventually, the two agree “that it is never just to harm anyone” (Republic 335d). This definition is fundamental to the idea of a

essentially asserts that the nuances of one's personality are not generated from within, but rather

Answer: Socrates believed that women should be given the same education, music and gymnasium, as their male counterparts. However, he says that though the two sexes share identical pursuits, comparatively, males quantitatively

The ideal society as suggested by Plato is composed of three classes: the producers, the auxiliaries, and the guardians.

In his philosophy, Plato places a large emphasis on the importance of the idea of justice. This emphasis can be seen especially in his work ‘The Republic’ where, through his main character Socrates, he attempts to define the nature of justice and to justify this definition. One of the methods used by Socrates to strengthen or rather explain his argument on justice is through his famous city-soul analogy, where a comparison between a just city and a just soul/individual is made. Through this analogy, Socrates attempts to explain the nature of justice, how it is the virtue of the soul and is therefore intrinsically valuable to the

Compare and Contrast Essay: Jack London and David Hume The relationship between man and nature is a topic that has been discussed throughout the ages. Jack London, in “To Build a Fire,” and David Hume, in Of the Dignity or Meaness of Human Nature,” explore their own interpretations of human nature. While Hume examines the methods of comparison themselves, London firmly juxtaposes man and nature.

     He opposes it on the one hand to maturation which is based on physiological processes; on the other hand and most importantly he differentiates it from the acquisition of general knowledge or intelligence which he

to be equally educated in a well rounded fashion in order to promote a just

Mr. Stevens’ ideology of the dignified butler takes away his ability to separate his professional life from his personal life. Mr. Stevens uses a simile to compare the

Plato’s Republic proposes a number of intriguing theories, ranging from his contemporary view of ethics to political idealism. It is because of Plato’s emerging interpretations that philosophers still refer to Plato’s definitions of moral philosophy as a standard. Plato’s possibly most argued concept could be said to be the analogy between city and soul in Book IV, partially due to his expansive analysis of justice and the role justice plays in an “ideal city,” which has some key flaws. Despite these flawed assumptions that my essay will point out, Plato’s exposition on ethics is still relevant for scholars and academics to study, due to his interpretive view on morality and justice.

Plato's suggestion that female guardians do everything male guardians do is a radical and revolutionary proposal in a time when women were viewed as property. However there are complexities and contradictions in the Platonic text on female equality. He makes obvious statements and allusions those women are more cowardly, less trustworthy, innately worse then men. In Book V, he emphasizes that women, as a class are equals to men in capacity, although on the whole, weaker in all pursuits. Plato's ideal society is inadequate for the emancipation of women from the standpoint of feminism today. His proposal is not in the interest of woman as a class whom he supposes to be depraved, but in the

This essay discusses and clarifies a concept that is central to Plato's argument in the Republic — an argument in favour of the transcendent value of justice as a human good; that justice informs and guides moral conduct. Plato's argument implies that justice and morality are intimately interconnected, because the excellence and goodness of human life — the best way for a person to live — is intimately dependent upon and closely interwoven with those 'things that we find

Plato’s view of justice ties in with his view of a perfect world. In Plato’s ideal world, the society would be a wise one, wise in

A person’s courage is contained within his spirited element, as a city’s courage was contained within its auxiliaries. A person’s wisdom is contained within the reason that rules over him, as the philosopher king’s ruled over Plato’s city. Temperance was found in the agreement to allow the rationally calculating element to rule over the soul, as the craftsmen and auxiliaries allowed the philosopher kings to rule over them (Plato 145, 442c-d). Justice is each element working in harmony with the rest, never overstepping their bounds, as within the city it was doing one’s own work and not meddling with others. Plato has now shown that each element from the city is also found within the individual in the same context, proving he has found the form of justice.