The book is the record of a dialogue between socrates and several other athenians about the meaning of justice and the idea of a perfect city. The title of platos work the republic is a literal translation of the greek title politeia, which simply referred to the affairs of the city state, and not to a republic in any modern sense. To that end, the republic as a whole is a powerful integration of philosophy, religion, education, and. Reading questions book 1 platos republic hw 1 due tuesday, september 14 in class. The most important function of this class of stories is to immunize the young guardians against a fear of death. Answer any 3 to 5 questions of your choosing from the list below. Aug 05, 2006 i f any books change the world, republic has a good claim to first place. What is the main argument in platos republic, book vii. Glaucon asks socrates whether justice belongs 1 in the class of good things we choose to have for themselves, like joy, or 2 those we value for their consequences though they themselves are hard, like physical training. The dialogue begins with what is apparently a friendly and innocuous conversation between socrates and cephalus, in which socrates asks cephalus what he has learned from having lived a long life during which cephalus has managed to acquire a certain amount of money.
Although a political scientist might claim otherwise, i contend that the republic truly is a masterpiece of sociology. It keeps him from having to leave life in the fear of owing debts to men or sacrifices to the gods. Demetrius, on style, 205, cites this sentence as an example of trimeter members. After informing glaucon and socrates of the continuing festivities and horse races to be held that evening, they. Age isnt easy for a good man if hes poor, nor will a bad man ever be cheerful with himself even if hes rich. Thrasymachus is a sophist, one of the teachersforhire who preached a creed of subjective morality to the wealthy sons of athens. Cephalus proposes the definition of justice as speaking the truth and paying whatever debts one has incurred plato, 331c. Bryn mawr commentaries provide clear, concise, accurate, and consistent support for students making the transition from introductory and intermediate texts to the direct experience of ancient greek and. Polemarchus seems to accept socrates argument, but at this point, thrasymachus jumps into the conversation. In my philosophy of art course, we are discussing platos philosophy of art, by means of selections from statesman and books 3 and 10 of the republic, along with snippets from ion, phaedrus, and symposium in the republic, plato makes a systematic case for censoring all arts. Absolute definition of justice, descent into the cave battling to get towards the light and the. He is trying to say that the soul must still exist when the body is dead because there has to exist something x which is dead at 2.
His dialogue the republic is known as the first comprehensive work on political philosophy. By this time, it is plain that plato s plan for the ideal state has manifested itself, in theory, in a class society, but, whereas before socrates has been talking about. Poetry is a threat to the ideal state he is planning to erect. I say that, setting one thing against another, of the many advantages. Thrasymachus sophistic account of justice in republic i princeton. Here, we go through a brief summary, and my argument on platos the republic, book i. Page 1 of 37 the republic, book i plato note that i have added name indicators to identify whose words are being communicated throughout the dialogue. As against such complaints, cephalus notes that even the. Socrates tells that he and his companions went to the piraeus to watch the procession and festival for the goddess with glaucon, and that polemarchus, cephalus son, saw them and wanted them to stay longer. The second is that justice is helping ones friends and harming ones enemies. The republic is platos bestknown work and one of the foundational documents of western philosophy and culture. No book has influenced my life more than plato s republic. Socrates warns against various people who falsely claim to be philosophers.
To support his view, thrasymachus first claims that the governments, which are the stronger parties, always pass laws based on their own interest, and then argues that subjects must always obey these laws, therefore morality is the advantage of the stronger. Gerasimos santas, understanding plato s republic, wileyblackwell, 2010, 238pp. In the following outline and questions, i refer to socrates simply as a character in platos republic without implying that his views represent those of the historical socrates. Perfect for acing essays, tests, and quizzes, as well as for writing lesson plans. The republic is undoubtedly one of platos masterworks and one of the most influential and widely read books in the history of philosophy. In book two, socrates, thrasymachus and adeimantus decide to focus on a. A key element of plato s republic is that it is written in dialogue form. He proceeds to refute every suggestion offered, showing how each harbors hidden contradictions. Plato means for thrasymachus to seem foolish and unpleasant, and his demand for pay, customary for sophists, is a deliberate blot on his character. The inaugural post of this blog is a summary of book 1 of the platos republic, the first of ten installments in a series which summarizes the republic. Overview of the central questions the fear of death is an ethical concern for plato for two reasons. The republic is platos bestknown treatise and has been shown over time to be one of the most influential works of philosophy and theory of politics that has ever been written. Socrates walks to the athens harbor, the piraeus, with glaucon, plato s brother.
The republic book 1 book 1 of plato s republic raises the question what is justice. The sophists did not believe in objective truth, including objective moral truth. It is known as a socratic dialogue and is perhaps one of platos best known works. Nine more books follow, and socrates develops a rich and complex theory of justice.
Platos republic some of the main arguments and issues this time with pictures. Oct 27, 2012 here, we go through a brief summary, and my argument on plato s the republic, book ii. Ready to call it a night, theyre intercepted by a whole gang of their acquaintances, who eventually convince them to come hang out at polemarchuss house and have a nice, long chat. Platos republic some of the main arguments and issues this. If justice gives benefits, it does so as a distinctive craft analogy to other crafts, each of which is beneficial in a distinctive way. The task of the platonic philosopher is to take up the ancient quarrel between philosophy and poetry 607b and. Justice is giving benefits to friends and harming ones enemies polemarchus at 334d first refutation 332a. However, in nicomachean ethics and politics, aristotle criticizes four main arguments in platos republic. If justice gives benefits, it does so as a distinctive craft analogy to other crafts, each of which is. This is all intended to answer thrasymachus first argument in book i, that the. It is commonly regarded as the culminating achievement of plato as a philosopher and writer, brilliantly poised between.
Plato on censoring artists a summary stephen hicks, ph. In order to attempt to understand the dialogues argument as a whole one is. It was misused by ancient as it is by modern radicals. Socrates and glaucon are invited to polemarchus house by polemarchus and adeimantus. The task of the platonic philosopher is to take up the ancient quarrel between philosophy and poetry 607b and to assert the stateenforced dominance of philosophy. In book ix, plato presents three arguments for the claim. It is platos bestknown work, and has proven to be one of the worlds most. Some arguments from republic i 1 platos republic i some arguments from book i definition. In book i of the republic, thrasymachus sets up a challenge to justice. Thus, i argue that plato organizes the republics ideal city with these two. The third view of justice is that it is to the advantage of the stronger.
It is generally recognized that, in the republic, plato faces a difficulty in reconciling his requirements for good government with the main thesis of the dialogue. A key element of platos republic is that it is written in dialogue form. Wrong in platos republic, book 1, various interlocutors make arguments on the definition of justice. It is also devilishly difficult to truly understand. What is the result of book 1, and platos point in writing it. The piety of thought in platos republic, book 1 jstor. They join thrasymachus and polemarchus father, cephalus. Res publica is a socratic dialogue, written by plato around 380 bc, concerning justice. The book is the record of a dialogue between socrates and several other athenians about the. The first is that justice is speaking the truth and paying ones debt. Platos attack on poetry is most visible in books iii and x of the republic, and is two pronged. The dialogue begins with what is apparently a friendly and innocuous conversation between socrates and cephalus, in which socrates asks cephalus what he has learned from having lived a long life during which cephalus has managed to acquire a.
Here, we go through a brief summary, and my argument on platos the republic, book ii. Plato allegory of the cave the republic, book vii, 514a. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. There are any number of reasons for this, but one of them is the sheer breadth of topics and issues that plato introduces over the course of the dialogue. As written by plato, the republic does not have these indicators. Socrates concludes book iii with a few other stipulations having to do with the respective classes. Interlocuters end up more confused than the beginning. The republic book 1 book 1 of platos republic raises the question what is justice. Instead of the simple or absolute argument that justice, since it is wisdom and virtue, must be stronger, etc.
S goes down to the port near athens to see the festival, and is pressed to stay by friends. Plato allegory of the cave the republic, book vii, 514a521d. In plato s early dialogues, aporia usually spells the end. Since one of the claims from book ii was that the character of a person can be understood on analogy with the character of a state, plato moves from an examination of the tyrannical state book viii to an analysis of the character of the tyrant himself, giving ultimately three arguments for why his life is miserable.
The argument of the republic is the search after justice, the nature of which is first hinted at by cephalus, the just and blameless old man then discussed on the basis of proverbial morality by socrates and polemarchusthen caricatured by thrasymachus and partially explained by socratesreduced to an abstraction by glaucon and adeimantus, and having become invisible in the individual. Beside that, i did understand that republic is utopia, but donate many idea. The argument from opposites 70b72d 1 if the souls of the living come only from the dead, then the souls of men who have died must exist in the underworld. Our story begins as socrates and his friend glaucon head home from a festival. They all imagine that at this point theyve made a pretty sound argument against anyone who would disagree with them. Learn exactly what happened in this chapter, scene, or section of the republic and what it means. Book i of the republic contains a critical examination of the nature and virtue of justice. The main argument is devoted to answering glaucon and adeimantus, who question the rationality of just behaviour on the ground that such behaviour is against ones selfinterest. The main theme is justice, both the just state and the just human being, and what an ideal state would be like, one ruled by not. Socrates walks to the athens harbor, the piraeus, with glaucon, platos brother.
I f any books change the world, republic has a good claim to first place. The problem is that plato thinks this model of change coming about by opposites is the only model of change, but he is neglecting the difference between generation and alteration. They are psyche excellence, education concept, state system, and science. While among a group of both friends and enemies, socrates poses the question, what is justice. A continuation of book i, it extends the argument of justice vs injustice.
Plato author of the republic meet your next favorite book. Simon blackburn on platos republic books the guardian. It is platos bestknown work, and has proven to be one of the worlds most influential works of philosophy and political theory, both intellectually and. In any case, cephalus strikes him as having one foot in the grave. He regards socrates questions as being tedious, and he says, professional teacher of argument that he is, that it is time to stop asking questions and to provide some answers. Oct 27, 2012 here, we go through a brief summary, and my argument on plato s the republic, book i. In this introduction, i briefly motivate the questions at a more general level, provide a chapter outline, and discuss my methodological approach to platos dialogues. Plato allegory of the cave the republic, book vii, 514a521d socrates and now, i said, let me show in a figure how far our nature is enlightened or unenlightened. Platos republic arguments about justice essay example. Active themes socrates says the crafts rule over and are stronger than the things which they are crafts ofmedicine over the body, horse breeding over the horse, a captain over his sailors. Wrong in plato s republic, book 1, various interlocutors make arguments on the definition of justice. Allegory of the cave the republic, book vii, 514a521d socrates and now, i said, let me show in a figure how far our nature is enlightened or unenlightened. When book i opens, socrates is returning home from a religious festival with his young friend glaucon, one of plato s brothers. He objects to the manner in which the argument is proceeding.
I have just finish this book couple days ago, and noted some point in this platos masterpiece. Platos republic some of the main arguments and issues. Socrates says justice is in the third and best group. After informing glaucon and socrates of the continuing festivities and horse races to be held that evening, they agreed to stay. So, its pretty much your typical kind of argument, but plato is the guy who made it so famous. Glaucon asks socrates whether justice belongs 1 in the class of good things we choose to have for themselves, like joy, or 2 those we value for their consequences though they themselves are hard, like physical training, or 3 the things we value for themselves and their consequences, like knowledge. The state should prohibit the publication of any poetry that grossly violates the truth of divinity or tends to weaken human character. Thrasymachus definition of justice in platos republic hourani 1962. Jan 21, 2012 in the republic, plato makes a systematic case for censoring all arts. Rather than having a singular main argument, the dialogues explore all sides of a question, often showing how peoples. All of these stipulations are intended to ensure the harmony of the state. Reviewed by michelle jenkins, whitman college the republic is undoubtedly one of plato s masterworks and one of the most influential and widely read books in the history of philosophy.
Fear and death in plato washington university in st. Clayton the first three immortality arguments in the phaedo 1. Socrates asks cephalus if age is as much a hardship as people say. The republic is a socratic dialogue, authored by plato around 375 bc, concerning justice. The main theme is justice, both the just state and the just human being, and what an ideal state would be like, one ruled by not surprisingly autocratic philosophers. Fear and death in plato open scholarship washington university. In platos republic book 1, thrasymachus argues that morality is the advantage of the stronger. By this time, it is plain that platos plan for the ideal state has manifested itself, in theory, in a class society, but, whereas before socrates has been talking about. Fear and death in plato washington university open. It is possible that book i was originally a dialogue standing by itself. The early conversation raises the question about what justice is, and the answer of the gentle and unphilosophic patriarch, cephalus, is easily refuted. Cephalus says old age brings peace from appetites and passions and is not much harder to bear than.
For let me tell you, socrates, that when a man thinks himself to be near death, fears and. In a famous and important passage, glaucon describes the myth of gyges, 359d ff socrates, in response, argues that it is better to be just and appear unjust then to be unjust and appear just. You might rightly wonder why the first work i have chosen to examine in this sociology blog is the republic. Plato is one of the most important western philosophers, exerting influence on virtually every figure in philosophy after him. For i doubt my ability by reason that you have not accepted the arguments whereby i thought i proved against thrasymachus that justice is better than injustice. In book i, the character of thrasymachus poses the most serious challenge to traditional and socratic morality. It is known as a socratic dialogue and is perhaps one of plato s best known works. Editors give references for the anecdote that it was found in plato s tablets with many variations. The republic book 1 theme of justice 2417 words 10 pages. Litcharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in the republic, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work. Jan 29, 2016 i have just finish this book couple days ago, and noted some point in this plato s masterpiece. A very thoughtprovoking work about the meaning of justice. Instead, the whole text is presented as told by socrates as he recalls the event.
1371 874 359 1347 156 633 1031 1358 767 793 411 746 1007 691 1512 1166 221 1545 426 1182 663 1215 820 878 724 866 1184 816 612 1100 1131 132 1510 930 750 1049 1142 797 804 33 445 114 483 787 583 1292