The Republic, Socrates And Glaucon - 1244 Words

Yezhen Li Professor David Goldman Philosophy 1300 11 September 2014 First Paper In sections 433-445 of The Republic , Socrates and Glaucon discuss about definitions and properties of both justice and injustice, with reference to the structure and condition of an ideal city with absolute justice. Considering the properties of justice and injustice, they conclude that just lives, even without anything desirable, are better than any other unjust lives. To start off, Socrates discusses about a just city where three kinds of people (rulers, defenders and basic constructors) are well functioning and limiting themselves to do only their own work. With the just city as an analogy, Socrates proves that every individual’s soul consists of three parts- the rational part ruling the soul, the spirited part following the rational one and defending the body, and the appetitive part providing various basic desires. Hence, Socrates defines justice as an individual’s inside harmony where three parts of the soul are only engaged in their own work and cooperate well with one another, whereas defining injustice as the opposite. Based on the definitions of both justice and injustice, Socrates and Glaucon draw the conclusion that just lives are better than any other unjust lives. According to Glaucon, an individual’s life is â€Å"thought to be not worth living when the body’s nature is ruined† (Glaucon 121). The nature of the body is the situation where both body and soul are â€Å"in a natural relationShow MoreRelatedGlaucon in the Republic1047 Words   |  5 PagesIn Platos Republic, Glaucon is introduced to the reader as a man who loves honor, sex, and luxury. As The Republic progresses through books and Socrates arguments of how and why these flaws make the soul unhappy began to piece together, Glaucon relates some of these cases to his own life, and begins to see how Socrates line of reasoning makes more sense than his own. Once Glaucon comes to this realization, he embarks on a path of change on his outlook of what happiness is, and this change isRead More Platos Republic Essay 1025 Words   |  5 PagesPlatos Republic In Plato’s Republic, Glaucon is introduced to the reader as a man who loves honor, sex, and luxury. As The Republic progresses through books and Socrates’ arguments of how and why these flaws make the soul unhappy began to piece together, Glaucon relates some of these cases to his own life, and begins to see how Socrates’ line of reasoning makes more sense than his own. Once Glaucon comes to this realization, he embarks on a path of change on his outlook of what happiness isRead MoreSocrates Virtuous Soul Analysis1234 Words   |  5 PagesThis philosophy study will argue against Socrates’ â€Å"virtuous soul† as the motivation for just acts in The Republic. Socrates’ argument for the â€Å"balanced soul† as a motivation for just acts is defined in relation to the contrasting arguments of his contemporaries, such as Thrasymachus, Glaucon, and Adeimantus. This ideological view of the â€Å"virtuous soul† does not provide a pract ical explanation for the motivation of a â€Å"just act† in a hierarchical society. The argument of Thrasymachus defines justiceRead MoreThe Republic By Plato982 Words   |  4 PagesBook II of The Republic by Plato showcases the two very different views of Socrates and Glaucon in regards to the account of nature and origin of justice. 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Knowledge is the most effectiveRead MorePondering The Policy And Its Principle1744 Words   |  7 PagesTradition Professor Lombardini Due October 5, 2014 at 5:00 PM Pondering the Policy and its Principle Book II of Plato’s Republic focuses on a debate between Glaucon, Adimantus, and Socrates about whether justice is beneficial for â€Å"the sake of whatever is to be got from it in terms of pay-off† (p.43) or if it is to be â€Å"valued both for its own sake and for what it gives rise to† (p.43). Glaucon, arguing this first point, relies on the assumption that humans are primarily driven by greed. As a result, humansRead MorePlatos The Republic and The Apology1714 Words   |  7 Pages In Plato’s The Republic and The Apology, the topic of justice is examined from multiple angles in an attempt to discover what justice is, as well as why living a just life is desirable. 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Socrates raised two main questions in the first two books of Plato’s Republic, what is justice? And why should we act justly? Thrasymachus and Glaucon both have different and more negative views of justice than Socrates. Throughout books one and two, Socrates, Glaucon and Thrasymachus go back and forth discussing the definition and application of justice in society. He starts his discussions with Glaucon and Thrasymachus by statingRead MoreThe Republic, By Plato1255 Words   |  6 Pagesworks, 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 Polemarchu s. The first question is what is justice and the second question is why should a human being live a just life. Through this, the reader is being invited to observe a set of opinions and intense debate. In book one Socrates is traveling