Platos Republic Essay - 896 Words

Platos Republic â€Å"the having and doing of one’s own and what belongs to one would be agreed to be justice.† (The Republic 434a) In other words the above statement means that justice, according to Plato, is doing only the tasks assigned to them by nature. This is the fundamental notion for his creation of an ideal city. It is both knowing what true justice is and where one belongs in the city that the ideal can be achieved. What this means to politics in the ideal city is that only a certain class of person has the ability to engage in politics, just as only a certain person has the ability to engage in carpentry. Those who engage in politics would be the philosophers because just as the ideal individual searches for†¦show more content†¦A third class, auxiliaries, would be in charge of carrying out what the philosophers, guardians of the city, decided. However, Plato does admit that this system is a hierarchy with the philosophers at the top, but he allows this bec ause they are the only ones who can find universal truths and pass it on to those who cannot see it. To Plato the above is his vision of a justice. Within his idea of justice, Plato also has three other virtues to help categorize those within the city and find justice in the city itself- wisdom, courage, and moderation, all ideals that would sustain the city and nurture it. Wisdom is found in the philosophers, courage in the auxiliaries, and moderation found in all classes. Philosophers need wisdom and the need to know what justice is. The auxiliaries, say soldiers, need courage to protect the interests of the city. Finally, all classes need to demonstrate moderation so as not to develop injustices through excess luxury, the only luxury that a city can have is philosophizing. These virtues, if found in a city, can also help one to distinguish it as a just city. Therefore, within Plato’s definition of a division of labour making a city just, he also identifies other components of it. But, for the ideal city to be nurtured, all the divisions listed must beShow MoreRelatedAnalysis of Platos Republic Essay458 Words   |  2 PagesPhilosophy is a Greek word meaning love of wisdom. Throughout Platos Republic, wisdom plays an important role. According to Plato, education is wisdom. In the passage, 518d, Plato discusses the true meaning of education vicariously through Socrates. Some literary mechanisms can be found in the passage and I will sho w how they fit in the text and how they contribute to the main themes of Platos Republic. In Book VII Socrates has finished listening to other opinions and is now formulatingRead More Platos The Republic and Aristophanes The Birds Essay1193 Words   |  5 PagesPlatos The Republic and Aristophanes The Birds   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  It is evident, by Platos The Republic and Aristophanes The Birds, that ones vision of an ideal state is not the same mystical utopia. Platos Republic is an well-ordered society that emphasizes the development of the community, which leads to its people believing in this philosophy. Cloudcuckooland, the idea of two lazy Athenians, is an unorganized society that lacks the substance to make it a workable society. I would much rather liveRead More The Importance of Thrasymachus in Plato’s Republic Essay923 Words   |  4 PagesThe Importance of Thrasymachus in Plato’s Republic   Ã‚      Dr. Malters’s comments: This student does two things quite remarkable for an undergraduate student. 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Plato lived through the Peloponnesian War (431-404 BC), in which much of Greece was devastated. This created poverty and political confusionRead MorePlatos Republic3750 Words   |  15 PagesBook I What is justice? Why should we be just? Cephalus - Justice means living up to your legal obligations and being honest. - Socrates - Its like returning weapon to a madman.. hell kill people. Polemarchus - Justice means that you owe friends help, and you owe enemies harm. - Socrates - we are not always friends with the most virtuous, nor are our enemies always teh scum of society Thrasymachus , sophist - Justice is nothing more than the advantage of the stronger-- it does not