Republic books 1-4

Plato's definition of justice

-Law abiding behavior or institutions, especially when that implies reliability, predictability, impartiality -Appropriate relations between people.

What is Plato's opinion on wealth and rulers?

-Rulers should not be wealthy -There should be a complete separation between political power and financial power -A true ruler should be okay with this because he is destined to be a ruler and is best at the craft of ruling, not wage making -However, it is best to keep them separated to avoid any temptation. Don't want any decisions to be based on economic gain

Recurring themes of Republic

-Ruling is a craft that takes knowledge and practice -Justice is the virtue of the soul: a harmony that allows groups and individuals to flourish -Distinction between occurrence and reality

What does Adiemantus ultimately blame for the widespread belief that people are only just because they think its easier?

-Said "No one has ever blamed injustice or praised justice except by mentioning the reputations, honors, and rewards that are their consequences" -Adiemantus blames this on the way people parent their children. Parents don't teach their kids to be just because its the right thing to do morally, they teach them to be just so that they get more rewards and look better to other people. Similarly, they don't teach their kids that injustice is morally wrong, just that they get in trouble if they are unjust.

What is the "Ring of Gyges" story meant to show?

-Story summary: There was a shepherd in service to the king. A thunderstorm happened and a chasm opened in the ground and he went into it. Found a bronze horse down there with a body inside wearing a gold ring. Took the gold ring and started wearing it. It allowed him to become invisible when he wanted to. He decided to attack the king, seduce his wife, and take over the kingdom. -Glaucon says this story shows that when given the chance, anybody will act unjustly. All men think that justice is more profitable than injustice

Socrates says that both poverty and wealth cause craftsmen to become corrupt. How so?

-Wealth: a wealthy potter will become lazy and not want to devote himself to his craft. He will become careless. -Poverty: an impoverished potter wont have the resources to be successful, even if he wants to. Again, he wont be able to do his job correctly

Socrates draws an analogy between justice and bodily health. They both involve what?

-involve a kind of balance. A healthy body, and a just soul, both involve a harmony of parts -Any imbalance in these parts leads to injustice or poor bodily health

Glaucon's three types of goods

-things worth having solely for their own sake: harmless pleasures, happiness -Things worth having solely for their consequences: car, wages, etc -Things worth having for their own sake AND their consequences: Knowledge, health

If a person feels conflicted about something, it is because...

-two different parts of their soul are in conflict and are pulling in two directions -one thing cannot have opposites occurring, so it must be different parts.

Thrasymachus' first and second definition of justice

1. Justice is at the benefit of the stronger 2. A just man always gets less than an unjust one. People only despise injustice because they envy the successful, unjust person. The reason everybody is not unjust is because they know it would just make life chaos. Ideally, they would be unjust and everybody else would be just.

Glaucon's claims about the popular opinion of justice

1. Justice is the second best option for each person. Justice results from an agreement/ convention 2. No one does justice willingly. People are compelled to do justice by the fear of punishment if they get caught 3. The best life is the life of the thoroughly unjust

Why shouldn't children be told stories about the god's fighting or being cowardly?

1. Kids learn through the stories/examples set for them. Every kid is told they should look up to the gods, so they are likely to try to recreate their actions. If we give kids example of the gods being bad, they will think it is okay, and may even think that is what justice is 2. gods should never be unjust. The stories we have about them being unjust must be false or not the full story. It is slandering the gods to spread these stories

Implications of Socrates' view on the need for specialization in the city

1. People naturally have different psychological natures. 2. Because of that, each of us is suited for a particular job 3. We would do out best work if we practiced the craft we are naturally suited for 4. Therefore it is in our best interest to have the state determine our place in society

Four virtues

1. Widsom 2. Courage 3. Moderation/temperance 4. Justice

Why does a city come into existence in the first place?

A city comes into existence because no one person can do everything they need to live on their own. With a large amount of people comes the ability for specialization. You can have everybody doing what they are best at, and cooperating with each other so that everybody lives the best possible life.

Why can a group of unjust people never succeed as a group, according to Socrates?

A group of unjust people cannot succeed because they will all be too selfish in getting what they want. For example, if you have a group of entirely unjust people trying to rob a bank, they will end up fighting and disagreeing too much to be successful. They must have some level of justice in them to be able to work together efficiently. Injustice prevents people from working together in harmony.

What does it mean, according to Socrates, to call a state just?

A just city is made up of people doing the jobs they are most inclined to. It also required that everybody does their certain job to the best of their ability. When all of the parts do their best, they make up a just whole

For whose benefit does a just ruler rule, according to Socrates? What analogy does he argue for this?

A just ruler has the aim of considering and providing what is best for the craft. In the example of ruling, that it to benefit the people and the city. Some people are natural born leaders, and this is their instinct to be the best ruler they can be benefitting others. They do it because they like it, but some crafts go along with the craft of wage making, so they also end up getting rich. The analogy he uses is with medicine. The craft of medicine is intended to make people healthy. However, it just so happens that if you are good at the craft of medicine, you usually are also good at the craft of making money. Also uses analogy of shepherds and sheep. Shepherds do what is best for their craft, not best for the sheep specifically.

Auxilliaries

Army, police

Pythagorus

Mathematician/thinker around a bit before Plato. Tried to argue that everything can be broken down mathematically. Said that the reason people like certain music has to do with a mathematical formula. Plato was a bit unsure about this, but wondered if he could apply the same principle to justice. That is what republic is doing, and explains all of the musical references.

Producers

Everybody else. Merchants, craftsmen, women, citizens, hoi polloi (the many)

Why is Socrates so wise?

He is wise because he understands that he is actually a bit unwise and doesn't know everything.

Elenchus

Method of questioning used by Socrates. He asks someone to answer a question, and they put forward and answer they sincerely believe to be correct. Then he refutes it by showing that it conflicts with other beliefs the person holds more tightly. Ideally, you keep altering the definition until it fits and doesn't conflict with any beliefs.

What is the most important characteristic of the rulers in Republic

Must care about the city as much or more than themselves.

Socrates' ultimate goal in censoring stories is fostering what kind of attitude between citizens of the city?

Mutual love, affection, and harmony

Desires/classes of the mind

Rational- deliberation. Deciding between right and wrong Spirit (thumos)-middle man. Spirited desires, like self esteem. When not in balance, things like anger, wrath, destruction, lack of self esteem, occur. Too much thumos=desire for domination. Too little thumos= no self esteem Appetitive- most basic desires: food, drink, shelter, sex, wage, etc.

Guardians

Rulers, politicians

What does Thrasymachus mean when he says justice is "the advantage of the stronger'?

Thrasymachus doesn't really believe in justice/morality. He thinks it is a social construct made by rulers. Since they are in power, they make the laws to benefit them. Then, they teach their citizens that this is justice and that the people should follow this to be moral.

Principle of specialization

Socrates proposes this when they start designing their city. Just the idea that the city will be better if people do the jobs best for them based on their psychology

Why does Socrates think it is particularly important to shape a child's experience?

Socrates thinks it is important to shape a child's experience because they are more malleable then. That is why he is so upset with the stories about the gods that children learn now.

Why does harming ones enemies result in injustice, according to Socrates?

Socrates thinks that being just means you never purposefully harm others, whether they are a friend or an enemy. Therefore, if someone purposefully harms someone else, he must be unjust.

City-state analogy

Socrates uses this when he is trying to define justice. He says that cities must have justice, the same way the individuals do. Since a city is bigger it is probably easier to find justice in the city first and apply it to an individual

Which of the three categories does Socrates put justice in? What does the populus put justice in?

Socrates- worth having for their own sake AND their consequences Populus- worth having for its consequences. Agree that they need it but its more because otherwise everything would be chaos. Think it is burdensome but beneficial

Cephalus' definition of justice

Telling the truth and repaying debts to others

Virtue vs Function

The function of a thing is what it does well. The virtue (excellence) is the quality that allows it to perform its function well. ex: the function of an eye is to see well. The virtue of an eye is clear vision.

What reward does the just man seek for ruling? Why is it impossible to be paid for being a ruler, according to Socrates?

The just man seeks the satisfaction of doing his craft well. He is inclined toward enjoying the craft, so doing it successfully brings him joy. He truly cares about the wellbeing of the city and the citizens. They don't want to be paid for the craft because they are inclined to the craft of ruling, not of wage-earning. These two can go together, but they don't have to. It would be impossible to be paid to be a ruler because everybody would hate you and think you're just in it for the money. You have to truly want to do it

Who (which class) is most happy in the ideal city?

The producer class, because it makes up the large majority of the people. The goal is to have the city overall to be happy, not just to make the higher ups happy

What virtue is necessary for the soul to perform its work well?

The souls virtue if justice. It is the aspect of a person that allows them to be successful

How are the guardians philosophical in nature?

They are like dogs in the sense that they can be taught certain things, like to recognize what is appropriate and what is not appropriate. They can then use the knowledge to decide how they will respond to a certain situation

What examples for Socrates use to show that justice is not just giving back what one has borrowed?

This is to refute Cephalus' claim. Gives example of if a friend loans you a sword, and then goes crazy. If he asks for it back, is it just to give it back to him knowing he is going to inflict harm on himself or on others?

Polemarchus' definition of justice

To give each person what they deserve. AKA give friends good things and give enemies bad things