Platos Republic

Unit 2: Greece
Honors 2101, Fall 2006
Bryan Benham

Plato (429-348)

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Student of Socrates
Wrote Socratic Dialogues
Established first school: The Academy
Teacher of Aristotle
The Republic represents the 1st: political
treatise, educational reform, systematic
psychological and epistemological theory,
aesthetics, and theory of virtue or the good
(just) life.

Structure of Republic
Elenchus

Main
Argument

Digressions

II

III

IV

VI

VIII

VII

IX

Justice (dikaiosune)
Elenchus (Bk. I)
dialogue on conventional definitions of Justice.

Main Argument
a response to challenge in Bk. II to (a) define
justice, and (b) show that justice is better than
injustice.

Digressions
provides a theory of knowledge/wisdom,
aesthetics, and afterlife in support of main
argument.

Book I: 3 Definitions of Justice

Cephalus (327a-337d)
Justice is honesty in word and deed or simply
paying ones debts and obligations.

Polemarchus (331e-336a)
Justice is helping friends and harming enemies, or
giving everyone his due.

Thrasymachus (336b-354e)
Justice is the interest of the strong (rulers) and is
less profitable than injustice.

Book I: First Definition

Cephalus (327a-337d)
Justice is honesty in word and deed or simply
paying ones debts and obligations.

Socrates Replies: imagine an angry friend

wants his weapon back to harm another
Cephalus definition is inadequateneed
further determination of justice (doing what is
right)

Book I: Second Definition

Polemarchus (331e-336a)
Justice is helping friends and harming enemies, or
giving everyone his due.

Socrates Replies: difficult to determine what

is appropriate to each; it may be appropriate
to be unjust at timesPs definition is
inconsistent (never just to harm others?)

Book I: Third Definition

Thrasymachus (336b-354e)
Justice is the interest of the strong (rulers) and is
less profitable than injustice.
A type of relativism or distortion of the just by the rulers.
(a new golden rule = he with the gold makes the rules)

Cf. Melian Dialogue or Plague in Athens

Socrates Replies: (difficult)

T suggests only ideology, not independent ethics
But elenchus cant be employed if ideological
Abandon the elenchus?

At this point
In Euthyphro Plato/Socrates rejects a divine
justification for morality (piety).
In Republic, Bk. 1, Plato rejects conventional
definitions of morality (justice).
What is the alternative left to Plato?

Book II: The Problem

Glaucon (& Adeimantus) argues justice
is only instrumentally good; that the life
of the unjust is better, and only the
appearance of justice is worthwhile.
Ring of Gyges (359b-360d)

Book II: The Challenge

a) What is justice, if not merely the
interest of the powerful?
b) Show that the just life is intrinsically
valuable, and not just instrumentally
valuable.

Book II: Socrates Replies

Analogy with justice in the soul and
justice in the city. (368c-e)
Two Principles of a City:
1) No one is self-sufficient, need cooperation
2) Individuals are naturally better/worse at
performing some task

Organization of Cities
Since no one can do everything, individuals
should focus their energies in those areas for
which they have a natural abilities. In this way
the city will best meet its needs.
Healthy City
City that meets all the basic needs without
flourish.

Luxurious City
City that meets all the basic needs plus some
luxuries desired by citizens.

Book III (n/a)

Education of the Guardians
Happiness and Virtue (460b ff.)

Tripartite Division of the City (~412)

Rulers*
Guardians* (protectors of the city)
Producers & Craftsmen

Myth of Metals (noble lie; ~414)

Gold = rational
Silver = spirited
Iron = appetitive

Book IV
Virtues of the Good City
Tripartite Soul
Virtues of the Soul

Justice in the Soul*

Book IV:
Virtues of the Good City
Wisdom

Knowledge and judgment

regarding how the city is best
served.

Chief virtue of Rulers

(& Guardians)

Courage

Spirit (honor) tempered with

reason, a type of perseverance
in the face of fear.

Chief virtue of
Guardians
(Auxillaries or Soldiers)

A type of harmony or order

between parts; an agreement
about who does what (e.g.,
rulers rule)

A well ordered society.

Doing ones work/role well, and

not doing someone elses
work/role.

An effect of proper
functioning

Moderation
(Sophrosune)

Justice

Book IV
Tripartite Soul
Just as in the city so too in the soul (434d)
Three Parts:
Rational part: Reason, judgment, etc.
Spirited part: Anger, ambition, courage, etc.
Appetitive part: Desire for food, sex, comfort, etc.

Book IV
Virtues of the Soul
City

Virtue

Soul

Rulers

Wisdom

Rational

Soldiers

Courage

Spirited

Producers &
Craftsmen

Appetitive
Justice?

Book IV
Justice in the Soul
Answer to 1st Challenge: What is justice, if not merely
the interest of the powerful?
By Analogy
Just as justice in the city is each part performing its natural
role, we should expect the soul to be just in the same way
(434d ff.)
Justice in the soul is each part doing its function well.
Rational part rules, spirited part motivates good action, and
the appetitive is to be ruled by the rational and spirited parts.
Injustice in the soul amounts to civil war or revolution.

Book VIII (n/a)

Different types of character in a city/soul and
the level of injustice in each:

Aristocracy
Timocracy
Oligarchy
Democracy
Worst Tyranny

Best

Book IX
The Just Life is Better

Answer to 2nd Challenge

Three Demonstrations that justice is better.

1.
2.

3.

Unjust soul is wretched, unfree, slavish, fearful, etc. Thus,

justice is most happy (576c, ff.)
Rational pursuits (life) have greater and longer lasting
pleasure associated with it; spirited and appetitive
pleasures are only transitory (580d, ff.).
A just person, ruled by reason, comes closer to truth and
knowledge, and so is better off -- truth is intrinsically good
because it is the most real (583b, ff).

Main Argument Summary

Analogy between city and soul
Parts
Virtues
Justice

Questions
Do you agree with the analogy?
Do you think Plato is right about justice?

Structure of Republic
Elenchus

Main
Argument

Digressions

II

III

IV

VI

VIII

VII

IX

Books V, VI, VII

(473d-521a)

Socrates has just laid out the organization

and virtues of the ideal city: Kallipolis
Glaucon and Adaimantus ask whether this is
a dream or something possible: How is
Kallipolis possible?

Answer: What is needed are PhilosopherKings

Philosopher-Kings
Until philosophers rule as kings in their cities, or those who are
nowadays called kings and leading men become genuine and
adequate philosophers so that political power and philosophy
become thoroughly blended together, while the numerous
natures that now pursue either one exclusively are forcibly
prevented from doing so, cities will have no rest from evils, my
dear Glaucon, nor, I think, will the human race. And until that
happens, the same constitution we have now described in our
discussion will never be born to the extent that it can, or see the
light of the sun. It is this claim that has made me hesitate to
speak for so long. I say how very unbelievable it would sound,
since it is difficult to accept that there can be no happiness,
either public or private, in any other city.
(Repulbic, 474d)

Philosophers vs. Others?

What distinguishes a philosopher from
others?
Philosophers desire wisdom or truth in
whole, not merely in part;
Genuine knowledge

Distinction between knowledge, belief,

and ignorance

Distinctions

Knowledge

Belief

What is; Being;

What is and what is
always the same in all not; a mixture of both;
respect
mere appearance

Philosophers

Philodoxers

Ignorance
What is not

Idiots?

Knowledge of the Good

The philosophers nature, desiring the truth is
consistent with the type of nature we expect
in a ruler - guided by knowledge of what is
the good.
Knowledge of the Good is the highest object
of knowledge.
Sun, Line, and Cave to illustrate

Analogy of the Sun

The sun is the light that connects what is seen with
the seer; the one connects the many.

Analogy of the Sun

The sun is the light that connects what is seen with
the seer; the one connects the many.

Seen

Seer

Analogy of the Sun

The sun is the light that connects what is seen with
the seer; the one connects the many.
ONE
(Definition)
Identifies

MANY
(Examples)

Seen

Seer

Analogy of the Sun

SoKnowledge of the good is like this:
Without knowledge of the definition
(sun), we would not know any of the
examples (seen); that is, we wouldnt be
able to identify the examples.

Knowledge

Mathematical
Objects

dranoia:
Thought

Original Objects

doxa:
Belief, or trust
and faith (pistis)

Shadows or
reflections of
images

(509d-511e)

noesis:
Understanding or
intellection

Intelligible

Opinion

Divided Line

Form
(1st Principle)

eikasia:
Imagination

Sensible
(Visible)

Divided Line
Levels of knowledge
Highest levels are universal and intellectual
Removed from sensible world

Knowledge corresponds to degree of

reality
More knowable = Closer to truth
Closer to truth = More real (unchangeable)

Allegory of the Cave

(514a-521b)

Allegory of the Cave

(514a-521b)

Cave = Line
Sun = Form
Objects in world = mathematical objects
Objects behind wall = original objects
Shadows on wall = imagination
Also:
Model of education for
Philosopher-Kings

Quick Flashback
A just person, ruled by reason, comes closer
to truth and knowledge, and so is better off -truth is intrinsically good because it is the
most real (Book IX, 583b).
Knowing the form of the Good (the first
principles) is to know what is real
(unchangeable) and so is not subject to the
vagarities of mere beliefthus better off

What discourages philosophers

from becoming kings?
(487b-497a)
Masses dont appreciate philosophy(-ers)
Philosophers are feared and/or ridiculed
Philosophers wouldnt risk the danger
Philosophers, once they know the truth, dont
want to return to worldly business
5. And its just plain difficult to be a
philosopherthink of the educational program
Plato lays out
1.
2.
3.
4.

Book X (n/a)
Immortality of the Soul
Knowledge is knowledge of the real
The real is incorruptible and thus immortal
To know the real the soul must also be
incorruptible and thus immortal.

Myth of Er and mimesis

Story about afterlife and reincarnation
Choosing lots for ones next life

Concluding Thoughts
Allegory of the Cave and levels of reality are
most influential ideas of Republic.
Do you agree with the image of knowledge
depicted in the allegory?
Agree that the knowable is the most real?

Do you agree about philosopher-kings?

Until philosophers rule as kingscities will have no rest from
evilsnor, I think, will the human race

Some Paper Topics

When Plato speaks of justice, is he defining a state of political stability or a state

of psychological balance? Does this make a difference in understanding
justice?
Plato's ideal city turns out to be a totalitarian government ruled by an elite class
of individuals. Why does Plato think this must be so? Do you agree with Plato on
the necessity for a highly structured society to achieve justice? Is totalitarianism
necessarily a bad thing?
In the Euthyphro Plato rejects a divine justification for morality, in Book I of the
Republic Plato also rejects a common-sense notion of morality. What does
Plato offer as an alternative? Is this a viable alternative?
How would Plato respond to the Athenians in the Melesian Dialogue by
Thycydides? How do Thucydides and Plato compare in their conception of
justice? Which do you think is right?
How might Plato evaluate the actions of Achilles, Agamemnon or Hektor in
terms of the Tripartite theory of the soul and the proper place of reason?
Do you agree with Plato that the just (the good) person is always better off than
the unjust person, even if the just person receives no external benefit from being
just? In your response consider Glaucons challenge and the story of Gyges
ring in Book II of the Republic.
Discuss Platos claim that no genuine justice or happiness will be found unless
philosopher-kings rule.