Plato

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Platos Republic

• Unit 2 Greece
• Honors 2101, Fall 2006
• Bryan Benham

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Plato (429-348)

• 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.

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Structure of Republic
I
Elenchus
Main Argument
II
III
IV
VIII
IX
V
VI
VII
X
Digressions
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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.

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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.

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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)

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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?)

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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?

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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?

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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)

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Book II The Challenge

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

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Book II Socrates Replies

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

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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.

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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

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Book IV

• Virtues of the Good City
• Tripartite Soul
• Virtues of the Soul
• Justice in the Soul

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Book IVVirtues 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)
Moderation (Sophrosune) A type of harmony or order between parts an agreement about who does what (e.g., rulers rule) A well ordered society.
Justice Doing ones work/role well, and not doing someone elses work/role. An effect of proper functioning
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Book IVTripartite 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.

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Book IVVirtues of the Soul
City Virtue Soul
Rulers Wisdom Rational
Soldiers Courage Spirited
Producers Craftsmen Appetitive
Justice?
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Book IVJustice 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.

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Book VIII (n/a)

• Different types of character in a city/soul and
  the level of injustice in each
• Aristocracy
• Timocracy
• Oligarchy
• Democracy
• Tyranny

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Book IXThe Just Life is Better

• Answer to 2nd Challenge
• Three Demonstrations that justice is better.
• 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).

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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?

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Structure of Republic
I
Elenchus
Main Argument
II
III
IV
VIII
IX
V
VI
VII
X
Digressions
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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 Philosopher-Kings

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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)

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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

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Distinctions
Knowledge Belief Ignorance
What is Being always the same in all respect What is and what is not a mixture of both mere appearance What is not
Philosophers Philodoxers Idiots?
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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

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Analogy of the Sun

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

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Analogy of the Sun

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

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Analogy of the Sun

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

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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.

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Divided Line
Form (1st Principle) noesis Understanding or intellection
Mathematical Objects dranoia Thought
Original Objects doxa Belief, or trust and faith (pistis)
Shadows or reflections of images eikasia Imagination
Intelligible
Knowledge
Sensible (Visible)
Opinion
(509d-511e)
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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)

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(No Transcript)
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Allegory of the Cave(514a-521b)
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Allegory of the Cave(514a-521b)
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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

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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

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What discourages philosophers from becoming
kings? (487b-497a)

1. Masses dont appreciate philosophy(-ers)
2. Philosophers are feared and/or ridiculed
3. Philosophers wouldnt risk the danger
4. 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

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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

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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

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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.