Marie Adjei English 240 September 5th‚ 2013 Response to #1‚ Plato and the Republic According to Plato‚ “Using the written word to give a distorted image of the nature of the gods and heroes‚ completely fails to capture the likeness of the original‚” (Book II‚ p46). An author or poet cannot simply say whatever he or she likes‚ rather there needs to be truth in what they are writing. In order to understand why Plato takes this stand‚ it’s important to have an idea of the time in history he
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Looking up in the Merriam Webster dictionary justice is defined as "the maintenance or administration of what is just especially by the impartial adjustment of conflicting claims or the assignment of merited rewards or punishments". The fact that the word itself is being used for its definition explains how ambiguous the concept of justice can get. It is because of the very same reason that some time between the years of 470 to 399 BC a very well-known argument took place in Piraeus. The mentioned
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1. Introduction In this essay in is a discussion about based on philosopher and which group of people Plato thinks should be ruling and why. The essay will start off with clarifying key concepts‚ for example what is a philosopher because it is much easier to understand the easy when one understands the key terms in it‚ terms that will appear throughout the essay itself. Then Plato’s theory will then be analysed in more detail and it is also of great importance that one also talks about Plato’s
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In this paper we will show that Glaucon and Thrasymachus’ positions on justice are entirely different. We argue that Thrasymachus despite his slippage and confusion between a traditional and immoralist definition of justice‚ is really intending to illustrate a political system ruled by a rational-minded and exploitative tyrant. On the other hand Glaucon clearly presents justice as a necessary evil originating out of a social contract constructed by the weak of society. He then challenges Socrates
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greater good of the state. On the other hand‚ in Plato’s Republic Thrasymachus believed that justice was best defined as that which is done to benefit the stronger‚ meaning that in a democracy democratic laws are just and in tyranny‚ tyrannical laws are just‚ and this applies to all other forms of government. Both Thrasymachus and Machiavelli have overlapping points in them views of justice and virtu. In Thrasymachus’s definition of justice and Machiavelli’s definition of virtu some of the concepts
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push citizens out of complacency‚ Socrates used a method called the “elecnhus” to prod citizens to discover the true definition of virtues (Jowett‚ 2009). In doing this‚ Socrates hoped to promote a rigorous understanding of traditional moral virtues; an understanding of what courage‚ justice‚ and wisdom‚ truly meant (Jowett‚ 2009). At first glance‚ it seems that Socrates is promoting the appreciation of the traditional virtues‚ and is therefore a conservative. On the contrary‚ I will argue that
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to this question. "As his position takes form in the Republic‚ Plato claims that only a very few individuals are capable of understanding how human life is to be lived. If it could be done‚ the rest of us would be best off it we were to let out lives be controlled by such individuals". This position held by Plato has been one of much discussion and disagreement over the years. In this paper I will attempt to give my own insight and stand on Plato ’s position and will evaluate his position as it emerges
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Thrasymachus argues for the view that justice is the advantage of the powerful – that it is “simply the interest of the stronger” (Plato’s The Republic‚ translated by Richard W. Sterling and William C. Scott‚ page 35). Laws‚ he says‚ are specifically “designed to serve the interests of the ruling class” (36). Of course‚ the ruling class is the strongest class‚ so it follows that the laws serve the advantage of the strong. The citizens under the ruling class serve “interests [of their strong unjust
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The Allegory of the Cave" by Plato represents a metaphor that is to contrast the way in which we perceive and believe in what is reality. What is reality exactly? What may we see that others may not? These questions can be simply answered with one word: ignorance. Ignorance is what may hold us back from seeing the big picture. In his story‚ Plato establishes a cave in which prisoners are chained down and forced to look upon the front wall of the cave. Behind the prisoners‚ lies a bridge‚ a fire and
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Even today‚ people admire the ideas of Socrates‚ Plato‚ and Aristotle. Their teachings are at the root of modern philosophy and science. Alfred Whitehead is quoted as saying: “The safest general characterization of the European philosophical tradition is that it consists of a series of footnotes to Plato.” If you really know how to read Plato‚ the truth behind this statement is easy to see. Nearly every great philosophical idea was discussed by Plato to some extent. The best way to put it is the way
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