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Class notes + final paper on PHI 104
- Course
- PHI 104
- Institution
- State University Of New York - Stony Brook
A final paper and some discussion board answers to a summer course of PHI 104
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BOOK II REPUBLIC OF PLATO1) Between lines 366e and 367a, Adeimantus says that "there is not one who has ever praised or blamed
injustice or praised justice other than for the reputations, honors, and gifts that come from them. But as to
what each itself does with its own power when it is in the soul of a man who possesses it and is not
noticed by gods and men, no one has ever, in poetry or prose, adequately developed the argument that the
one is the greatest of evils a soul can have in it, and justice the greatest good. For if all of you had spoken
in this way from the beginning and persuaded us from youth onwards, we would not keep guard over each
other for fear injustice be done, but each would be his own best guard, afraid that in doing injustice he
would dwell with the greatest evil."
Please explain this passage with as much detail and clarity as you can, with special emphasis on
explaining why Adeimantus says the youth educated in the nature of justice and injustice would be their
own best guardians at the end.
a) Adeimantus is attempting to convey that the usual perceptions of justice praises the concept but,
at the price of actual justice. Meaning, that the perceived image of justice is nothing in
comparison to the reality of being just. Throughout his passage, Adeimantus expresses a great
deal over the youth educated in the nature of justice and injustice in which, they would be their
own best guardians in the end. He heavily discusses this matter because people tend to commend
justice and blame injustice because you reap the greatest rewards originating from the reputation
of justice. Children in society are taught quality of being just, they learn to accept the
repercussions that are attached with the reputation of justice itself. The youth educated in the
nature of justice and injustice would be their best guardians because, it was outspoken from poets
that this behavior was recognized and rewarded by the gods- so it always encouraged those to
remain a good reputation with justice in exchange for a mass of benefits at the time, and down the
line. However, sometimes injustice is praised and rewarded more. Gods tend to reward the cruel,
and wealthy practicing injustice than the poor and honest who are commending justice. No one is
able to recognize the impact that justice and injustice have on one’s psuche but instead label the
consequences tied to both on each end of the spectrum. Ultimately, the question rises: Justice or
Injustice?
2) What are the origins of political community, first, for Glaucon's account of popular opinion, and
second, for Socrates' story of the just city? How do each of these different reasons for founding a city
reflect differently on how we conceive of human nature, or the nature of the soul?
a) The existence of political communities is “because none of us is self-sufficient, but we all need
many things..” (369b). Socrates layed out that to make a city, it is necessary to have is “provision
of food for existing and living.. housing.. clothing.. And four to five men” (369d). Socrates
believes the story of the just city is the satisfaction of fulfilling usual human necessities. He
brings forth the idea to look for the concept of justice within the actual city itself first, so then the
ideology will naturally be followed by the individual- as stated, “Then, we’ll also go on to
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