The Republic by Plato Essay - 5378 Words

The Republic by Plato At the beginning of Book I, we are introduced to the narrator, Socrates, and his audience of peers. We are made aware, however, of Socrates special charm and intellectual gifts through the insistence of Polemarchus and the other men for the pleasure of his company. The tone is casual and language and modes of expression rather simple, as is commonly the case in Platos dialogues. However, Platos unaffected style serves at least two purposes. For one it belies the complexity and elevation of the ideas, thus it is in accord with Socrates characteristic irony itself, which draws the quot;foolquot; in by feigned ignorance, only so that the master can show that he does not know what he thinks he knows. And second,†¦show more content†¦Socrates response (another question) clarifies his epistemology: quot;how can anyone answer who knows, and says that he knows, just nothingquot; What Socrates knows is incommunicable other than to say that he knows nothing. His philosophical speculat ions embody a process rather than a philosophy. That is, Socrates method is in accord with the nature of inquiry and of intellectual exploration itself: he is his style. And, acutely aware of this fact, Socrates repels every temptation toward dogma, characterized by Thrasymachus complaints. The second definition of justice, obedience to the interest of the stronger, is Thrasymachus veiled justification for tyranny (might is right), and is foreshadowed in his indecorous demand for payment. He is portrayed in sharp contrast to Socrates, who suggests that the stronger may not always know his own interest; therefore, at times, it is necessary for the weaker to disobey him. Socrates then successfully upsets the definition by demonstrating that, insofar as his role is an art, a ruler acts in the best interest of his subjects, as exemplified by the physician for his patients and the captain for his crew. Still unresolved, the debate moves into a second stage, where tyranny, or perfect injustice, and benevolent rule, or perfect justice, are evaluated against one another. Again, through a series of examples, Socrates prevails--the unjust mans pride and ambition are shown to be weaknesses,Show MoreRelatedThe Republic By Plato1341 Words   |  6 PagesIn book X of The Republic, Plato uses Socrates as his voice to discuss the topic of poetry in his ideal society. While he sees music and gymnastics as vital parts of society, he sees poetry as something that’s not only unnecessary, but also harmful. Glaucon is surprised by this and questions the reasons Socrates has this way of thinking. Socrates states that â€Å"all such poetry is likely to distort the thought of anyone who hears it, unless he has the knowledge of what it is really like†. Here, SocratesRead MoreThe Republic, By Plato2010 Words   |  9 Pages In The Republic, Plato presents a dialogue of Socrates, in whi ch he seeks to uncover truths about what constitutes a just society, and what kind of men would rule such a society. As such a society would require a sound government, Plato, through Socrates, presents five possible types of governments, which involve varying levels of liberty and justice. Although the arguments demonstrate that aristocracy is the ideal form of government, all forms of government have fatal flaws that lead to continualRead MoreThe Republic, By Plato1412 Words   |  6 PagesIn Plato’s book, â€Å"The Republic†, there are many examples of rhetoric. In regards to the controversial topic of women and eugenics in which Plato is almost forced into mentioning because of Adeimantus and Glaucon, he uses various rhetorical statements to portray his view on the matter. His readers believe women should be equal, so Plato attempts to persuade his readers into thinking he believes the same. For example, in the passage on women and family Plato states, â€Å"we s hall assign these to each accordingly;Read MoreThe Republic by Plato1645 Words   |  7 Pages In Plato’s Republic Book 1, Thrasymachus argues that morality is the advantage of the stronger. To support his view, Thrasymachus first claims that the governments, which are the stronger parties, always pass laws based on their own interest, and then argues that subjects must always obey these laws, therefore morality is the advantage of the stronger. Socrates gives two sets of counter arguments. First, by differentiating apparent advantage and actual advantage to the stronger, SocratesRead MoreThe Republic by Plato1202 Words   |  5 Pagesupon, as explained by Socrates in Plato’s Republic. 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Thus economic power must be separated from politicalRead MoreThe Republic, By Plato1250 Words   |  5 Pages In his text, The Republic, Plato leads us through an elaborate thought experiment in which he creates the ideal city. Throughout The Republic Plato construc ts the laws and societal structures of what he deems will lead to a high functioning society. He names this city Kallipolis. A cornerstone of Kallipolis’ structure is Plato’s principle of specialization. The Principle of Specialization argues that each member of society must do the job in which he is best suited. Plato explains â€Å"The result,Read MoreThe Republic, By Plato1500 Words   |  6 PagesThis textual analysis will be based on the book â€Å"The Republic† by Plato, specifically the passage 475d-477a. The purpose of this essay is to analyze and evaluate the main concepts explored in the passage and their relation to the platonic political philosophy presented in â€Å"The Republic†. The essay will provide a summary of the passage, emphasizing the breakthroughs reached in the Socratic dialogue. The main points will then be singled out for a more in-depth review in order to see if the argumentsRead MoreThe Republic By Plato1385 Words   |   6 Pages In Book IV of The Republic, written by Plato, Socrates makes an argument for why an individual should strive to be just, or more importantly, why being just is more profitable than being unjust to the individual. The three parts of an individual: rational, spirited, and appetitive, must all strive to pursue truth in the just individual, but it is possible that this requirement may not be met while still profiting the individual. Through an analogy between justice in the city and justiceRead MoreThe Republic, By Plato1255 Words   |  6 Pageswas just beginning to surface as a notable substance within various societies. Athens, was perhaps, the greatest nesting ground of intellectual thought, and it hosted many great minds, such as Plato. While Plato is famous for many of his works, The Republic is the most read and circulated. In the Republic, Plato lays out two philosophical questions through a character named Socrates. Both questions re-occur as the foundation of dialogue among st other characters, such as Glaucon, Adeimantus, and Polemarchus