The Republic By Plato Essay

The Republic By Plato Essay
"The Republic" by Plato
The Republic written by Plato examines many things. It mainly is about the Good life. Plato seems to believe that the perfect life is led only under
perfect conditions which is the perfect society. Within the perfect society there would have to be justice. In the Republic it seems thatjustice is defined
many different ways. In this paper I am going to discuss a few. First
I am going to discuss the reason why Glaucon and Adeimantus see justice as being a bad thing and it is better to live a unjust life.
Plato's elder brother Glaucon argues that the just man is only just because of the fear that he will get caught and punished or the fear of having a bad
reputations. He explains this decision in the...show more content...
So it is not justice itself that is recommended, but rather, the respectability that it brings with it. He believes that the son will realize to be just is
only worth it if you can get a good reputation. Unless you are truly just the gods will punish you but as we have learned from the poets the gods
can be bribed so if you live the unjust life you can bribe the gods to not punish you. If an unjust person fakes a good reputation then he can have a
wonderful life. He says live a wonderful life because the unjust man is said to live a better life because he could cheat and live well but a just man
has to live with what he has or earn his wealth honestly. Glaucon points of justice as I see them are fake and unclear. He says that if a just person
were to have a magic ring then he would act as a true unjust person because there is no fear of punishment. If he was a truly a just person then he would
not be unjust even if there was no fear of punishment. I define a true just man on his spirit and intentions if he is only being just because of fear of
punishment then he is not just nor if he is only being just if he desire a good reputation. A man to be truly just must desire and get his pleasure on
living with what he as earned fairly and helping others around him.
Glaucon keeps arguing that the unjust man lives a better life because he has the power and the wealth to boss the just man around and bribe the gods so
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The Utopian Society In Plato's Republic
The first work describing a utopian society was Plato's Republic. It is a description of a society with an environment as preferable and equal as one
could imagine. Also, the Republic consists of a model for social, governmental, legislative and resource distribution rules necessary for the society to
keep its sustainability. Characterized by its fixed system of social classes the model of society that is presented in Republic could be perceived by
contemporary standards as dystopian. Taking into account the hardship of every–day life in the ancient world it would have been desirable to have a
social class of highly educated altruistic philosopher–rulers of guaranteed quality and effectiveness. Hence, this is exactly the kind of system that...show
more content...
For that reason, not only does the Republic give us complete image of a Utopian society, but also provides us with first elements of social education.
Thus, people drew inspiration for their lives, to live better and make that life better for other people.
Plato's society in Republic draws generously from his philosophies regarding morality and justice.
Justice was of special interest to Plato. The Greek word for justice that Plato used was "Dikaisyne" which translated would mean "morality" or
"righteousness", suggesting the duty of man. "Plato contended that justice is the quality of soul, in virtue of which men set aside the irrational desire
to taste every pleasure and to get a selfish satisfaction out of every object and accommodated themselves to the discharge of a single function for the
general benefit." (Bhandari 2014)
Morality is for Plato interconnected with justice. He views justice as human good along favouring its transcendent value. He also believes that justice
serves to guide and inform one's morality. (Hopkins

Plato's Republic Essay
Plato's Republic
"the having and doing of one's own and what belongs to one would be agreed to be justice." (The Republic 434a)In other words the above statement
means that justice, according to Plato, is doing only the tasks assigned to them by nature. This is the fundamental notion for his creation of an ideal
city. It is both knowing what true justice is and where one belongs in the city that the ideal can be achieved. What this means to politics in the ideal
city is that only a certain class of person has the ability to engage in politics, just as only a certain person has the ability to engage in carpentry. Those
who engage in politics would be the philosophers because just as the ideal individual searches for...show more content...
A third class, auxiliaries, would be in charge of carrying out what the philosophers, guardians of the city, decided. However,Plato does admit that this
system is a hierarchy with the philosophers at the top, but he allows this because they are the only ones who can find universal truths and pass it on to
those who cannot see it. To Plato the above is his vision of a justice. Within his idea of justice, Plato also has three other virtues to help categorize those
within the city and find justice in the city itself– wisdom, courage, and moderation, all ideals that would sustain the city and nurture it. Wisdom is
found in the philosophers, courage in the auxiliaries, and moderation found in all classes.
Philosophers need wisdom and the need to know what justice is. The auxiliaries, say soldiers, need courage to protect the interests of the city. Finally,
all classes need to demonstrate moderation so as not to develop injustices through excess luxury, the only luxury that a city can have is
philosophizing. These virtues, if found in a city, can also help one to distinguish it as a just city. Therefore, within Plato's definition of a division of
labour making a city just, he also identifies other components of it. But, for the ideal city to be nurtured, all the divisions listed must be

The Republic by Plato
After reading The Republic there are three main points that Plato had touched on. The first of these three points is that Plato is disheartened with
democracy. It was due to Socrates' untimely death during Athens' democracy that led to his perception of the ideal state as referred to in The Republic.
Plato perceived that the material greed was one of the many evils of politics; in Plato's eyes greed was one of the worst evils of political life. Thus
economic power must be separated from political power; he came to this conclusion due to an experience that filled him with a hatred for mob
mentality. He concluded that a democracy must be replaced with a government ruled by the wisest and the greatest people fit for the job; the people
that would be fit for the job would be called Philosopher–Kings; which I will touch on later. Plato feels that democracy is a form of political
organization that is exceptionally inferior as compared to other types of political organizations such as a monarchy and aristocracy. He came to this
notion because of the fact that in his eyes the average man and woman would be inclined to make improper decisions for the society based on greed.
Plato viewed all forms of government as being corrupt; the key components in an ideal society are morality and justice. The forms of government that
Plato thought were corrupt was timocracy, which would ultimately fall and crumble into an oligarchy which then turns into a democracy, then last but
not least turns

Plato's Republic Research Paper
Plato's Republic Plato's Republic is actually an account that Plato transcribed that involved Socrates and a few guests. First they discuss the merits of
old age but the subject changes to justice. You have a few different takes on the definition of justice. Cephalus a rich, well–respected elder of the city
who is a business man. His is the first to give a definition. The he leaves and his son finishes the definition. Socrates uses common since to disprove this
definition. Thrasymachus who is a sophist, a teacher and someone who thinks they have wisdom but only has knowledge. Thrasymachus says justice is
the strong surviving, which Socraties disproves. The topic of discussion is Justice and it is the main human experience in this text. "You

Essay on Plato's Republic
Plato's Republic
Plato, one of the most ingenious and powerful thinkers in Western philosophy, born around 425 B.C. Plato investigated a wide range of topics.
Dominant among his ideas is an immense discourse called The Republic. The main focus of Plato is a perfect society. He outlines a utopian society,
out of his disapproval for the tension of political life. Plato lived through the Peloponnesian War (431–404 BC), in which much of Greece was
devastated. This created poverty and political confusion and corruption. Therefore, Plato created a sketch of a society in which the problems he thought
were present would be eased. Essentially, The Republic deals with the question of justice and therefore with the questions "what is a just...show more
content...
Although, this system is a hierarchy with the philosophers at the top, but they are the only ones who can find universal truths and apply it and teach it
to those who cannot see it.
Plato also has three other virtues to help categorize those within the city and find justice in the city itself– wisdom, courage, and moderation, all ideals
that would sustain the city and nurture it. Philosophers posses wisdom, auxiliaries courage, and all classes poses moderation. Wisdom is the whole
knowledge, which describes the rulers of the city. The rulers should be the ones who incorporatephilosophy and ruling together to rule the city wisely.
Courage describes the guardians, whose job was to defend the city from invasion and take new lands for the city. The thirdvirtue of the ideal city was
moderation which is the concept of self–control and knowing ones role, also the concept of "one man, one job". The ideal city described in the work
is picture perfect because it brings harmony among the different kind of people and the virtues that go hand in hand to bring justice about.
Despite his emphasis of justice as a function of the perfect state, Plato also deals with justice as a personal virtue. There are three parts in the
individual soul –– sensation, emotion, and intelligence. The just person has to know how to balance these aspects. Each person has to act in
moderation to enhance the well being of the city. Food and possessions are

Rhetorical Analysis Of Plato's Republic
In the fall of 2017, I wrote a paper for my political theory class about the way the "just man", described by Socrates in Plato's Republic, would act.
This paper was the source of our midterm grade and I chose the topic from a list of limited options. To gain a deeper understanding of this paper, one
may delve into its rhetorical context. So, to completely gain a grasp of its rhetorical context, one must identify the significance of the author, audience,
topic, and the author's purpose. The author of the paper was myself. I am a college student studying the topic that I am writing about. This means that
the paper will likely include examples that may have been stated in class and/or by the professor. The experience that I brought into the

Essay about Plato
Plato was a philosopher and educator in ancient Greece. He was one of the most important thinkers and writers in the history of Western culture. Plato
was born in Athens into a family that was one of the oldest and most distinguished in the city. His father Ariston died when Plato was only a child. The
name Plato was a nickname meaning broad shoulders. Plato's real name was Aristocles. Plato had aspirations of becoming a politician, however these
hopes were destroyed when his friend Socrates was sentenced to death in 299 B.C. Extremely hurt Plato left Athens and traveled for several years. In
387 B.C., Plato returned to Athens and founded a school of philosophy and science that became known as the Academy. Topics such as astronomy,
...show more content...
Plato was interested in how we can apply a single word or concept to many words or things. For example how can the word house be used for all
the individual dwellings that are houses? Plato answered that various things can be called by the same name because they have something in
common. He called this common factor the thing's form or idea. Plato insisted that the forms differ greatly from the ordinary things that we see
around us. Ordinary things change but their forms do not. A particular triangle may be altered in size or shape but the form of a triangle can never
change. Plato concluded that forms exist neither in space or time. They can be known not only by the intellect but also by the senses. Because of their
stability and perfection, the forms have greater reality than ordinary objects observed by the senses. Thus true knowledge is knowledge of the forms.
In his most well known work, The Republic, Plato states that in his view, only in a good society can the good life be achieved. The Republic
outlines Plato's idea of a perfect or utopian society. He also identifies the four cardinal virtues that are required for a good society. These cardinal
virtues are temperance or self–control, courage, wisdom, and justice. Without these virtues he believed that the good life could not be obtained. In The
Republic Plato also discusses two different forms of

The Republic, By Plato Essay
In one of his most widely read texts, the Republic, Plato sets out to explore the very nature of the concept of Justice, the various forms it takes in the
world, and its relevance to the lives of men. As Socrates states, it is about "the way we ought to live" (I 352d). The dialogue begins by introducing the
commonly held view of justice, via Thrasymachus, Glaucon and Adeimantus, as the non–performance of certain types of unlawful or antisocial acts.
However, the entire treatise quickly moves on to concentrate on a different meaning of justice, as a form of moral virtue. He wishes to demonstrate that
justice and morality are interconnected because humans can only achieve a good life – which he claims is the best way to live – if they have those
things that are desirable in themselves (II 357b). Therefore Plato's argument, as it sets out to prove the intrinsic value of living a just life, is neither
deontological, nor consequentialist. In the Republic, Plato is arguing for the transcendent value of justice as a human good, or virtue, which informs
and guides moral conduct. Plato bases his argument on a new and unique understanding of what justice is and how morally sensitive people are able to
learn about the real nature of justice, morality and other virtues. He believes that it is necessary to grasp the true or intrinsic nature of certain virtues in
order to make accurate judgements about the appropriate way to act in relation to others, justice and the collective good.

Reflection Paper on "The Republic" by Plato
Assignment 1.
Reflection on: the "Republic," by Plato.
Greek philosopher, Plato, is considered to be one of the most influential people in Western Philosophy. The fact that he was a student of Socrates and a
teacher of Aristotle leaves no questions about his competence. One of his fundamental works is the "Republic". Even though it was written in 380 BC,
Plato's and Socrates's thoughts are still relevant in twenty first century. This paper will evaluate the quote from the "Republic" and provide a summary
of a quote; provide a context from the text for the quote; and finally, it will include my own thoughts on the quote and the Socrates's argument as a
whole.
The given quote is a paragraph from the fourth book of the "Republic". It...show more content...
According to Socrates, the city is similar to a human being in a sense that it also consists of three classes: the money–making (appetitive), auxiliary (
spirit), and deliberative (reason). He claims that the city is just if, and only if, all these three classes do their own job and do not interfere in one
another's actions. Consequently, a person is just because all 3 parts of his soul are doing their own job, according to provided analogy.
In my opinion, it is not right to divide the world into just and unjust. Justice itself is subjective, in a sense that everybody has his own justice.
Moreover, not necessarily all three parts should be in harmony in order to be just. For example, let us imagine that there are two best friends. One
of them has a gun made of gold, and he tells his friend: "Could you please hold my golden gun for some time and give it back to me when I will ask
you to do so." The other guy takes the gun and he is willing to give it back when the time comes. But, the friend, who is the gun–owner, becomes
angry and wants to kill his neighbor because he is too loud. After the second friend was informed of it, the first tells him to give him the gun. In this
situation, the friend's reason tells him not to give the gun back, because he wants to avoid a murder. His will wants to give the gun back, because he
must do so. And finally, his appetites want to hold the gun, because he always

Justice in Plato's "The Republic" Essay
Plato creates a seemingly invincible philosopher in The Republic. Socrates is able to refute all arguments presented before him with ease. The
discussion on justice in Book I of The Republic is one such example. Socrates successfully refutes each different view of justice presented by
Cephalus, Polemarchus, and Thrasymachus. Socrates has not given us a definitive definition of justice, nor has he refuted all views of justice, but as
far as we are concerned in Book I, he is able to break down the arguments of his companions.
Cephalus is the first to give his opinion of justice as simply "speaking the truth and giving back what one takes." In even simpler terms, it is to do the
right thing. (Republic 331) Socrates argues that to give a...show more content...
Justice is the advantage of the stronger according to Thrasymachus. He even goes a step farther to say that injustice is stronger and freer than justice,
yet justice is the advantage of the stronger. Socrates shows that justice is in the receiver of it, not the provider. According to Socrates, a just man will
be the healthier and happier man because he is wiser.
So it is not a question of Socrates refuting the views presented to him by these three men, but one of the completeness of these views. Does Plato give
each of these views a proper defense, or is he trying to build up his glorified version of Socrates? Cephalus is not given much exposure in Book I so
his argument on justice is somewhat limited. But for Socrates, refuting a statement as simple as giving back what one takes does not take very long.
Cephalus's view is given its due consideration and his purpose here is more than just to introduce an opinion of justice. Cephalus introduces the key
subject of justice by talking about leading a good life. Socrates is able to tie this to justice and later tie justice to the soul.
Polemarchus and Thrasymachus are given more time in Book I. Polemarchus continues the argument his father was making and takes it a step further
to include discussions on friends and enemies. Socrates is able to convince his opponent to agree with him, as he does with all his opponents. Are there
aspects of this

Knowledge In Plato's Republic
Knowledge is a central theme in Plato's Republic, particularly prevalent in Book V. In it, Socrates is telling of the importance of a good ruler, he
comes to the conclusion that the absolute best ruler is what he dubs the "Philosopher King". There is an important difference which Plato points out
between true lovers of wisdom, and those who merely appreciate it, a difference which he says is as stark as dreaming and waking. True Philosophers
love the truth and seeking the truth, they will not be satisfied with a portion of it, nor will they be satisfied with deceiving themselves into believing
they know the full truth; this is like the difference between being fully awake and being in a dream. Those who know the truth, Socrates says, have
knowledge.

Essay about Plato Republic
The Republic of Plato explores the meaning of Justice from both an individual and societal point of view. It also looks into the incorporation of
Justice into human society, in other words, how to create an ideal state of social order in a society. This is carried out through the various dialogues
and arguments between Socrates and other individuals. During this process, Socrates gave a detailed analysis of the formation, structure and the
organization of an ideal State, and through this, vindicate the intrinsic value of being a Just person in a society and the virtues that each individual must
possess.
In the dialogue with Glaucon and Adeimantus, where Socrates discussed about Justice in the State, he pointed out that there will be...show more
content...
The movie talks about the building and the running of an 'ant' colony. The citizens, in this case ants, also has a similar classification of social
functions in the colony, namely, the 'queen and its generals', who rule the colony; the 'soldier ants', who execute orders and protect the citizens; and
the 'worker ants', who are tasked to search for food and dig tunnels for colonial expansion. Each citizen follows its rulers obligingly, seeks no private
interest, and performs its assigned tasks or specialties for the welfare of the whole colony.
In my opinion, this way of classifying the social function in a society is too much of a theoretical model and is rather extreme. The 'ideal' society or
the so called 'Utopia', proposes that the citizens should sacrifice their individual freedom and personal desires to commit to a higher purpose. From
today's point of view, this is clearly anti–democratic. However, there is no doubt that this type of societal structure has its own benefits in a way that
the whole city operates smoothly, exhibiting harmony that is genuinely 'Justice', as what Socrates professes.
Socrates' political ideas do have certain influence in the running of our societies. The evident examples are the communists' countries such as the
former Soviet Union, China and Cuba. Even though Socrates' idealistic political views have been proven successful by these countries in their earlier

Plato's Republic
In Plato's Republic, Glaucon is introduced to the reader as a man who loves honor, sex, and luxury. As The Republic progresses through books and
Socrates' arguments of how and why these flaws make the soul unhappy began to piece together, Glaucon relates some of these cases to his own life,
and begins to see how Socrates' line of reasoning makes more sense than his own. Once Glaucon comes to this realization, he embarks on a path of
change on his outlook of what happiness is, and this change is evidenced by the way he responds during he and Socrates' discourse.
The first change in character begins with Glaucon's position on whether or not the unjust soul is happier than the just soul. This is seen in Book 4, 445b,
...show more content...
In Book 7, during Socrates' explanation of the Allegory of the Cave, Glaucon's changed perception is further revealed. When Socrates' begins
talking about the allegory at 515c, Glaucon describes Socrates' image as being "strange", where Socrates' interjects to tell him that the people he is
describing are "like us". This seems to spark Glaucon's interest even more. Glaucon shows his feelings at another point in Socrates' story, when he
speaks of how the cave dweller who had left the cave would rather suffer in the sun than be back in the cave, sharing the opinions of the other dwellers
and living as they do. Glaucon's comment is that he thinks the man would "rather suffer than live like that." This remark shows that he, although he
does not say it outright, would prefer to live embracing knowledge and awareness then to live with what is familiar and comfortable. This is confirmed
further, during 519d, when Socrates suggests that those who have made the ascent go back down to enlighten the other prisoners in the cave, and
Glaucon opposes strongly, saying that an injustice would be committed "by making them live a worse life when they could live a better one". Glaucon's
statement indicates fear – he worries about going back down to the cave or, returning to his former ignorance. This shows that Glaucon has not only
embraced the idea of the cave, differing from his initial confusion, but he has also

In reading the Republic, there is no reason to search for arguments which show that Platonic justice ('inner justice' or 'psychic harmony') entails ordinary
justice. The relationship between inner justice and ordinary justice is of no importance in Plato's Republic. We note that Plato tries to argue from the
very first book that the true source of normativity lies in knowledge attained by philosophical reason. What is crucial, then, is the relationship between
inner justice and acts which brings about a just polis. I. The Unimportance of Ordinary Justice
The issue of the relationship between inner justice and ordinary justice has been the subject of critical discussion since it was famously raised by David
Sachs. (1) In this essay,...show more content...
This is the condition characterizing Cephalus. But the point made is that it is impossible to be in Cephalus' condition if one has not overcome discord
in one's soul, and nowhere is it suggested that psychic harmony necessarily entails the form of morality practiced by Cephalus. It would seem too quick
to assume an entailment relationship as Vlastos does.
A Fallacy of Equivocation?
The reason that Vlastos and others have tried to argue that inner justice entails ordinary justice might be that it is often assumed that Plato was
committed to answering the challenge of Glaucon and Adeimantus to show that justice as they knew it to be was beneficial to the agent apart from its
consequences. If the results of inner justice fail to match their ordinary knowledge of justice, Plato would be guilty of committing a fallacy of
equivocation. But it is not often noticed that Glaucon and Adeimantus have no definition of justice. They have instead the haphazard intuitions of the
rest, and why should inner justice be shown to entail that? They merely take up Thrasymachus' question about whether justice is advantageous or
disadvantageous to the agent, as hastily speaking of its "nature" ('a thing honoured in the lack of vigour to do injustice') and "origin", without ever
giving a definition of what it is. Without, that is, respecting the

Lessons of Plato's Republic
Plato's Republic aims to teach us that justice, in itself, is worthwhile, and that it is better to be just than unjust. It is better to be just than unjust for
the just person avoids a life of misery, and the just person lives a happy life. It also goes so far as to teach the value of moderation and self–control to
citizens of democracy and democracy itself. In trying to create the argument of why it is better to be just than unjust, Plato first creates an analogy of the
state/city to individuals. In the state, there exist different roles or classes. The city contains four virtues which are dispersed amongst the different
classes in society. The four virtues consist of wisdom, courage, temperance/moderation, and justice (pg. 94–109)...show more content...
This shows the dilemma that a person who only acts just, can accept the rewards of both sides. They can be just and appear so to others, but also reap
the added benefits of actually being unjust (pg. 41–43). In this argument, it seems logical that a person could possibly be better off being unjust;
however, simply going beyond the material benefits, there are other negatives involved. Although one may gain material possessions, there is the
inherent risk of becoming unhappy, for being just coincides with being happy. Also, the individual may succumb to the fate of the tyrant, who gives
into his lawless desires. With it being better to be just than unjust, this value of justice can try to teach citizens of a democracy the importance of
moderation and self–control. The arguments as to why it is better to be just than unjust themselves cannot be applied directly, and so easily, to policy;
instead, they must be interpreted as to teaching us the importance of moderation and self–control. Moderation and self–control is inherent in being just,
because there must be moderation and self–control of reasons over desire. Moderation and self–control is important, whether it applies to individuals or
societies. Excessive wants and needs can lead to over–exertion of one's own power. Going back to the example of Thucydides, which states that nations
will

Is Plato 's The Republic? Essay
Throughout the history of the world, many pieces of literature have been written in which many messages can be extracted to help an individual
understand themselves, as well as the world around them. Some of the most common examples of these texts are religious texts. According to Steven
Ward, when discussing some of the most important religious texts in history, "...many of which had a major influence on the future course of history
and many of which continue to shape the lives of millions of people worldwide." The ways in which these texts influenced people in the past, as well
as continue to influence people, are through the messages which they portray. Although religious tet are well known for their life altering messages,
other texts can also have similar influences on people. One such text is Plato's The Republic. As said by Professor Jon Dorbolo of Oregon State
University, "The Republic is considered by many to be Plato 's masterwork. It certainly is one of the most important texts of political theory." While
reading this text, several different messages begin to reveal themselves throughout the text. Some of the most important ideas that can be found within
Plato's Republic, include, humans are inherently good, people should perform tasks that they are good at, and his definition of justice. A multitude of
messages can be withdrawn through a reading of Plato's Republic, one of which is his idea that humans are inherently good. While discussing recent
developments in

Analysis of Plato's Republic Essay
Philosophy is a Greek word meaning "love of wisdom." Throughout Plato's Republic, wisdom plays an important role. According to Plato, education is
wisdom. In the passage, 518d, Plato discusses the true meaning of education vicariously through Socrates. Some literary mechanisms can be found in
the passage and I will show how they fit in the text and how they contribute to the main themes of Plato's Republic.
In Book VII Socrates has finished listening to other opinions and is now formulating a response. The oration is an excerpt from an intellectual
conversation between Socrates and Glaucon. The goal of the dialogue is to reach a viable explanation of education. Simile is used in the passage when
Socrates compares the "instrument...show more content...
In the allegory Socrates gives an account of a man that breaks free from his bonds and makes his way out of the darkness into the outside world. His
story represents a man's journey to enlightenment. To reach enlightenment a man must use education to break the bonds of ignorance and direct his
sight towards true things that originate from the "Form of Good." Man already has the capacity to see, he only needs guidance. Guidance is the job of
the philosopher kings. After these kings have reached enlightenment it is their duty to travel back into the cave and educate some of the ignorant masses.
Socrates says that wherever sight is set is what will be seen with the most clarity. If a man doesn't have his sight set on the right things, he can still be
very clever but "his sight is forced to serve evil ends, so that the sharper it sees, the more evil it accomplishes." (519a).
Plato's Republic is a blueprint for his ideal society. In his republic education is something only attainable to the philosopher–kings. It is beneficial for
the philosopher–kings to be very well educated so they will make good decisions while they are ruling the republic. The reason that no one else
should receive such an elaborate education (in Plato's opinion) is because the rest of the people in the city only need to do what they are specialized
in. This seems to be divergent from what Socrates previously said, ."..the power to learn is present in everyone's

Plato and the Republic Essay
The Sun of Knowledge:
Platonic Epistemology as Discussed in The Republic
The history of philosophy can be viewed as the result of the work of an obscure Athenian whose voluminous works, penetrating questions, novel ideas,
and didactic teachings have shaped the flow of nearly all philosophic thought. It has been said that the influence of the ancient Greek philosopher
named Plato has laid the foundation for Western culture. Plato was born to an aristocratic family in Athens in 428/427 B.C. As a young man, Plato
studied poetry, but later under the tutelage of the famed Socrates, turned to philosophy, who introduced him to the ethical importance of the pursuit of
wisdom. Plato was also influenced by the...show more content...
It is the purpose of this essay to give an analysis of Plato's theory of the cause of knowledge in the idea of the good through his illustration of the sun
and determine how his theory relates to his question of justice.
The Forms
Plato in the Republic assumes the reader has an understanding of his doctrine of the forms, thus an introduction to his doctrine is imperative before a
discussion of his illustration of the sun can begin. Plato was an idealist, meaning that ideas comprise what is ultimately real in this world. This is
antithetical to his student Aristotle who held that material was ultimately real. The Renaissance painter Raphael illustrates these two contrasting
positions in his famous painting The School of Athens. Raphael depicts Plato with his arm stretched out, pointing to the sky (implying that ideas are
real), and Aristotle with his hand spread, pointing down to the earth (implying that material is real).
For Plato, ideas, or forms, are intelligible, distinct, eternal patterns of which the objects on earth are mere reflections. Each object on earth has a
corresponding form. For example, there is a single form of a chair, and all other chairs (whether three legged or four, metal or wood) are flawed copies
of the ultimate, changeless form of the chair. Plato is concerned with the nature of existence. What is the substance of

The Republic By Plato Essay

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The Republic By Plato Essay