The Republic By Plato Essay

The Republic by Plato Essay
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 Plato's dialogues. However,
Plato's 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
"fool" 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 on Helpwriting.net ...
Socrates' response (another question) clarifies his epistemology: "how can anyone answer who
knows, and says that he knows, just nothing??" What Socrates' knows is incommunicable
other than to say that he knows nothing. His philosophical speculations 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 man's pride and ambition are shown to be weaknesses,
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Analysis of Plato´s Republic
Republic, perhaps Plato's most famous work focusing on justice and its values, is also home to
Socrates' unique ideas and the challenges that he faces throughout his dialogues with other
philosophers. Nevertheless, justice is not the only topic that Plato examines in his work. In the
Republic, a simple discussion of the justice and the different characteristics of cities, escalates into a
discussion about the souls of individuals. Socrates starts out by offering an agreement to the fact that
since cities are made of individuals, their characteristics can also be found in individuals. From his
writings, Plato exemplifies most of Socrates' arguments towards the development of his own
arguments. One very famous theory developed by Plato from ... Show more content on
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Though Socrates attempts to define the three parts of the soul in detail, he is faced with some
challenges. Socrates seems unsatisfied with his discovery, as he questions himself whether these
parts work individually, or together, each controlling an appropriate portion of the soul. In order to
find an appropriate explanation to his question, Socrates brings an example of a soul desiring a
drink, and a soul that is desires to get a drink. He claims that although driven by the same desire of
thirst, these are different. However, the souls can never desire completely opposite things at the
same exact time. For example, if one part of the soul wants a drink, and the other part desires to get
a drink, the third part cannot forbid itself from taking a drink. Aside from defining the different parts
of the soul, Socrates also needs to prove that the souls can be viewed as having virtues, just like the
cities. The city originated by Socrates in the theory is a entirely good city. In his words, "it is wise,
courageous, moderate and just" (Republic 4.427d). Socrates presents each virtue (wisdom, courage,
moderation, and justice) in the city. Now, he is determined to show that the same virtues exist within
individuals. Consequently, Socrates proves that justice is comfort for the soul and henceforth
beneficial to the soul. (444c–445a). Socrates divides sets each virtue where he believes they belong.
He claims that

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 that justice 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
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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

The Ideas Of Plato And Plato's Republic
Socrates was of the conviction that ideals are the preserve of a world only the shrewd man can
fathom, which makes the philosopher the only kind of person suited to govern others. He argued that
only the philosopher could effectively govern a state because others would yield to the wishes and
desires of the majority (Weeraratne 228). In Plato's Republic, Socrates overtly took a dim view of
the Athenian democracy that governed Athens during his time. In fact, not only did Socrates have
problems with the Athenian democracy, he also found short of perfect any form of government that
was not consistent with his demonstration of an ideal government led by philosophers, and the
government of Athens did not resemble such a regime in any way. It is worth noting, however, that
the Socrates described in Plato's Republic appears to be characterized by Plato's own opinions, and
while Socrates supported a democratic variant of unified government, Aristotle advocated for a form
of aristocracy in which the majority middle class ruled. Because of political upheaval, Athens was in
a constant state of unrest and instability during the later years Socrates life. A junta by the name
Thirty Tyrants, which was led by Critias (Plato's relative and a student of Socrates), eventually put
an end to democracy and ruled for close to a year before the reinstatement of the Athenian
democracy (Johnson 11). While it is widely believed that Socrates was opposed to Athenian
democracy, a reading of Plato's

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.

The Life Of Plato 's The Republic
Throughout the early books of Plato's The Republic, Socrates and his interlocutors Adeimantus,
Polemarchus, Glaucon, Thrasymachus, and to a lesser extent Cephalus, explore what it means to be
just and why justice is preferable to injustice. This topic was brought up in a monologue from
Cephalus, who is an old patriarch that represents Greek tradition and thus offers a traditional view of
justice. One by one, all of the interlocutors attempt to define justice, with Socrates disagreeing with
at least some part of each definition. After not being able to define justice for a majority of the early
portions of The Republic, Socrates finally comes to the conclusion that "[the just man] doesn't let
each part in him mind other people 's business or the three classes in the soul meddle with each
other, he arranges himself, becomes his own friend, and harmonizes the three part" (443d2–6). In
other words, the just man lets each part of his soul rule itself. The rational part of our soul seeks
truth, the spirited part of our soul seeks honor, and the appetitive part of our soul seeks our more
earthly desires, such as sex, food and economic success. After this, the conversation would seem to
be over. As we know, however, The Republic is not even half over. There are several critical factors
behind the continuation of The Republic, but it all has to do with unanswered questions, continued
debate and, above all, digression.. While creating the city in speech, Socrates make several

Just Absolute In The Republic By Plato
I believe that fundamentally, we can all agree that disagreements have become an inevitable aspect
of human nature, which has lasted for millennia. From what I've observed, this stems from our
ability to perceive things differently especially in how we define, value and categorize certain
aspects of our lives. Although this is not a problem pertaining to simple matters but issues do arrive
with more complex ideas and ideologies. In the Republic by Plato, Socrates asks his friends to
define more complex matters such as just and courage in their own words. There we see a
distinction between what is knowledge and what is our beliefs which occur as two different spheres.
Some believe that one sphere should be more highly valued than the other ... Show more content on
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It reminded me of the allegory of the cave, happening in a modern sense where instead of figuring
what caused the shadows on the wall, those in the cave decided to create their own reality and fear
them. I believe that we have been taught to shy away from yearning for knowledge and balancing
both sphere in their lives. Thinking about my own childhood and education, the majority of that time
was spent with facts being crammed into my head for the sake of passing an exam which is the
opposite of the post fact victim. The essential point is that there must be balance between these
spheres if enlightenment must be

Analysis Of ' The Republic ' By Plato
Hereafter, one finds themselves entering into the territory of the second metaphor enumerated by
Plato in The Republic. The Image of the Line, once more is intended to give sustenance to the
analyzation of goodness and is a direct relation to The Simile of the Sun. In this metaphor, Socrates
describes a line which is to be unequally divided into four segments. The segments labeled A and B
are to apportion for likenesses, or the visible realm. This, according to Plato, is a dangerous realm
made for misconceptions and incompleteness. From this realm one can only witness the shadows
and illusions of the material world which serve merely to conceive unreality. Here is where
appearances reside and here is what our senses are able to perceive. ... Show more content on
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It is known that goodness exists in segment D and that an understanding of goodness is required to
transcend into truth, but Socrates does not describe the progressions involved.
In succession, arrives the subsequent and conclusive metaphor Plato generates as an armory for his
discussion on goodness. This metaphor is referred to as The Allegory of the Cave and works to
propagate a vivid vision of life according to the value of goodness, knowledge, and truth. Plato has
one imagine an existence of limitation. Accordingly forcing one to view the methods of limitation
prominent in their current circumstances and the influence of philosophy on the human condition as
a whole. Socrates establishes this likeness through the statement, "They're no different from us... do
you think they'd see anything of themselves and one another except the shadows cast by the fire on
to the cave wall directly opposite them?" With this rhetorical technique one must put their own
status adjacent to one of a person who is bound in a cave of darkness and lead to believe this is the
totality of life. Nevertheless, as the allegory unfolds, an individual is provided the opportunity to
experience light and expand their horizons multifold. At first the individual cannot comprehend the
expansion and explosion of light, but then as reality dawns a sense of confusion ensues for what to
do next, how can one explain this to

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 on Helpwriting.net ...
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 Of Plato 's Republic
Plato's Republic Plato aims to show from book 1 that justice has intrinsic value to itself, that it gives
one a more satisfying pursuit of life. In book I, he retorts Thrasymachus ' account that justice is the
advantage of the stronger. Initially this makes sense that if justice were defined by state law, then the
entirety of nations, differing in laws, would be unified by the principle of rule by force, in which the
strong create the law. They would do so to suit their own specific needs. Inherent to this argument is
the presumption that the ruler's control of education will leave the citizens unable to determine the
ultimate goal of the state law and assume that it is to uphold their own needs society. This would
leave the Socrates' elenchus useless. But despite this Socrates examines the definition of a ruler and
concludes it to correspond with the care of his subjects, and Thrasymachus agrees. From this
springboard, only by refutation, does Socrates get Thrasymachus to admit, that inherent to justice
must be order, wisdom and virtue. The clear and consistent direction of argument reveals Plato's
presuppositions on the subject, and namely that it is valuable and virtuous in its self. In Book II,
justice is examined from a different point of view. Socrates and Glaucon construct a masterful
argument in which justice is merely a compromise in men. That, according to his nature, man is
completely inclined towards injustice, and that being just would not be

Plato Vs. Plato : The Republic Of Plato And Aristocracy
Plato and Aristotle are philosophers that looked at the question of the best regime and came to two
different conclusions. Which presents the question, who had a better argument on the best regime
for a city? Both Aristotle and Plato present valid arguments on the best regime, Plato's theory argues
for Aristocracy as the best regime because it would have a philosopher as its ruler. Furthermore,
Aristotle builds on Plato's approach as he identified more than what the best regime is, he actually
tried to find a regime that is going to account for all the people in the city and is going to last. He did
this by using a 'middle approach' to establish a mixed regime, polity, that could be implemented in
an actual city, which makes Aristotle's argument superior to Plato's.
In this essay, I analyze Books 5 and 7 of the "The Republic of Plato" to see why through discourse
between Socrates and Glacon, Plato believes that the philosopher king is the best ruler. Next, I look
at Plato's organization of regimes and his choice for the best regime as Aristocracy came about
because of his love for the philosopher king in Book 8. Furthermore, I analyze Aristotle's principles
in his book, "The Politics" and how he takes a different approach when trying to answer the question
of the best regime. He did this by not just trying to identify what is best but also what is going to be
"attainable" which is what differentiates his answer from Plato's and leads him to his argument. As
Aristotle

Plato 's The Republic And Aristotle
Plato's The Republic and Aristotle's The Politics are two classic texts in ancient Greek political
thought. Although Plato taught Aristotle, the two philosophers had differing viewpoints on many
subjects, one of them being the purpose of political rule. Plato believed that the purpose of political
rule is to allow for the manifestation of a just city where both the city and its citizens are in harmony
due to a specialization of roles according to individuals' natures, whereas Aristotle believed that the
purpose of political rule is to create a regime that pursues the common advantage and preserves the
political partnership of the city.
According to Plato, political rule's purpose is to enforce a certain version of justice. Plato's version
of justice is neither Polemarchus' idea of doing good to friends and harm to enemies, nor is it
Telemarchus' idea that justice is the advantage of the stronger (Plato pg. 7 & 15). Justice in The
Republic is adhering to your role in order to secure the good of the whole, and not just the
individual. The proper expression of this view of justice results in a city that is harmonious because
its individual parts are functioning correctly. In order for the individual citizens in the city to carry
out their proper roles, they must be separated into three categories: gold souls, silver souls, and
bronze souls. Gold souls individuals are those who are competent to rule; silver souls are guardians
who protect the city and also keep watch over the

The Republic Plato: The Allegory Of The Cave
The Republic Plato "The Allegory of the Cave," was written in 380 B.C.E. It was originally
published in "The Republic". The targeted audience includes students. The purpose of the essay is to
discuss the unacceptance of the knowledge and the true face of the world. People don't want to
accept the reality of life because they don't want to face the truth, and when you tell them about the
discovering of something new by seeing the other side of the picture they laugh, make fun, and
denied it. I argue, that the awareness of the realities of the world can enlighten the human's life by
escaping from the darkness, strongly stick to your exploration, and don't be discourage by the
opponents. First of all, I believe that we should not have to satisfy and relay ourselves by the fake
system of the world. ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Although, it's a human nature that if somebody faces the failure, in the result of that that failure
diverts his intentions to a different way in other words, he gets disappointed such as, if we talk about
the greatest scientist Thomas Edison, he was the person who invented several things including
electric bulb, however, he experimented electric bulb thousands of times, after that he got success.
The point is that thousands of failures made him stick to his experiments rather than made him
disappointed. According to the Author "Imagine once more, I said, such a one coming suddenly out
of the sun to be replaced in his old situation; would he not be certain to have his eyes full of
darkness" Plato (1122). The author's point of focus from the extracted quote is that failures are the
part of the human's life, so humans are incomplete without failures because if there were no failures
there wouldn't hope of the betterment. We should repeat and do our task again whenever we fail in
it. In other words, it doesn't matter how slow you go, as long as you don't

Plato 's Republic As A Guide
Let me tell you about "the perfect republic." First, I'll describe it to you using Plato's Republic as a
guide. Then, I'll explain whether it is better to live in Plato's republic or in a timarchy, oligarchy,
democracy, or a tyranny. Plato's books create an ideal city where there are the producers (farmers,
craftsmen, etc.), the auxiliaries, also known as the warriors, and the guardians, they are the rulers of
this city. Each of these groups must perform its job, and only that one job, and each must have the
right amount of amount of power in relation to the other groups. This then brings us to the myth of
metals, the guardians are gold, the auxiliaries are silver, and the producers are iron and bronze
(415a). The reason why the guardians are gold is because they are the most precious and revered,
and the quality of the metal or soul goes down the farther you go down the class system. But before
I get ahead of myself how are guardians supposed to be rulers? Are they born knowing how to rule?
No, they are tested at a young age, and are brought to terrors and then cast into pleasures testing
them to see if they are perfect if they do not pass this test they are to serve under the one who passes
the trials (413d). Now Socrates was a daring and creative man, and laid out three ideas known as the
three waves of ridiculousness. The first wave was a big one; he suggested that men and women alike
should get equal education. "Is it possible to use any animal for the same things

Plato And Plato : The Allegory Of The Republic
What is the best regime for a country? What are the presumptions and existing problems for a
country to employ one kind of the regime? In Republic, Plato modified a paradise, bringing up the
idea of politics, gave out his own definition of justice for the citizen–no meddling or moving of the
classes. On the other hand, Aristotle provided his own comprehension about how a city should
operate after studied and analysis 158 existing polis. During the discussion about the transition
between regimes, Plato and Aristotle provided different comprehension about the regimes, stated
their own point about how the transition take place with concrete reasoning and various examples.
Firstly, Plato based on his logical deduction when assessing the transformation between different
regimes while Aristotle based on his own studies and analysis of different cities. The different
evidences Plato and Aristotle employed throughout their reasoning in some ways show their
different approaches through their demonstration. Plato mostly employed the examples in the daily
life–the examples of the relationship between father and son, olds and youths, teachers and students,
masters and slaves (Plato 563b); the precise calculation process (Plato 546c), the analogy– describe
the oligarchy governor as drone, and similes and metaphors–describe the light as wisdom and
goodness in the allegory of the cave (Plato 516a). These evidences contribute to make Plato's
statement prone to understand, but at the same

The Republic By Plato
Book II of The Republic by Plato showcases the two very different views of Socrates and Glaucon
in regards to the account of nature and origin of justice. Socrates and Glaucon discuss the theory
presented by Glaucon that states that injustice is something that is intrinsically desired by all
humans. Glaucon presents this argument to Socrates in order to understand and defend justice for its
own sake. Glaucon seeks reassurance from Socrates that justice is not just only good for the positive
consequences that it produces, so he asks Socrates to explain that justice is desirable for its own sake
and, additionally, the consequences that it provides. In the defense of justice, Socrates begins to
explain that justice is a virtue that needs to be found in the individual as well as the state. Socrates
believes that true happiness can only exist with a true set of virtues that are justice and respectable
morals. Socrates' assumption is on the fact that a man committing unjust actions will never be able
to have complete satisfaction with his life if he has achieved everything through unjust actions
because he cannot fully claim his accomplishments. Through examination of the assumptions of
both arguments presented, Glaucon's opinion on justice is superior to the views of Socrates.
Glaucon's presumptuous claim that humans are innately greedy is able to provide an understanding
that justice is only a social contract for the weaker people of society by handicapping the strength of
the

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,
Socrates argues that the obedience to the laws by the subjects can be occasionally not in the actual
interest of the rulers. Second, by claiming that all craftsmen only consider the welfare of the
recipients of expertise instead of their own interest, ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Next, he brings in another premise that each form of government proclaims that justice is obeying
these laws and injustice is breaking these laws. From these three premises, Thrasymachus concludes
that justice is everywhere the same, the advantage of the stronger. Thrasymachus' definition of
justice represents the doctrine of "Might makes right" in an extreme form. By this, he means that
justice is nothing but a tool for the stronger parties to promote personal interest and take advantage
of the weaker. Here, Thrasymachus treats the ruler as someone who imposes his "rights" by sheer
force, and believes that the ruler–subject relation is a zero–sum game. As he states later in Republic
Book 1, " 'just' means serving the interest of the stronger who rules, at the cost of the subject who
obeys" (Plato, 1941, 25). A perfect example of such a ruler is the tyrant, who has the will and the
power to do good to himself and his friends and to harm his enemies. This is not a theory of social
contract: it is not suggested that the subjects have ever made a bargain with the ruler, sacrificing
some of his liberty to gain the benefits of a social order. Socrates begins refuting Thrasymachus by
examining the precision of definitions in Thrasymachus' premises. As Socrates quickly points out
that there is a difference between what rulers believe to be their interest and what is actually their

The Republic By Plato
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 justice in the individual,
Socrates makes an argument that is impossible to accept on the basis of false assumption. The
assumptions that the rational part of the individual must rule over the spirited and appetitive parts,
and that just actions always engender justice and unjust actions engender injustice, can easily be
shown to be false under certain circumstances. Plato concludes Book IV by asserting that Socrates's
argument reveals justness to be more profitable to the individual than unjustness. By being a just
individual, one has a healthy soul, and by being an unjust individual, one has an unhealthy soul. If
health is something an individual desires to have, then it only makes sense that being just is most
profitable. Before it is possible to assess Socrates' argument, it must first be explained how he views
the human soul and it's components. Socrates defines three parts to the human soul: rational, spirited
and appetitive. The rational component, as described by Socrates,

The Republic, By Plato
This textual analysis will be based on the book "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 "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
arguments made by Socrates stand solid. Three main concepts will be delved into in a chronological
order, those being philosophers and imitators, perceptive reality and absolute knowledge, with the
analysis of the true meaning, and the implications raised ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net
...
This applies to all elements, and those form a cluster. Imitators are the one's that cannot penetrate
the cluster and single out aspects of reality. True philosophers can realize the absolute truth and
essence of every aspect. Non–philosophers perceive only bits of the cluster of forms of reality and
produce a copy of it. Therefore, the imitators only have an opinion about the reality. The presence of
opinion of the imitator means that he does know something that truly is, because the non existent
can't be known. Yet, if absolute knowledge is at the one end of the spectrum corresponding with true
existent matters and ignorance is at the other end of the extreme corresponding to non–existent
matters, the middle ground between those is opinion, and is therefore less valuable than absolute
knowledge. The middle ground is as far as the imitators go. (Reeve 2004)
This passage was introduced straight after Socrates created the perfect state. It contributes by
stressing the importance of the philosopher kings, assuming that the state is now a finished perfect
body and needs a perfect ruler. This passage changes the direction of the argument, putting an end to
the state's first half and beginning to deal with the second half that is just as important in order for it
to be fully–fledged. This passage is important, because the

Comparing Plato 's The Republic
What mix of traits creates the perfect ruler? Some may say charisma, personability, or even good
looks. Throughout history, a plethora of leaders with different views have been successful for many
different kinds of societies. Depending on what the society needs, rulers change their ways as well
as do what they can for the good of their people. In Plato's The Republic, the character Socrates
argues with his peers about what makes the perfect society, as well as the perfect leader. According
to Plato, the wisest choice for a ruler in a near perfect society is a philosopher, containing multiple
important attributes. A wide variety of characteristics are covered, yet Plato seems to focus in on
several key foundations. Plato's views on essential traits of a philosopher focus on the necessity of
truth and thirst for knowledge. Perhaps the most important trait of a philosopher is the ability to
learn. This trait is important because if it pains a philosopher to learn, they can't be expected to
enjoy it or have much success (486 c). The idea of constantly wanting more knowledge is abundant.
Plato often states that a yearning for knowledge will come at a young age, and that it won't be easy
(485 d). Searching for knowledge is a lifelong commitment that takes dedication and persistence. He
also gives a counter example while talking about the timarchic character as well as the oligarchic
society. Due to an imperfect education, the timarchic leader will have inner conflict when it

Essay On The Republic Of Plato
"Unless," I said, "the philosophers rule as kings or those now called kings and chiefs genuinely and
adequately philosophize, and political power and philosophy coincide in the same place, while the
many natures now making their way to either apart from the other are by necessity excluded, there is
no rest from ills for the cities, my dear Glaucon, nor I think for human kind, nor will the regime we
have now described in speech ever come forth from nature, insofar as possible, and see the light of
the sun."(THE REPUBLIC OF PLATO By Allan B– 473d – 473e)
In this essay, I will try to point out reasons why I think Plato wants the state to be ruled by
philosophers and why I think he is right. In his time, Plato was disappointed by the way his teacher
Socrates ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
To my understanding, men do not become philosopher. Philosophers are born philosophers, they are
gifted ones. It is by nature and as per Plato, it is very important that the most gifted youths be given
a very good training from their early age otherwise they will turn to bad ones if given bad training.
This is why it is imperative that philosopher–kings rule the state. They will provide proper, better
training for the philosophers to become than those leaders who rule by opinions and beliefs. This is
probably what happens to Hitler. He became a monster because he did not receive a proper training.
The way he went from street to power shows he was no ordinary person. He would probably have
been a better leader if he received a proper education. There are a lot to say but since limited by the
length of the essay, I would now prefer to answer my previous

The Republic What Is Justice Plato
Plato's book The Republic expresses multiple ideas on justice and its inner workings through
rhetorical dialogue and multiple characters. The rhetorical dialogue causes the reader(s) to reflect on
their own and others ideas of justice in the modern world. Plato doesn't only cover the perspectives
and ideas of characters on justice, but also intertwines ideas about knowledge and wisdom.
Plato begins his book by posing a question, "What is justice". Of course, Plato doesn't just say that
in the first sentence, but rather implies it throughout the first pages for the reader to contemplate for
the rest of the book. Plato creates multiple characters, not in a specific order, in his book. The first
character worth mention is Cephalus, who has ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Socrates never gives an answer but has many thoughts stated. Socrates list a long complex reasoning
that leads him to knowing that injustice cannot be concluded into one idea. Though wisdom is
valued to Greeks and is a virtuous quality to humans Socrates knows that even the wisest people
will never have the right idea to everyone. Opinions are a reflection of your up bringing and
background. As a result this idea will not be the same for everyone. Socrates then moves to a new
argument of justice is following certain rules, which is another example of how you were brought
up. Socrates also brings up the thought of the universal truth, which there is not one in the idea of
justice since it is so undefinable. Socrates then moves to a new argument of justice is following
certain rules, which is another example of how you were brought up. Socrates brings up the thought
of justice but can define it as we still can't

Plato And Plato 's Republic
The ancient Greek Philosopher Plato had an interest in finding the ideal government. In Plato's
Republic, he discusses his ideas and views of how this ideal government would function. He
believed that people are born into 3 different classes, with different responsibilities (Plato 415a).
Only people in the "golden" class were fit to rule. The most effective of these rulers would be
philosophers, as they have knowledge of the good of the whole (Plato 473d). This system seems too
perfect for me. I believe that Plato's republic is unjust and would not work with our modern society,
as it relies too much on the "golden" class choosing what is right for everyone, and there is nothing
to make them accountable if they choose wrong.
Before arguing for my ideas on Plato's Republic, I will elaborate more on what the Republic entails.
Plato believed that the citizens of a state should be told "you are brothers, yet God has framed you
differently" (Plato 415a). Some people are born into the golden class fit for leadership, some are
born into the silver class meant to be auxiliaries to aid the golden class, and others are born into the
brass or iron class destined to be farmers and labourers. It was Plato's idea that "the fostering of such
a belief will make them [citizens] care more for the city and for one another" (Plato 415d). The most
effective rulers in the golden class would be philosophers (Plato 473d). According to Plato, they
alone have the ability to see what is good for the

In Plato's, "The Republic," Socrates mediates conversation, as he challenges himself, and those
around him to arbitrate the value of justice and conceptualize the significance that it holds for both
the individual and the state. Throughout books I to VI, Socrates, Glaucon, and Adameitus
constructively develop a sense of justice through argument and the formation of an ideal state.
However, this embodiment reaches a deadlock in the middle of book V when Socrates pronounces
that everything discussed thus far is nothing but an ideology, unless a philosopher king is
manifested.
"The society we have described can never grow into a reality or see the light of day, and there will
be no end to the troubles of states, or indeed, my dear Glaucon, of humanity itself, till philosophers
becomes kings in this world, or till those we now call kings and rulers really and truly become
philosophers, and political power and philosophy thus come into the same hands, while the many
natures now content to follow either to the exclusion of the other are forcibly debarred from doing
so. This is what I have hesitated to say so long, knowing what a paradox it would sound; for it is not
easy to see that there is no other real road to happiness either for society or the individual."(The
Republic, 376de) Socrates is adamant that only philosophers have the ideal state of mind to rule
because they are able to grasp the theory of the forms, which allows them to make rational decisions
without being

The Republic By Plato Vs. Plato
The Republic by Plato is an vision of an utopian society established through the character of
Socrates. Many aspects of Plato's society appears utopian; however, it can also be viewed dystopian
as it is mere subjectiveness. Many of Plato's arguments apply to current day society; for example,
Donald Trump's rise to power depicts democracy degenerating to despotism. Plato's Republic is
utopian in idealistic terms because the most qualified individual is in charge of society who is able
to extend his ideals to the subjects through education; however, when the ideals are integrated into
practical terms, it creates a totalitarian society due to a lack of freedom, individualism, and morality.
From a governing perspective, Plato's Republic is ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Through this plan, a philosopher king will be able to forge perfect individuals that "heaven can
approve"; therefore, he will be able to remove all the evil from human character, creating a society
where there is complete order and social perfection.
When Plato's Republic is considered in practice, it rapidly degenerates into a dystopian society.
Plato's Republic can be seen as a totalitarian regime destructive of individualism because a
philosopher king makes all the decisions based on his knowledge; consequently, subjects are
stripped of the freedom to make their own decisions. There is no dissenters in Plato's Republic; the
philosopher king extends his views onto the people through education, forcing individuals to abide
by his principles. Moreover, in a practical setting, it can be difficult for a philosopher king to
convince the subjects that he is a true philosopher king; besides a true passion for knowledge and
truth, there is nothing distinguishing of a philosopher king and a despot.
Moreover, although philosopher kings make the objectively correct decision for a state, it is clear
that they do not take into account morality as Plato "proposes to rusticate" part of a population, so a
philosopher king could start a city from the beginning (Cornford 209). Morality is an important and
necessary

Around 300 BC, philosophy was 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 amongst other
characters, such as Glaucon, Adeimantus, and Polemarchus. The first question is what is justice and
the second question is why should a human being live a just life. Through this, the reader is being
invited to observe a set of opinions and intense debate.
In book ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Socrates points out that as human being's we often have poor judgement and cannot always discern
who are friends or enemies. He then lays justice upon the principle of not bringing harm to people.
But the conversation then pivots, as Thrasymachus give his definition. He declares, that justice is
simply dominance, a control mechanism, a restraint put on natural desires by the stronger on page
337c. He aims to discredit the idea of justice entirely and now the conversation aims to prove it is
worth pursuing. This draws the reader to understand that justice can not be simply defined.
At the conclusion of book one, Socrates grapples with the argument of Thrasymachus, and comes to
partial agreement that justice is a virtue of the soul, and thus makes the assumption that it sustains
the health of a soul. However, a complete definition has still yet to be found. Socrates and his new
dialectic companions still have a flimsy standard of justice and inadequate arguments that point
toward a clear reason to live a Just life. In the beginning of book two Socrate's debate continues with
Glaucon requesting a deeper query into the worth of justice. He cites The Story of Gyges and
questions what people would do if consequence did not exist. This shows the reader how to use
mysticism to provoke contemplation about theoreticals.

Attaining Virtue in The Republic of Plato
In the Republic of Plato, the philosopher Socrates lays out his notion of the good, and draws the
conclusion that virtue must be attained before one can be good. For Socrates there are two kinds of
virtue; collective and individual. Collective virtue is virtue as whole, or the virtues of the city.
Individual virtue pertains to the individual himself, and concerns the acts that the individual does,
and concerns the individual's soul. For Socrates, the relationship between individual and collective
virtue is that they are the same, as the virtues of the collective parallel those of the Individual. This
conclusion can be reached as both the city and the soul deal with the four main virtues of wisdom,
courage, moderation, and justice.
To be begin with, an individual cannot be good until they have attained the virtue of wisdom, and
the same can be said for the city. For the individual, the person must not only be wise himself, but
his soul must have wisdom. The only way to achieve this according to Socrates, is through for
philosophy. In this way it is the same for the city, for in the city, wisdom lies with the guardians as
they are the philosophers. The guardians are put in charge of the city because of their knowledge of
how the city should be run. Because of this, the Guardians wisdom becomes the City's. (Book IV)
The second virtue that must be attained is courage. For the Individual, courage must be in the soul to
resist temptations, and to be ready to fight. The same is for

In Plato's book, "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, "we shall
assign these to each accordingly; but if the only difference apparent between them is that the female
bears and the male begets, we shall not admit that this is the difference relevant for our purpose, but
shall still maintain that our male and female Guardians ought to follow the same occupations" (164).
He uses the women are equal and can do the same things as men strategy in order to make Athenian
men understand what he is trying to say while still stroking their egos by using rhetoric. Men are in
general are hard to persuade when it comes to power, so as a result Plato gives a sense of gender
equality while at the same time still giving men the upper hand. Now let us take a look into the
background of the story. Plato gives his ideals on a perfect society and everything it should include.
He basically implies that justice is rightness, and rightness is whatever he feels it should be. He
breaks society down into guardians, wage earners, and auxiliaries. Wage earners are people such as
surgeons or

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 on
Helpwriting.net ...
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 The Republic by Plato Essay
Justice in The Republic by Plato
In Plato's The Republic, justice is depicted as a major part in a perfect society. Justice is said to
breed a good society, whereas injustice will breed a bad one. Plato defines justice in dialogue as
"keeping what is properly one's own and doing one's own job." (Pg. 146) Under the rules set for this
perfect society, people are to practice the one profession at which they perform best. This profession
also corresponds to a certain social class. Under no circumstances can one change this profession.
Along with a set occupation, Plato has also determined that the perfect community would regulate
what children (and the community) are taught, and to what the children will be exposed. In Plato's ...
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Suppose a person is exposed to certain injustices that others commit. Plato feels that this exposure
will plant a sort of seed inside a person's head. Thus leading him or her to commit an injustice of the
same kind, or simply increasing the chance that a person will commit a similar act.
However, there is a huge hypocrisy (or disadvantage) within this theory. With Plato's definition of
justice, a person should keep what is his or her own. Some would say that person's history is also
their own. People have a right to know their history, and the truths about their community. Plato
wants to take away passages in stories, lines within songs, and make all characters in plays perfect.
This, in itself, is an injustice to a community. The stories, folklores, and fables of a community are
meant to teach. In American society, children learn not to tell lies from the Boy Who Cried Wolf.
The character in the story was not perfect and committed a "bad" act; however, children learn from
his mistake. In Plato's perfect society, he takes away what the community rightfully owns.
When adopting Plato's suggested way of life, one must be prepared to sacrifice his or her past
(neglecting his definition of justice). This crucial injustice is needed for the good of Plato's
suggested community. Similarly, in the book Ishmael, the author tells a story about post–war
Germany. In this story is a scenario where the Nazi's had won and wiped out all other

In the Republic, Plato narrates a dialogue about justice and what it means between Socrates and
some of his peers. Socrates argues with three of them about what is justice and is it to be just.
Socrates begins his dialogue with Cephalus, then shifts the conversation to Polemarchus and then
has Thrasymachus finish the debate. Each of them gave different perspectives to what justice means
and what it is to be just. In this paper I will show how each one of their definition is unique yet can
also be seen to be quite similar. I will also suggest which one of the definition I like to be right, if
any. In the beginning of the book Socrates starts off his conversation with Polemarchus' father,
Cephalus. Socrates enters the room and Cephalus welcomes him in. Cephalus begins to tell Socrates
that he should come by more often and see the old man. Socrates states "I enjoy talking with the
very old, for we should ask them, as we might ask those who have travelled a road that we too will
probably have to follow, what kind of road it is, whether rough and difficult or smooth and easy"
(328e). Socrates then asks whether Cephalus misses his youthful years and if things are going well.
Cephalus says "the majority complain about the lost pleasures they remember from their youth... but
I don't think they blame the real cause, for if old age were really the cause, I should have suffered in
the same way" (329b). Cephalus argues that he does not feel the same as the other old people
because he has

Comparing Plato 's Republic, The Philosopher And Plato
In Plato 's Republic, the philosopher is sitting having a discussion with his fellow peers and friends.
During this conversation each character except Plato offers their opening and reasoning on the
question, what is justice. For the majority of the book Plato outlines almost every aspect of his ideal
city. Within this city Plato has set up many rules in order for the city to remain just. All the way
from mating rituals to who should rule, virtually all factors have been thought of and serves a
specific purpose. One of the most important question that was raised in the book is, who is should be
the ruler of the city? Evidently Plato believes that it is the philosopher who is most fit to rule. He
reaches this conclusion after discussing a variety of factors that put philosophers above the rest,
Plato being a philosopher seems to be the most creditable in making this argument in The Republic.
In Plato 's book, Adeimantus attempts to put dispute his claim. Not only him but philosopher and a
student of Plato, Aristotle does the same in his text as well. Aristotle emphasizes the importance of
the laws in his Ethics and Politics. He specifically implies that a ruler who is a philosopher rules by
judgment, not laws, and as a result the ruler will rule"for himself and thus becomes a tyrant"
(Nichomachean Ethics, V.6, 1134a). Both Plato and Aristotle give compelling arguments as to why
they think they are right on who should rule. Aristotle 's claim is accurate, that in the long run

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 : The Opinion Of Plato's The Republic
Once parties agree on the meaning of words and imagine the situation from their opponent's
perspective, conversations can then evolve to apply those definitions in a larger context for a
common good. Achievement of stasis can progress to further development of the topic. For instance,
in parts of The Republic when the group discusses one of Socrates's questions, characters have the
chance to contribute to the inquiry and then they often come to a consensus. If a character struggles
with a certain aspect of their communal conclusion, he will ask Socrates to elaborate. Like Plato's
model of discussion, politicians come from varied backgrounds and hold various opinions, but the
ultimate decision is a group decision. In order to reach that final decision, many steps of
modification and editing are necessary, just as Plato's characters realize. An answer to political
polarization is not as simple as placing important politicians in the same room–this is already the
case. Rather, these individuals need to focus on the development of the argument and honestly
debate the topic, not accuse one another of irrelevant offenses.
Effective dialogue from The Republic among characters serves as a model for successful discussion,
but it is important to realize that Plato, the student of Socrates, controls the dialogue and so depicts
Socrates as the enlightened individual. Socrates does not begin his discussions with his own beliefs,
rather he asks the other parties to explain their

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

Platos Republic Essay
Plato's Republic
Critics of The Republic, Plato's contribution to the history of political theory, have formed two
distinct opinions on the reasoning behind the work. The first group believes that The Republic is
truly a model for a political society, while the other strongly objects to that, stating it as being far too
fantastic for any society to operate successfully by these suggested methods. In an exchange
between Crito and Dionysius, this argument is first introduced, with Crito siding with those who
agree that The Republic is a realistic political model, and Dionysius arguing on behalf of those who
doubt it as being realistic, claiming it to be a criticism of politics in general. ... Show more content
on Helpwriting.net ...
In his fifth chapter, entitled "The Problem Stated," Plato introduces what he believes to be wrong
with the current system of politics (Plato 41).
He starts by describing the Social Contract theory (Plato 53), the method used during his time, a
method Plato rejected. It says:
all the customary rules of religion and moral conduct imposed on the individual by social sanctions
have their origin in human intelligence and will and always rest on tacit consent. They are neither
laws of nature nor divine enactments, but conventions which man who made them can alter, as laws
are changed or repealed by legislative bodies.
It is assumed that, if all these artificial restraints were removed, the natural man would be left only
with purely egotistic instincts and desires, which he would indulge in all that Thrasymachus
commended as injustice (Plato 41–42).
In response to this description, Plato wrote,
First, I will state what is commonly held about the nature of justice and its origin; secondly, I shall
maintain that it is always practiced with reluctance, not as good in itself, but as a thing one cannot
do without; and thirdly, that this reluctance is reasonable, because the life of injustice is much the
better life of the two––so people say. That is not what I

Wisdom, courage, moderation and justice are four essential virtues the ideal state must be built
upon, as explained by Socrates in Plato's Republic. Throughout the eight books of Socratic dialogue
the ideal state and ideas of justice are debated, on both individual and state levels. The guidelines for
a perfect state and how it will come about are thoroughly described. Socrates covers every aspect of
political life and how it should work stating that "until power and philosophy entirely coincide...
cities will have no rest form evils" . In Plato's Republic Socrates emphasizes the superiority of the
philosopher and their abilities to rule as kings above others. He believes that they are best suited to
rule as a result of their pure souls and ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
The spirited part of the soul is a level above the appetitive; it is the middle part of the soul and is
controlled by the love of honor. It is often the auxiliaries who are able to move past the appetitive
part but become stuck by the spirited middle. They are able to escape the cave of darkness and see
that what has been hidden from them, but prefer the comfort of the cave to the light. They do not
possess the desire to comprehend the truths of the universe. These men and women would not make
suitable rulers for they are distracted by comfort and honor and are not ruled by reason. The desire
for honor has repeatedly proved to be a negative thing in terms of power, as seen clearly in the
Melian Dialogue. Honor distracts those who desire it from the true and important things in the
world. "Consider if there had been any honors, praises, or prizes among them for the one who was
sharpest at identifying the shadows as they passed by and who remembered which usually came
earlier, which later, and which simultaneously and who could thus best divine the future" , they
prefer the comfort and superiority held in the cave. Once they are exposed to the light they may be
tempted to return to the cave where they are the brightest and things are easy. Due to the negative
impact honor has on rulers, blurring their vision of truth and priority they would not make good
rulers. They, unlike the clear minded philosophers, are unable to see

The Importance of Education in The Republic by Plato
The great philosopher Plato, speaking through the character of Socrates in his book The Republic,
holds the belief that true and good education is what leads civilizations to prosper. Due to this, he is
very concerned with the issue of education and how it will be addressed in the state that he and his
fellow companions hope to design and build. He talks about how important education is in achieving
this idea of justice and morality. Furthermore, I believe that many of the concepts he brings about
relating to this subject are still very valid today and can be applied worldwide. Plato believes that
education is necessary for the rulers of cities to be effective and that it is the only way to truly
understand and achieve the goal of providing and looking out for the citizens of any state. One of
the reasons Plato finds education such a necessity and regards it so highly is that it is required to
even understand the concept of true justice and being able to distinguish it from injustice. Now
although the major point of this book is to establish a meaning for justice, he believes that education
is key and it is clear that all the people he associates with in the story are well–educated high
members of society. Having knowledge on this subject and many others will allow those that
eventually become guardians to tell when something is not just or is at least not beneficial for the
well–being of the citizens. Education is also a major factor in understanding the soul and the

The Republic, Written by Plato deals with the many definitions/opinions of what "justice" really
means. Socrates truly examines what he thinks the true value behind the word actually is. However,
he isn't alone other characters such as Cephalus, Thrasymachus, and Polemarchus all have
something to contribute to the conversation. Socrates is the man who checks the truth behind each
one, while Plato shares his thoughts on what Socrates believes is true. Truth in all the arguments and
what each person brings to the table help them figure out what justice means. Justice in the eye of
Socrates is not a simple answer or definition but there are many different components that factor in
the create the best possible city which is justice.
Cephalus gets the conversation started when asked by Socrates what he considers to be the greatest
blessing which he obtained from his wealth. Cephalus responds by speaking from his experience
saying when "a man" has been close to death, and fears he starts to see the world differently, clearer.
The wrongs he has done in his life start to haunt him and weight a heavy burden in his mind. He
then starts off by saying "Hope" gets him through his dark times and it "cherishes the soul" of those
who live in "justice and holiness." (6). "What is justice" would immediately be the next question
that would stomp not only Cephalus but the other men as well and yet again asked by Socrates.
Socrates disagrees with Cephalus on his response which was to speak the

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