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 story of the
two magic rings. The rings of magic
would make a man invisible whenever he turns it on his finger. He believed that each man would act in the
same manor. They would both break into
houses unseen, and help themselves to whatever they wanted. The just man would no longer feel the need to
be just. He would have two lifestyles one, being just in front of the eyes of
the society and two being the unjust man invisible unable to get caught.
Glaucon say this proves that people are just only because they find it
necessary.
Adeimantus another philosopher and Socrates elder
brother brought up the fact that we should take a look at the kinds of things
people actually say when they get praised justice and condemn injustice. Adeimantus
explains by saying that fathers tell there sons
to be just because of the good reputations and social prestige that
attaches to justice. 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 he does not
get punished by them.
Socrates goes on saying
that the life and surroundings are what makes up a just person. A just person should be educated and trained
of what is right and wrong. The quality
of the justice is to be found in the society. If a society is unjust there can
not be a just man coming out of the society because all he is taught is to be
unjust. I agree that a just man must be educated and trained
to tell what is right and wrong. I
disagree with Socrates point that a just man is solely educated by the society
around him. I believe that a just man is
not educated solely by the society but rather educated by his parents and
family and only barely influenced by the society. There fore a just man can come out of a
unjust city and live to learn the honest life
Adeimantus point of the
father telling the son to be just only because it will give you a good
reputation can not be true you can not be just for those reason they do not
match up with the points Socrates points out when he say the quality of a just
man is learned by the society . Since a
just man is influenced by his parents the parents must be just. If they are telling there son to only be just
because of the fact it will give you a good reputation then the parents are not just therefore the
boy cannot be truly just. Socrates point
of the quality of the just is brought up in this story Adeimantus gives. The poets told us that we can bribe the gods
so it does not matter if we are just or
unjust as long as we have the wealth to bribe our way out of punishment. This is the bad education taught by the poets
it represents all that the just state is against. We should not have the option to bribe the
gods with our wealth to not be just that makes a false city.
The Republic is a book
that showed views of justice and questions of justice. Justice is the better way to live your
life. Only if the you are a true justice
that is morally educated of the rights and wrongs and trained on how to control
the temptations to be unjust. The just
life is the most fulfilling life because it is spiritually happy with
yourself. It is also the closeness with
God and the feeling that helping other is all you need for pleasure in your
life. So to give my final conclusion you
must learn from your parents the ways to make your decision in your life and
test what you have learned out on the society.
Then you will know if the man you think you are is
really a true
just man that thrives on the happiness of other people when you help them.
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