Untitled Essay, Research Paper
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 lifeAdeimantus 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 Republi
318