Platos The Republic and The Apology - 1714 Words

In Plato’s The Republic and The Apology, the topic of justice is examined from multiple angles in an attempt to discover what justice is, as well as why living a just life is desirable. Plato, writing through Socrates, identifies in The Republic what he thought justice was through the creation of an ideal city and an ideal soul. Both the ideal city and the ideal soul have three components which, when all are acting harmoniously, create what Socrates considers to be justice. Before he outlines this city and soul, he listens to the arguments of three men who hold popular ideas of the period. These men act to legitimize Socrates’ arguments because he finds logical errors in all of their opinions. In The Apology, a different, more down-to-Earth, Socrates is presented who, through his self-defense in court, reveals a different, even contradictory, view of the justice presented in The Republic. In this paper, the full argument of justice from The Republic will be examined, as well as the possible inconsistencies between The Republic and The Apology. Socrates’ three opponents in The Republic come in the form of Cephalus, Polemarchus, and Thrasymachus. Cephalus provides his opinion first, which is that justice is defined by, â€Å"truthfulness and returning anything we have borrowed (The Republic, 331C).† Socrates quickly counters, and says that Cephalus’ interpretation of justice cannot be right, because, â€Å"if one borrowed a weapon from a friend who subsequently went out of his mindShow MoreRelatedThe Big Three Ancient Greek Philosophers1107 Words   |  5 Pageswhat some call the Big Three of Philosophy. â€Å"Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle. You can’t begin a study of world philosophy without talking about these guys: the Big Three ancient Greek philosophers†(Cohen). Aristotle was Plato’s student, and the remaining member of the Big Three was Plato’s teacher, Socrates. Socrates is regarded as one of the most influential thinkers in history. This assumption coming from Dialogues written by Plato due to the fact that Socrates never wrote anything down. â€Å"Socrates himselfRead More Platos Criticism of Democracy Essay1697 Words   |  7 PagesPlatos Criticism of Democracy Do not be angry with me for speaking the truth; no man will survive who genuinely opposes you or any other crowd and prevents the occurrence of many unjust and illegal happenings in the city. A man who really fights for justice must lead a private, not a public, life if he is to survive for even a short time. (Apology 31e-32a) These are the words of Socrates, who spoke before the Athenian jury in the trial that would, ultimately, condemn him to his death. ThroughRead MorePlato Is One Of The Greatest And Well Known Philosophers1388 Words   |  6 Pagesor wisdom, one must â€Å"escape from the body† and not fear the thought of death (Apology 66d-67a). The following paragraphs will argue that wisdom was very important to Plato and his worldview. Wisdom is the key component of Plato’s world because it helps one see beauty, to seek the soul over the body, to seek justice, and to not fear death. One of the first of many evidences of Plato’s knack for wisdom is found in Apology, where Plato describes Socrates defending himself in a matter of life or deathRead MoreSocrates as Philosopher King Essay1709 Words   |  7 Pageshistory.   The legendary Athenian, Socrates, was one such figure.   Socrates ushered in an era of philosophical inquiry that still lingers to this day.   In Book Seven of Platos The Republic, Socrates outlines his perfect regime.   According to Socrates, an enlightened Philosopher-King must rule such a regime.   Now suppose this Republic actually came into being, and Socrates was asked to rule it as a Philosopher King.   Would he?   Answering this begs three important questions:   Is Socrates a true philosopherRead More Plato Essay example1737 Words   |  7 Pages was the leader of the Thirty Tyrants who were installed in power by the victorious Spartans. One means of perpetuating themselves in power was to implicate as many Atheni ans as possible in their atrocious acts. Thus Socrates, as we learn in Platos Apology, was ordered to arrest a man and bring him to Athens from Salamis for execution. When the great teacher refused, his life was in jeopardy, and he was probably saved only by the overthrow of the Thirty and the reestablishment of the democracy.Read MoreThe Great Philosopher728 Words   |  3 PagesPlato had two full brother, one sister, and one half brother. They are unsure if Plato was the eldest. They believe that he was since he inherited his grandfather s name, and tradition was that the eldest son would be named after the grandfather. Plato’s father, Ariston, was a direct descendant from kings of Athens and Messina. His mother, Perictione, was a descendant of an athenian statesman named Solon. Due to his parents having high political statuses, Plato received the best education. In hisRead MoreSocrates’ Philosophy-The Republic And The Apology. Plato1522 Words   |  7 PagesSocrat es’ Philosophy-The Republic and The Apology Plato was an Ancient Greek philosopher who lived between 428-432 B.C. He wrote mainly in dialogues, to stay true to how Socrates communicated philosophy. Plato displayed what is considered Socrates’ philosophy throughout the dialogue The Apology. In The Republic, Socrates is mainly used as a mouthpiece to communicate Plato’s philosophy. Socrates follows a philosophy best explained as â€Å"I do not know†, whereas Plato tries to find the ultimate solutionRead MoreEssay about Plato1268 Words   |  6 Pageswas born in Athens or Aegina[b] between 428 and 427 BC[a] His father was Ariston. According to a disputed tradition, reported by Diogenes Laertius, Ariston traced his descent from the king of Athens, Codrus, and the king of Messenia, Melanthus.[4] Platos mother was Perictione, whose family boasted of a relationship with the famous Athenian lawmaker and lyric poet Solon.[5] Perictione was sister of Charmides and niece of Critias, both prominent figures of the Th irty Tyrants, the brief oligarchic regimeRead MoreDo Not Be Angry With Me For Speaking Th1627 Words   |  7 Pageshappenings in the city. A man who really fights for justice must lead a private, not a public, life if he is to survive for even a short time. (Apology 31e-32a) These are the words of Socrates, who spoke before the Athenian jury in the trial that would, ultimately, condemn him to his death. Through works such as the Apology and The Republic, we can see Plato’s distaste of the concept of democracy. Why does he consider democracy to be so flawed? Let us look through his own eyes and see what his individualRead More The Apology and the Republic Essay939 Words   |  4 PagesAge. The reason Socrates is one of histories most famous philosophers is largely due to Platos writings. Two of Platos famous works include The Apology and The Republic, both written about Socrates views about the so called wise philosophers of his time. The two works hold unique views about government, as well as opening the eyes of the Grecian people to the world as they knew it. In the Apology, Socrates was told by the Delphic Oracle that there was nobody wiser than him. With ancient