In the beginning of Plato’s Republic, Socrates jumps into several debates over the definition of justice. In Book I, different peers of Socrates propose their ideas of how the word ought to be defined. Polemarchus is the second contender. He believes that justice is essentially achieved when one aids his friends and harms his enemies (332d, page 8.) He carries this definition to different sectors of the polis. For example, when Socrates asks “With respect to disease and health, who is most able to do good to sick friends and bad to enemies?” Polemarchus states that it is a doctor who is in the best position to do so, showing that justice can be carried out, according to this definition, by many different citizens of different occupations (332d,
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An auxiliary, for example, must know when to help a friend and when to attack an enemy. Socrates states that “...a good guardian of an army is the very same man who can also steal the enemy’s plans and his other dispositions” (333e, page 10.) In other words, a strong guardian must be both a “clever man” and a “clever thief” (334a, page 10.) He must know how to protect the city, but also when to attack on its behalf, based on the virtue of justice (334a, page 10.) Socrates main argument with this definition of justice is the vagueness of what makes one “good” or “bad”. In line 334c, on page 11 on Bloom’s translation, Socrates asks just this. “But don’t human beings make mistakes about this, so that many seem to them to be good although they are not, and vice versa?” (334c, page 11.) Therefore, it would instead by just to harm friends who seem good, but are in fact bad. The reverse is also true. It can only be just to do good to aid a friend, if he is actually good-natured (335a, page …show more content…
It is then that one can act justly by either serving as an ally to a friend, or one who is good, or by harming the enemy who is bad. Auxiliaries serve first and foremost to guard the city. One might argue that they are most useful in times of war. It is therefore necessary that they are properly educated, as Socrates illustrates. They need to be able to accurately identify the “good guys” and the “bad guys”, in order to best protect the city. They need to know, without a doubt, who to help and who to attack, particularly with regards to battle. Their education equips them, making them less likely to make the mistake that Socrates describes, which is erroneously identifying a bad man as good, or a good man as bad. The communal arrangement makes auxiliaries unified in these beliefs and decisions, making for a stronger leadership. The citizens are therefore likely to follow suit. They will thus be more likely to exemplify justice, if they are properly educated (by the auxiliaries) as to who the state’s friends are, and who the enemies
An auxiliary, for example, must know when to help a friend and when to attack an enemy. Socrates states that “...a good guardian of an army is the very same man who can also steal the enemy’s plans and his other dispositions” (333e, page 10.) In other words, a strong guardian must be both a “clever man” and a “clever thief” (334a, page 10.) He must know how to protect the city, but also when to attack on its behalf, based on the virtue of justice (334a, page 10.) Socrates main argument with this definition of justice is the vagueness of what makes one “good” or “bad”. In line 334c, on page 11 on Bloom’s translation, Socrates asks just this. “But don’t human beings make mistakes about this, so that many seem to them to be good although they are not, and vice versa?” (334c, page 11.) Therefore, it would instead by just to harm friends who seem good, but are in fact bad. The reverse is also true. It can only be just to do good to aid a friend, if he is actually good-natured (335a, page …show more content…
It is then that one can act justly by either serving as an ally to a friend, or one who is good, or by harming the enemy who is bad. Auxiliaries serve first and foremost to guard the city. One might argue that they are most useful in times of war. It is therefore necessary that they are properly educated, as Socrates illustrates. They need to be able to accurately identify the “good guys” and the “bad guys”, in order to best protect the city. They need to know, without a doubt, who to help and who to attack, particularly with regards to battle. Their education equips them, making them less likely to make the mistake that Socrates describes, which is erroneously identifying a bad man as good, or a good man as bad. The communal arrangement makes auxiliaries unified in these beliefs and decisions, making for a stronger leadership. The citizens are therefore likely to follow suit. They will thus be more likely to exemplify justice, if they are properly educated (by the auxiliaries) as to who the state’s friends are, and who the enemies