Socrates Virtue Of Justice In Book IV Of The Republic

At the end of Book IV of the Republic, Socrates offers a response to Glaucon 's question, “What is justice?” Socrates states his answer through various forms of metaphors and images. To the naked eye, his response is rather contradictory and baffling. Yet, through thorough reading, discussion, and bearing a perplexed eagerness to explore such classic ambiguity, one can only then begin to understand Socrates claim as to what consists of justice. Socrates himself identifies that his outlook is, indeed, much or unconventional therefore he adds his own parables and metaphors to ease this quaint contradictory declarations. Socrates ' overall manifesto, as to the purpose of the all-inclusive virtue of justice, is that in order to answer, “What is …show more content…
Truth is the glue or the container of all that exists--truth sticks. Yet, absolute truth is not as pellucid as one would want therefore we assume accordingly and adopt collective truth. Truth sets the undertone for justice to exist. When there is no truth there is not justice, yet the opposite cannot be said, if there is not justice then there is simple no justice because truth is not being abided by, nevertheless truth still stands, and Truth and the conception and need of/for absolute truth sets a precedent for justice. To define justice, one must define truth, and in order to define truth one must ask why truth is essential. Socrates states that we come from nature. The idea of nature is beyond us, it is sublime. Yet, we are it. Truth is a natural thing, consequentially; to find truth we must find the truth within ourselves. Socrates express the idea that to be just we must follow our nature, which is what we are naturally good at doing. Truth requires the basic knowledge of “what is.” This thought concludes that we should do our purpose and truth in the world exist within us. Moreover, when one performs such purpose as Socrates states as “what is appropriate to him,” then and only then can one be just. To be just is to be true. To have Justice we must have Truth. Easy enough, when we are true to our skills and ourselves, justice will come forth. In order to stay true or just, one much balance the natural virtues of the soul: wisdom, courage, …show more content…
Beginning with wisdom, Socrates describes wisdom as the reasoning mechanism of the soul. Wisdom or reason facilitates knowledge. Temperance is the ability of moderate the appetites or “thirst” of the soul. Courage allows a person to simply exist or to keep one existing. Wisdom is sound judgment. Temperance acknowledges the desires of a person, yet allows for control over such human demands. Courage is the ability of spirit, and vitality. Courage allows a person to simply exist and stay existing. When one balance the three one can enact justice. When one person finds such justice, and when such personal justice is actively found, the overall encompassing form of justice is met. However, finding this justice, perfect justice, can be difficult to attain because as Socrates states people wander off to do things that they are not made to do. This leads into his explanation by stating how perfect justice is more essential than perfect injustice. Perfect justice is not about “fairness” towards certain circumstance. Perfect justice constantly stands. Socrates argues that justice is not what the “majority” thinks to be just. Similarly, perfect injustice is not what the “majority” think is unjust at any given time or