The point at which I picked up again on Book II starts with Socrates switching from individual justice to political justice. In order to do this, the group will have to construct a completely good city so that it is fully virtuous and just. When the city is finished, he will discuss the soul. Socrates starts his city in very basic stages until he finally talks about making it luxurious. However, appetite desires always occur and must be accounted for. Guardians are made to protect against these desires and madness. Socrates also makes the point that a person must specialize in their job and only that one occupation. He also discusses the traits of the guardians and the education of them to make them the best possible protectors of the city.
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He mentions how gods should always appear as benevolent beings throughout literature and that anything contradictory to this should be considered heresy and outlawed. He also talks about what types of music the guardians should be exposed to, as this can affect their future as well. Socrates discusses how the guardians’ physical training will come into play in order to stop psychopaths and those alike. After these arguments, he reveals that “complete guardians” will become rulers of the city. He delves deeper into this topic by mentioning the lifestyles of the rulers. The city is now completely virtuous with money-lovers and honor-lovers alike. Plato’s/Socrates’ ideas flow straight into the next section with no real stop in anything said before. All the previously given thoughts are just explain even further, with the addition of physical training and music/poetry to the guardian education. Socrates says that a ruling class is needed but never actually explains why it is needed, since guardians already enforce all necessary laws. The idea that a city could be so virtuous with so little effort was really cool to me. The biggest theme in this book was education for sure. I thought I related to the guardians’ education a lot, like I mentioned in the previous summary paragraph. The idea that the best of the best always rule is brought up again just like in Book I, with “complete guardians” …show more content…
Socrates reveals that the goal is not to make every single group extremely happy, but as happy as its nature allows. He follows this by saying that if each person and group does what they are especially good at, then they will achieve their happiness. This shows off the theme of specialization. Therefore the guardians must protect education or no one will be able to gain happiness through their craft. After this, Socrates talks about the four virtues of the city: wisdom, courage, moderation, and justice. He claims that by removing the other three virtues, only justice will be able to be observed in the city. To do this, first he shows that the three divisions of the soul actually correspond with the three different parts of the city: producers, guardians, and rulers. Eventually justice is discovered through a long process of elimination. Finally, after the new definition of justice is given, Socrates revives the arguments of whether it is more profitable to be just or unjust. After considering a great deal of things, I have come to agree with Socrates that it is impossible to make every group and individual extremely happy. When you think about it, some beliefs must be contradictory and one of them has to be satisfied, so it comes down to one person approving and the other becoming upset. I thought the new definition of justice, which I believe I included an
He mentions how gods should always appear as benevolent beings throughout literature and that anything contradictory to this should be considered heresy and outlawed. He also talks about what types of music the guardians should be exposed to, as this can affect their future as well. Socrates discusses how the guardians’ physical training will come into play in order to stop psychopaths and those alike. After these arguments, he reveals that “complete guardians” will become rulers of the city. He delves deeper into this topic by mentioning the lifestyles of the rulers. The city is now completely virtuous with money-lovers and honor-lovers alike. Plato’s/Socrates’ ideas flow straight into the next section with no real stop in anything said before. All the previously given thoughts are just explain even further, with the addition of physical training and music/poetry to the guardian education. Socrates says that a ruling class is needed but never actually explains why it is needed, since guardians already enforce all necessary laws. The idea that a city could be so virtuous with so little effort was really cool to me. The biggest theme in this book was education for sure. I thought I related to the guardians’ education a lot, like I mentioned in the previous summary paragraph. The idea that the best of the best always rule is brought up again just like in Book I, with “complete guardians” …show more content…
Socrates reveals that the goal is not to make every single group extremely happy, but as happy as its nature allows. He follows this by saying that if each person and group does what they are especially good at, then they will achieve their happiness. This shows off the theme of specialization. Therefore the guardians must protect education or no one will be able to gain happiness through their craft. After this, Socrates talks about the four virtues of the city: wisdom, courage, moderation, and justice. He claims that by removing the other three virtues, only justice will be able to be observed in the city. To do this, first he shows that the three divisions of the soul actually correspond with the three different parts of the city: producers, guardians, and rulers. Eventually justice is discovered through a long process of elimination. Finally, after the new definition of justice is given, Socrates revives the arguments of whether it is more profitable to be just or unjust. After considering a great deal of things, I have come to agree with Socrates that it is impossible to make every group and individual extremely happy. When you think about it, some beliefs must be contradictory and one of them has to be satisfied, so it comes down to one person approving and the other becoming upset. I thought the new definition of justice, which I believe I included an