According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, justice is the maintenance or administration of what is fair especially by the impartial adjustment of conflicting claims or the assignment of merited rewards or punishments. Justice is usually seen as actions of doing good works such as giving money to the poor and putting a criminal in prison for their wrong actions. In his book “The Republic”, Plato gives his beliefs on both the political and the individual form of justice, using the dialogues of Socrates. The political justice is where Plato’s ideal city is modeled after the four main virtues that include wisdom, courage, moderation, and justice. The individual justice is based on the three characteristics within the soul of individuals and
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Plato’s view on an oligarchy is where people are divided between the poor and the rich, which causes instability in the social classes. In an oligarchy society, the only focus is to get wealth and fulfill all their private needs. Socrates describes the transition of oligarchy to democracy with Adeimantus, in which he says “And I suppose that democracy comes about when the poor are victorious, killing some of their opponents and expelling others, and giving the rest an equal share in ruling under the constitution, and for the most part assigning people to positions of role by lot” (Republic, VIII 557a). So Plato gives an example of how different social classes can be triggered by individual motivations. In an oligarchy and democracy, this causes problems for justice because there is a fight for equality. These constitutions lead to people in the laborers attempt to overthrow the rulers and the rich, for there to be equality for everyone. The meddling and exchange of social classes are seen in these constitutions, as well as people who have individual ambitions to have more money and such. This causes injustice because people are not doing the responsibilities within their social class and not abiding to their individual …show more content…
Plato’s concept is that the first three virtues of wisdom, courage, moderation will help in finding the last virtue, which is justice. In the argument between Socrates and Glaucon about the four required virtues in the ideal city, they talk about the process of the virtues to find justice. Socrates begins by stating the key virtues for the ideal city:
Socrates: Clearly then, it is wise, courageous, moderate, and just. Glaucon: Clearly. Socrates: Then, if we find any of these in it, what’s left over will be the ones we haven’t found? Glaucon: Of course. Socrates: Therefore, as with any other four things, if we were looking for any one of them in something and recognized it first, that would be enough for us, but if we recognized the other three first, this itself would be sufficient to enable us to recognize what we are looking for. Clearly it couldn’t be anything other than what’s left over. Glaucon: That’s right. (Republic, IV
Plato’s view on an oligarchy is where people are divided between the poor and the rich, which causes instability in the social classes. In an oligarchy society, the only focus is to get wealth and fulfill all their private needs. Socrates describes the transition of oligarchy to democracy with Adeimantus, in which he says “And I suppose that democracy comes about when the poor are victorious, killing some of their opponents and expelling others, and giving the rest an equal share in ruling under the constitution, and for the most part assigning people to positions of role by lot” (Republic, VIII 557a). So Plato gives an example of how different social classes can be triggered by individual motivations. In an oligarchy and democracy, this causes problems for justice because there is a fight for equality. These constitutions lead to people in the laborers attempt to overthrow the rulers and the rich, for there to be equality for everyone. The meddling and exchange of social classes are seen in these constitutions, as well as people who have individual ambitions to have more money and such. This causes injustice because people are not doing the responsibilities within their social class and not abiding to their individual …show more content…
Plato’s concept is that the first three virtues of wisdom, courage, moderation will help in finding the last virtue, which is justice. In the argument between Socrates and Glaucon about the four required virtues in the ideal city, they talk about the process of the virtues to find justice. Socrates begins by stating the key virtues for the ideal city:
Socrates: Clearly then, it is wise, courageous, moderate, and just. Glaucon: Clearly. Socrates: Then, if we find any of these in it, what’s left over will be the ones we haven’t found? Glaucon: Of course. Socrates: Therefore, as with any other four things, if we were looking for any one of them in something and recognized it first, that would be enough for us, but if we recognized the other three first, this itself would be sufficient to enable us to recognize what we are looking for. Clearly it couldn’t be anything other than what’s left over. Glaucon: That’s right. (Republic, IV