The passage “Republic” is one of Plato’s best known works. Although Plato is the author of the passage, he writes in Socrates’s voice. Thus, the republic is mostly about the views and beliefs of Socrates. Plato and Socrates were two giants of Greek philosophy. Socrates was born in Athens 470-300 BCE and Plato was also from Athens 427-347. Plato went to Socrates’s academy and he was one of Socrates’s closest student. Socrates does not have any writings of his own because he believed that philosophy should not be written down. He felt that people should not repeat what he says, people should think on their own. He also feared that people would take his writing and use it against him. On the other hand, Plato writes philosophy down but
…show more content…
Socrates is trying to demonstrate how the just is happier than the unjust. In book IV, Socrates says that the best way to judge is by experience, knowledge and argument. He also talks about three kind pleasures and which one is more pleasant and less painful. As well as which pleasure speaks the absolute truth. He gave an example of three types of men. The profit-lover, the philosopher and the honor-lover. “There is a great difference between them. You see, the latter has to have tasted the other kinds of pleasure beginning from childhood. But it is not necessary for the profit-lover to taste ow experience how sweet is the pleasure of learning the nature of the things that are” (Plato, 533). The profit-lover only makes profit, but he does not experience the pleasure of learning. Whereas the philosopher has already tasted his kind of pleasure when he was a child, therefore he is superior to the profit-lover because he experiences the pleasure of knowledge and also the pleasure of profit. The honor-lover on the other hand is also inferior to the philosopher because everyone can have the pleasure of honor. “For the rich man, too, is honored by many people, as well as the courageous and the wise ones” (Plato, 533). Socrates feels as though the
Socrates is trying to demonstrate how the just is happier than the unjust. In book IV, Socrates says that the best way to judge is by experience, knowledge and argument. He also talks about three kind pleasures and which one is more pleasant and less painful. As well as which pleasure speaks the absolute truth. He gave an example of three types of men. The profit-lover, the philosopher and the honor-lover. “There is a great difference between them. You see, the latter has to have tasted the other kinds of pleasure beginning from childhood. But it is not necessary for the profit-lover to taste ow experience how sweet is the pleasure of learning the nature of the things that are” (Plato, 533). The profit-lover only makes profit, but he does not experience the pleasure of learning. Whereas the philosopher has already tasted his kind of pleasure when he was a child, therefore he is superior to the profit-lover because he experiences the pleasure of knowledge and also the pleasure of profit. The honor-lover on the other hand is also inferior to the philosopher because everyone can have the pleasure of honor. “For the rich man, too, is honored by many people, as well as the courageous and the wise ones” (Plato, 533). Socrates feels as though the