Glaucon

Plato’s The Republic: “The Allegory of the Cave” and Descartes’ “Meditation I of the Things of Which We May Doubt” have both played a vital role in the discussion of epistemology. These writings have even influenced Andy Wachowski and Lana Wachowski, Hollywood movie directors of the 1999 hit film “The Matrix”. Within Plato’s The Republic: “The Allegory of the Cave”, Descartes’ “Meditation I of the Things of Which We May Doubt” and Andy Wachowski and Lana Wachowski’s The Matrix there are…

In Plato’s Allegory of the Cave he shows us how his philosophy about freedom, education, and wisdom is depicted through a conversation between his brother Glaucon and his teacher Socrates. When Socrates asks Glaucon to imagine a cave he creates this image of these cave-dwellers the have been imprisoned since birth. They do not have any knowledge of the outside world all they know is the wall that stands in front of them. Sadly the citizens of this cave are chained to the floor, unable to observe…

thinking, and friend-like qualities and these qualities can be obtained through the teaching of these qualities and continuously practicing them. To prove this claim, I will be introducing arguments from Plato and Aristotle and counter-argument from Glaucon. Plato thought that a good leader is a just man who is wise. To be a just man Plato believed that he had to maintain balance of the three parts of his soul; the appetite – the part of the soul that desires pleasure and comfort; the spirited…

This paper will analyze the debate in book 1 between Socrates, Cephalus and Polemarchus over the true definition of justice. In doing so, a summary of both Cephalus’s and Polemarchus’s arguments will be given as well as Socrates’s objections. Additionally, I will state why I believe Socrates’s objection was convincing. Finally, the question “what is Cephalus like as a character? What are his limitations?” will be answered through an examination of his old-fashioned, traditional Greek methodology…

allegedly when the philosopher began his Academy in Athens. Justice and the virtues envisioned within it, appear as one of the central themes in the book discussed by Socrates, who Plato describes to be, "the most just man of his time" and his friends, (Glaucon, Cephalus, Thrasymachus, Polemarchus, and Adeimantus). Plato divides his interpretation of justice into two separate parts; during the first half of the text, he explains the importance of justice in a society, which is where he…

story of people in the cave, Plato not only explains how important philosophy can be, but he also explained why philosophers are often misunderstood by the people they actually try to help. The allegory takes the formation of a conversation between Glaucon, Plato’s brother, and Socrates, Plato’s teacher. Socrates…

According to Glaucon, another student of Socrates, we are not. “ No one is willingly just; men will be just only if constrained.” (P.56-d) Glaucon challenges the principles of Justice. His explanation of justice is powerful because it holds some truth. When we shun evil away is for the fear of punishment. When we help others is for…

Socrates tells Glaucon in the Republic that the “city in which those who are going to rule are least eager to rule is necessarily governed in the way that is best and freest from faction …” (Republic 520c, p. 199) Why is it best for the people who least want to rule to do so? For whom is it best and why? What does this suggest about the possibility of achieving perfect justice in the city? The question of the reluctance of the governors in Plato’s Republic can also be framed as a question on…

As was discussed in the first Short Argument paper, Plato contemplates whether or not the distribution of wealth has an effect on justice in a given society. In Plato’s Republic, Plato gives an account of civic justice that justifies the constraints on the distribution of wealth. His student, Socrates, forms a hypothetical, utopian city called the kallipolis in order to lay out the criteria for justice within a city. In order to obtain justice in the kallipolis, everyone is given a duty…

“The Allegory of the Cave” is another interesting reading of the semester which was written by Plato. I enjoyed this story because of how Plato made it into a conversation with Glaucon to make it feel like we are actually there with them when they are talking about this. The lesson that I learned from this allegory is about education and that if you want to learn you must explore and/or listen to what wise people have to say. In the reading it says: And now he would begin to draw the conclusion…