Retributive justice

The City and the Soul The Republic written by Plato in Socratic dialogue is one of the earliest text concerning the subject of justice and forms of government. In the text, Socrates and other Athenians debate on the true meaning of justice. After establishing the premises, Socrates concludes his arguments by praising aristocracy as the best form of government because it is ruled by rational philosopher kings who are just, and critique other forms of government, especially democracy because the…

main question that the community asks is “when will justice be served?” Living in a time where the black community keeps getting shot by the police and no consequences occur, we have no choice but to question, what is justice? Similar to the modern society, the one Plato lived in confronted this same question of justice. In this paper I will attempt to explain the view that Plato places before us through Socrates in The Republic as to what is justice and does it “pay” better than injustice in…

Ethics, Aristotle defines justice as lawfulness and fairness. One figure in entertainment that embodies these ideas is Batman. Justice is a virtue concerning the interactions we have with one another. Throughout the storytelling in comic books, television shows, and movies, Batman maintains a general sense of justice. While he has his shortcomings, for the most part, Batman exemplifies what is characteristic of a just person through his lawfulness and fairness. Justice as defined in the…

Introduction Han Kelsen’s critique of John Austin’s Pure Theory of Law, has attracted attention among many legal theorists. This essay will begin by discussing John Austin’s Legal positivism. It will then discuss Kelsen’s Pure Theory of Law. This essay will also distinguish between John Austin’s theory and Han Kelsen’s pure theory. Legal Positivism With a long history and broad influence, legal positivism, is discussed in mediaeval legal and political thought. Its roots lie in the…

Negative Liberty Should Be Pursued Although liberty and equality harbour contrasting ideals, one concept can essentially deliver the provisions of both by prioritizing one over the other. Of the various forms of equality, modern day civilization thrives for equality of rights. This brand of equality endeavors to create a society where all citizens are equal and provided with the same opportunities. Though not entirely different, liberty upholds the belief that each person should have freedom…

John McWhorter, argues, “The new idea that it is … grievous when a dominant group imitates a subordinate one’s cultural traits gets us nowhere.” In this Columbia Professors’ New York Times article Borrowing from Other Cultures Is Human Nature, McWhorter identifies what the relationship between imitation and appropriation is. Clearly, McWhorter expresses an unpopular opinion regarding cultural appropriation. With that, there is truth to what he has to say. The idea that appropriation is, at its…

conception of justice in the Republic. Plato behavior towards justice as a dominating virtue, a single human being or distinct from a group, class, or family, an interpretation that virtually every topic he would deem irreproachable, below the perception of justice. subsequent disapproving the standard speculation of justice bestowed disparately by Glaucon, Thrasymachus, Polymarchus, and Cephalus, Plato presents us his unique hypothesis of justice in relation to another, single, justice is…

In his emphasis on virtue and the search for guidance within it, Socrates applies his Socratic method in the Euthyphro, the Apology, and the Crito as a means to alter the fixed mindsets and behaviors of the antagonists that surround him. For example, the individual responsibility of moral obligation is defended by Socrates’ conceptual mode of his philosophical method in his tearing down of his subjects’ preconceived notions on a topic, such as that of ‘What is piety?’ in Plato’s Euthyphro. In…

In a society where the citizens consisted of the rulers and the ruled, in Plato’s Republic, he attempts to give an explanation on why philosophers would be superior rulers in comparison to the everyday citizen. Within the dialogue of Socrates and his acquaintance, one can easily observe the views of those who ultimately believe philosophers would be divine rulers of the city. Within the discourse, Socrates suggests they will know what is best for the society as a whole for reason that their…

In Plato’s Republic, there are many ideas that Plato likes to discuss using his characters, like Socrates. Plato uses the Republic to talk about the ideal political system, which in this case is an aristocracy, and why he believes it to be the best. Plato believes that an ideal society comes from a structured political body. This consists of three main classes of people: people who produce such as farmers or artisans, warriors, and rulers. The society is correct when those three classes have…