The Republic - Book 1 - Theme Of Justice Essay -- essays research pape

The subject matter of the Republic is the nature of rightness and its relation to human raceity existence. have got I of the republic contains a critical examination of the nature and virtue of legal expert. Socrates engages in a dialectic with Thrasymachus, Polemarchus, and Cephalus, a method which leads to the postulation and answering of questions which directs to a logical refutation and thus leading to a convincing argument of the true nature of evaluator. And that is the main function of Book I, to clear the ground of mistaken or inadequate accounts of nicety in order to make room for the new theory. Socrates attempts to show that certain beliefs and attitudes of justice and its nature are inadequate or inconsistent, and present a counselling in which those come acrosss about justice are to be overcome. Tradition each(prenominal)y justice was regarded as one of the cardinal virtues to avoid injustices and to deal equitable with both equals and inferiors was seen as what was expected of the good man, but it was not clear how the benefits of justice were to be reaped. Socrates wants to persuade from his audience to adopt a way of estimating the benefits of this virtue. From his perspective, it is the timberland of the mind, the psyche organization which enables a person to act virtuously. It is this opposition amidst the two types of assessment of virtue that is the major theme explored in Socrates examination of the various positions towards justice. Thus the role of Book I is to turn the minds from the popular evaluation of justice towards this new vision. Through the discourse between Cephalus, Polemarchus and Thrasymachus, Socaretes thoughts and actions towards justice are exemplified. Though their views are different and even opposed, the way all triple discourse about justice and power reveal that they repeat the relation between the two to be separate. They find it impossible to image the idea that being just is an exercise of powe r and that true human power must include the ability to act justly. And that is exactly what Socrates seeks to refute.The Socratic dialogue begins of Socrates recounting a conversation he had with a quash of people at the house of Cephalus. Returning to Athens from Piraeus, where they had been attending a religious festival, Socrates and Glaucon are intercepted by Cephalus, who playfully forces them to come to his fathers house. Socrates begins by asking t... ...s are a paradigm case of those in control. The essence of ruling is, therefore, to be unjust and that is why a despot is a perfect ruler. He always knows what is to his advantage and how to acquire it. Thrasymachus view of justice is appealing but therein lies a moral insecurity and this is refuted by Socrates. Out of the confrontation with Cephalus, Polemarchus, and Thrasymachus, Socrates emerges as a reflective single searching for the noetic foundation of morality and human excellence. The views presented by the thr ee men are invalid and limited as they present a biased understanding of justice and require a re-examination of the terminology. The nature in which the faulty arguments are presented, leave the reader longing to search for the rational foundations of morality and human virtue.BibliographyAllan, Bloom. The Republic of Plato. Second Edition, Basic Books. 1991Foster, M.B. The Political Philosophies of Plato. unsanded York, Russell and Russell. 1965Annas, J. An Introduction to Platos Republic. Oxford, Clarendon Press. 1981White, N.P. A Companion to Platos Republic. Indianapolis, Hackett. 1979Graby, J. An Inquiry into the plant life of Plato. New York, McGraw. 1961.